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Summaries of Independent Scientist (K) Awards

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Lee, Grace

Institution: Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
Grant Title: Strategies for Group A Streptococcal Prevention
Grant Number: K08 HS013908
Duration: 5 years (2004-2009)
Total Award: $640,035

Project Description: The goal of this research was to enhance our understanding of how to incorporate patient preferences and advanced modeling methods in evaluating the cost effectiveness of interventions against infections. This project had four specific aims:

To determine the societal costs and health state preferences for Group A Streptococcus (GAS) infection such as pharyngitis.
To create a decision-analytic model to estimate the costs and health outcomes of selective vaccination strategies to prevent invasive GAS disease.
To determine the cost-effectiveness of universal vaccination strategies for infants and/or children through mathematical modeling.
To evaluate the costs and outcomes of current management strategies for pharyngitis and model the potential downstream impact of a GAS vaccine.

Career Goals: Dr. Lee is an Assistant Professor of Population Medicine and Pediatrics at the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. She received her MD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia and did her residency in Pediatrics at Children's Hospital Boston and Boston Medical Center. She later earned her MPH from Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Lee will continue her career as a health services researcher bringing her expertise in pediatric infectious diseases to the field

Progress to Date: This grant has been completed. The research found the societal cost per case of GAS pharyngitis was $205/case. Parents reported greater willingness-to-pay and days traded to avoid GAS disease compared to minor vaccine adverse events. Vaccinating children at four years of age was preferred to vaccinating children at one year, due to waning immunity.

Highlights and Specific Accomplishments:

Pediatric Infectious Diseases Attending, Children's Hospital Boston, MA.
Infectious Diseases Society of America Travel Award, 2002.
Edward H. Kass Award for Clinical Excellence, Massachusetts Infectious Disease Society, 2003.
Pyle Fellowship Award, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, 2003.

K-Generated Publications:

Lee GM, LeBaron C, Murphy TV, et al. Pertussis in adolescents and adults: Should we vaccinate? Pediatrics 2005. (115)6:1675-83.

Lee Gm, Santoli JM, Hannan C, et al. Gaps in vaccine financing for underinsured children in the United States. Journal of the American Medical Association 2007. 298(6):638-43.

Lee GM, Murphy TV, Lett S, et al. Cost-effectiveness of pertussis vaccination for adults. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2007. 32(3):186-93

Lee GM. Varicella vaccination in adults: Is it cost-effective? Clinical Infectious Disease 2007. 44:1040-48.

Linder JA, Bates DW, Lee GM, Finkelstein JA. Antibiotic treatment of children with sore throat in the United States. Journal of the American Medical Association 2005. 294:2315-22.

Lee GM, Wessels MR. Changing epidemiology of acute rheumatic fever in the United States. Clinical Infectious Disease 2006. 42:448-50.

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