Jessica A. Kahn, MD, MPH

As an adolescent medicine physician, I specialize in primary care and consultative care for adolescents, specifically addressing common conditions including:

• Sexual and reproductive health issues
• Eating disorders
• Mental health disorders
• Chronic physical illnesses

In our clinical practice, we focus on reducing health disparities and improving equitable health outcomes for adolescents and young adults.

My research interests focus on generating the data needed to maximize the public health impact of technologies to prevent human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers. I want to help decrease disability and deaths due to cervical cancer and other conditions caused by HPV. This includes reducing racial and ethnic disparities in these diseases.

My current research program investigates primary and secondary prevention of HPV-related diseases using technologies such as Pap tests, HPV DNA testing and HPV vaccines. Our studies have:

• Assessed the acceptability and accuracy of HPV DNA self- and clinician-led testing in adolescents
• Evaluated the epidemiology and risk factors for HPV in adolescent patients
• Examined the impact of HPV vaccination on sexual attitudes and behaviors
• Gauged the epidemiological impact of HPV vaccine introduction in various communities
• Characterized the attitudes about HPV vaccination among adolescents, parents and clinicians
• Evaluated the immunogenicity and safety of HPV vaccines in HIV-positive young people

My colleagues and I hope to maximize the uptake of primary prevention strategies such as vaccines and characterize the impact of HPV vaccine introduction in communities. Ideally, my research efforts will guide public health efforts, vaccination guidelines, and cervical cancer screening programs.

I am honored to have received the Huffman-Capraro Young Investigator Award from the North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. I also received the New Investigator Award from the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM).

I am currently the immediate past-president of SAHM and have served on national and international committees and advisory groups focused on vaccines and other adolescent health issues. My roles have included:

• Membership on a leadership group for the U01-funded Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS interventions
• Primary investigator for an industry-supported grant program through SAHM that funded 10 United States projects designed to improve adolescent vaccination
• Facilitator of a global HPV vaccine community of practice funded by the World Health Organization (WHO)

The National Institutes of Health, WHO and foundations such as the American Cancer Society have provided grants for my research. To date, I have published more than 175 articles and am a contributing author for several medical textbooks.

In addition to my clinical and research work, I am a professor of pediatrics in the Division of Adolescent and Transition Medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center within the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. I serve as the director of the Office of Academic Affairs and Career Development, as well as the co-director for the Center for Clinical and Translational Science and Training (CCTST).