Michael Z. Levy, PhD
| Office Location | 819, Blockley Hall |
| Office Phone | 215-746-8131 |
| mzlevy@mail.med.upenn.edu | |
Faculty Information | |
| CCEB Appointment | Senior Scholar, Epidemiology |
| Primary Faculty Appointment | Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, University of Pennsylvania SOM |
Research Statement
Dr. Levy works at the interface of epidemiology, ecology and statistics to understand and control vector-borne and other infectious diseases. He has focused his research the past five years on the control of urban Chagas disease transmission in Peru. His research team in Peru conducts epidemiological studies on Chagas disease as well as entomological and ecological research on disease vectors and reservoirs. In addition his team uses quantitative and qualitative methods to elucidate the factors that have led to urbanization of a disease traditionally associated with rural poverty. Dr. Levy's methodological interests include developing new Bayesian methods to retrace the history of epidemics, and applying techniques from control theory to optimize interventions against infectious diseases.
Selected Publications
Levy MZ, Malaga F, Cornejo del Carpio JG, Vilhena D, McKenzie FE, Plotkin JB, 2010. Rational Strategies for Controlling a Chagas Disease Vector in Urban Environments. Journal of the Royal Society Interface. 2010 Jan 8. [pdf]
Bayer AM, Hunter GC, Gilman RH, Cornejo Del Carpio JG, Naquira C, Bern C, Levy MZ, 2009. Chagas disease, migration and community settlement patterns in Arequipa, Peru. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 3: e567. [pdf]
Levy MZ, Bowman NM, Kawai V, Plotkin JB, Waller LA, Cabrera L, Steurer F, Seitz AE, Pinedo-Cancino VV, Cornejo del Carpio JG, Cordova Benzaquen E, McKenzie FE, Maguire JH, Gilman RH, Bern C, 2009. Spatial patterns in discordant diagnostic test results for Chagas disease: links to transmission hotspots. Clin Infect Dis 48: 1104-6. [pdf]
Verani JR, Seitz A, Gilman RH, LaFuente C, Galdos-Cardenas G, Kawai V, de LaFuente E, Ferrufino L, Bowman NM, Pinedo-Cancino V, Levy MZ, Steurer F, Todd CW, Kirchhoff LV, Cabrera L, Verastegui M, Bern C, 2009. Geographic variation in the sensitivity of recombinant antigen-based rapid tests for chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infection. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene: 80: 410-5. [pdf]
Levy MZ,Quispe-Machaca VR, Ylla-Velasquez JL, Waller LA, Richards JM, Rath B, Borrini-Mayori K, del Carpio JG, Cordova-Benzaquen E, McKenzie FE, Wirtz RA, Maguire JH, Gilman RH, Bern C, 2008. Impregnated netting slows infestation by Triatoma infestans. Am J Trop Med Hyg 79: 528-34. [pdf]
Bowman, NM, Kawai, V, Levy MZ, Cornejo del Carpio JG, Cabrera L, Delgado F, Malaga F, Cordova Benzaquen E, Pinedo VV, Steurer F, Seitz AE, Gilman RH, Bern C. (2008) Chagas disease transmission in periurban communities of Arequipa, Peru. Clinical Infectious Diseases 46: 1822-8.
Levy MZ, Kawai V, Bowman NM, Waller LA, Cabrera L, Pinedo-Cancino VV, Seitz AE, Steurer FJ, Cornejo Del Carpio JG, Cordova-Benzaquen E, Maguire JH, Gilman RH, Bern C, 2007. Targeted Screening Strategies to Detect Trypanosoma cruzi Infection in Children. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 1: e103. [pdf]
Levy MZ, Bowman NM, Kawai V, Waller LA, Cornejo del Carpio JG, Cordova Benzaquen E, Gilman RH, Bern C. (2006) Peri-urban infestation by Triatoma infestans carrying Trypanosoma cruzi in Arequipa, Peru. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 9(12). [pdf]
Kroeger A, Lenhart A, Ochoa M, Villegas E, Levy M,Alexander N, McCall PJ. (2006) Effective control of dengue vectors with curtains and water container covers treated with insecticide in Mexico and Venezuela: cluster randomised trials. British Medical Journal; 332(7552):1247-52.
Levy MZ, Medeiros EA, Shang N, Soares MC, Homenko AS, Almeida RM, Garrett DO, Roth VR, Jarvis WR, Wells CD, Binkin N, Laserson KF. (2005) TST reversion in a BCG-revaccinated population of nursing and medical students, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1997-2000. International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease;9(7):771-6.
