CSDE Research Areas:
- Health of People and Populations
Dr. Darcy Rao is an infectious disease epidemiologist with training and experience in mathematical modeling of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and measurement of sexual behavior and healthcare utilization. Her research interests center on using mathematical models to bridge epidemiologic research and public health practice, with the goal of informing the design and implementation of effective programs and policies. Her current projects include clinical research to evaluate alternate service delivery models for cervical cancer screening among women living with HIV in Washington State, mathematical modeling of HIV and HPV co-infection dynamics to inform cervical cancer prevention in low- and middle-income countries, cost-effectiveness analyses of cervical cancer prevention strategies, and examination of changes in healthcare utilization and sexual behavior associated with COVID-19 social distancing and other mitigation strategies.