Mark Isaac Lieber

All Publications

• Conceptualizing the impact of climate change on diarrheal diseases among people living with HIV/AIDS CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT Lieber, M. 2025; 50

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.crm.2025.100766

  View details for Web of Science ID 001620508000001

• Navigating Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Primary Care Concerns Specific to the Transgender and Gender-Nonbinary Population OPEN FORUM INFECTIOUS DISEASES Lieber, M., Hamill, M. M., Pham, P., Pine, E., Crank, J., Shah, M. 2022; 9 (4)

  View details for DOI 10.1093/ofid/ofac091

  View details for Web of Science ID 000775226500005

• The Stanford Global Health Media Fellowship: Training the Next Generation of Physician Communicators to Fight Health Misinformation. Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges Krohn, K. M., Yu, G., Lieber, M., Barry, M. 2022

  Abstract

  PROBLEM: The COVID-19 pandemic and the spread of related health misinformation, especially on social media, have highlighted the need for more health care professionals to produce and share accurate health information to improve health and health literacy. Yet, few programs address this problem by training health care professionals in the art of science writing and medical journalism.APPROACH: Created in 2011, the Stanford Global Health Media Fellowship aims to train medical students and residents in public communication strategies. Each year, 1 physician-in-training is selected to complete the fellowship, which includes 3 rotations: (1) 1 academic quarter at Stanford's Graduate Program in Journalism, (2) 3 to 5 months with a national news network (previously NBC and ABC, now CNN), and (3) a placement at an international site. During the year-long program, fellows also complete a capstone project tackling a global health equity issue.OUTCOMES: Since 2011, 10 fellows have completed the program, and they have acquired skills in reporting, writing, multimedia, social media, and medical communications. During the news network rotation, they have completed more than 200 medical news pieces and improved the quality of the health information in a myriad of other pieces. Alumni have continued to write and report on medical stories throughout residency, other fellowships, and as practicing physicians. One alumnus is now a medical news producer at CNN.NEXT STEPS: Expanding high-quality training in medical journalism for physicians through partnerships with journalism schools, communications departments, and local, national, and international journalists can greatly improve physicians' ability to communicate with the public. It also has the potential to greatly improve the health information the public receives. Educators should consider embedding mass health communications training in medical education curricula and increasing opportunities for physicians to engage with diverse public audiences.

  View details for DOI 10.1097/ACM.0000000000004630

  View details for PubMedID 35213399

• A systematic review and meta-analysis assessing the impact of droughts, flooding, and climate variability on malnutrition. Global public health Lieber, M., Chin-Hong, P., Kelly, K., Dandu, M., Weiser, S. D. 2022; 17 (1): 68-82

  Abstract

  Both the World Health Organization and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change project that malnutrition will be the greatest contributor to climate change-associated morbidity and mortality. Although there have been several studies that have examined the potential effects of climate change on human health broadly, the effects on malnutrition are still not well understood. We conducted a systematic review investigating the role of three climate change proxies (droughts, floods, and climate variability) on malnutrition in children and adults.We identified 22 studies examining the effects of droughts, floods, and climate variability on at least one malnutrition metric. We found that 17 out of 22 studies reported a significant relationship between climate change proxies and at least one malnutrition metric. In meta-analysis, drought conditions were significantly associated with both wasting (Odds Ratio [OR] 1.46, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.05-2.04) and underweight prevalence (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.01-2.11).Given the long-term consequences of malnutrition on individuals and society, adoption of climate change adaptation strategies such as sustainable agriculture and water irrigation practices, as well as improving nutritional interventions aimed at children aged 1-2 years and older adults, should be prioritised on global policy agendas in the coming years.

  View details for DOI 10.1080/17441692.2020.1860247

  View details for PubMedID 33332222

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC8209118

• The Synergistic Relationship Between Climate Change and the HIV/AIDS Epidemic: A Conceptual Framework. AIDS and behavior Lieber, M., Chin-Hong, P., Whittle, H. J., Hogg, R., Weiser, S. D. 2021; 25 (7): 2266-2277

  Abstract

  Climate change and HIV/AIDS represent two of the greatest threats to human health in the 21st century. However, limitations in understanding the complex relationship between these syndemics continue to constrain advancements in the prevention and management of HIV/AIDS in the context of a rapidly changing climate. Here, we present a conceptual framework that identifies four pathways linking climate change with HIV/AIDS transmission and health outcomes: increased food insecurity, increased prevalence of other infectious diseases, increased human migration, and erosion of public health infrastructure. This framework is based on an in-depth literature review in PubMed and Google Scholar from June 6 to June 27, 2019. The pathways linking climate change with HIV transmission and health outcomes are complex with multiple interacting factors. Food insecurity emerged as a particularly important mediator by driving sexual risk-taking behaviours and migration, as well as by increasing susceptibility to infections that are common among people living with HIV (PLWHIV). Future interventions should focus on decreasing carbon dioxide emissions globally and increasing education and investment in adaptation strategies, particularly in those areas of sub-Saharan Africa and southeast Asia heavily impacted by both HIV and climate change. Environmentally sustainable interventions such as urban gardening and investing in sustainable agriculture technologies also have significant health co-benefits that may help PLWHIV adapt to the environmental consequences of climate change.

  View details for DOI 10.1007/s10461-020-03155-y

  View details for PubMedID 33452659

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC7810285

• Remembering Arthur: A Tale of Resilience in Malawi. The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene Lieber, M. 2018; 99 (3): 559-560

  View details for DOI 10.4269/ajtmh.18-0176

  View details for PubMedID 30187845

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC6169171

• Implementation of a human papillomavirus screen-and-treat model in Mwanza, Tanzania: training local healthcare workers for sustainable impact. International health Bernstein, M., Hari, A., Aggarwal, S., Lee, D., Farfel, A., Patel, P., Raman, K., Raja, S., Fenning, R., Lieber, M., Minteer, W., Denny, S., Ries, M. 2018; 10 (3): 197-201

  Abstract

  The purpose of this study is to evaluate the development of a 1-wk screening campaign and efforts towards the implementation of a sustainable system that addresses cervical cancer in Mwanza, Tanzania with a screen-and-treat model utilizing visual inspection of the cervix with acetic acid (VIA) and cryotherapy.In partnership with CureCervicalCancer (CCC), a non-profit organization based in Los Angeles, CA, USA, 11 medical students at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine established a model for sustainable human papillomavirus screening practices in Mwanza, Tanzania. This study both quantitatively and qualitatively assesses the successes and limitations of the program model.During the 5-day training, a total of 614 women attended the screenings and 556 women were screened with VIA, of whom 10.6% (n=59) were VIA positive and 89.4% (n=499) were VIA negative. Of those who were VIA positive, 83.1% (n=49) received cryotherapy while 16.9% (n=10) did not due to suspicion of advanced cancer (n=7), refusal to receive cryotherapy (n=2) or pregnancy (n=1).The screen-and-treat model for the identification and treatment of precancerous cervical lesions is an effective public health intervention with the potential to impact women by providing the tools and education needed by local healthcare professionals. However, limitations common to resource-poor settings, such as continuity of funding, loss to follow-up and transportation costs, remain barriers to sustainability.

  View details for DOI 10.1093/inthealth/ihy014

  View details for PubMedID 29579207

• Another Generation of Stigma? Assessing Healthcare Student Perceptions of HIV-Positive Patients in Mwanza, Tanzania. AIDS patient care and STDs Aggarwal, S., Lee, D. H., Minteer, W. B., Fenning, R. T., Raja, S. K., Bernstein, M. E., Raman, K. R., Denny, S. P., Patel, P. A., Lieber, M., Farfel, A. O., Diamond, C. A. 2017; 31 (2): 87-95

  Abstract

  HIV-related stigma remains a persistent global health concern among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWA) in developing nations. The literature is lacking in studies about healthcare students' perceptions of PLWA. This study is the first effort to understand stigmatizing attitudes toward HIV-positive patients by healthcare students in Mwanza, Tanzania, not just those who will be directly treating patients but also those who will be indirectly involved through nonclinical roles, such as handling patient specimens and private health information. A total of 208 students were drawn from Clinical Medicine, Laboratory Sciences, Health Records and Information Management, and Community Health classes at the Tandabui Institute of Health Sciences and Technology for a voluntary survey that assessed stigmatizing beliefs toward PLWA. Students generally obtained high scores on the overall survey instrument, pointing to low stigmatizing beliefs toward PLWA and an overall willingness to treat PLWA with the same standard of care as other patients. However, there are gaps in knowledge that exist among students, such as a comprehensive understanding of all routes of HIV infection. The study also suggests that students who interact with patients as part of their training are less likely to exhibit stigmatizing beliefs toward PLWA. A comprehensive course in HIV infection, one that includes classroom sessions focused on the epidemiology and routes of transmission as well as clinical opportunities to directly interact with PLWA-perhaps through teaching sessions led by PLWA-may allow for significant reductions in stigma toward such patients and improve clinical outcomes for PLWA around the world.

  View details for DOI 10.1089/apc.2016.0175

  View details for PubMedID 28099036

• Assessing the Mental Health Impact of the 2011 Great Japan Earthquake, Tsunami, and Radiation Disaster on Elementary and Middle School Children in the Fukushima Prefecture of Japan. PloS one Lieber, M. 2017; 12 (1): e0170402

  Abstract

  On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake occurred off of Japan's Pacific coast, which was followed by huge tsunamis that destroyed many coastal cities in the area. Due to the earthquake and subsequent tsunami, malfunctions occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi (Fukushima I) nuclear power plant, resulting in the release of radioactive material in the region. While recent studies have investigated the effects of these events on the mental health of adults in the region, no studies have yet been performed investigating similar effects among children.This study aims to fill that gap by: 1) assessing the mental health of elementary and middle school children living within the Fukushima prefecture of Japan, and 2) identifying risk and protective factors that are associated with the children's mental health scores. These factors were quantified using an original demographics survey, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), the latter two of which have been previously validated in a Japanese setting. The surveys were distributed to approximately 3,650 elementary and middle school students during the months of February and March, 2012. The data suggests that those children who had been relocated to the city of Koriyama had significantly higher SDQ scores than those children who were native to Koriyama (p < .05) as well as a control group that lived outside of the Fukushima prefecture (p < .01). Using a multivariate regression, we also found that younger age and parental trauma were significantly correlated with higher SDQ scores (p < .001), while gender, displacement from one's home, and exposure to violence were not.These results suggest that, among children affected by natural disasters, younger children and those with parents suffering from trauma-related distress are particularly vulnerable to the onset of pediatric mental disturbances.

  View details for DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0170402

  View details for PubMedID 28099497

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC5242473