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Manager YCII
Biography
Ahsan Ahmad is the Scientific Manager at the Yale Center for Infection and Immunity (YCII), at the Yale School of Medicine, where he supports a collaborative research network integrating clinical, epidemiological, and interventional initiatives with expertise in immunology, virology, microbiology, genetics, and computational sciences to advance vaccines, diagnostics, treatments, and cures for autoimmune and infectious diseases, under the leadership of Dr. Akiko Iwasaki. Previously he served as Research Associate at the Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, AIDS Program, at the Yale School of Medicine, and as a visiting Research Associate at the Center of Excellence for Research in Infectious Diseases and AIDS (CERiA) based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He led the implementation and management of infectious disease epidemiological studies, notably a National Institutes of Health / National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH/NIDA) R01 grant (Harapan II, Grant#: 1R01DA041271) focused on addiction, HIV, tuberculosis, COVID-19 and hepatitis C in the Malaysian criminal justice system. Concurrently, he also served as Programme Director for the All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia (APPGM) for Prison Reform, overseeing a portfolio of high-impact research projects and interdisciplinary teams, to bridge research evidence and strategic health policymaking. Working under the leadership of Professor Dato’ Dr. Adeeba Kamarulzaman, he advanced evidence-based, human rights–driven reforms in prison health and drug policy in Malaysia and across Southeast Asia, focusing on strengthening health services and systems for marginalized populations. In this role, he worked closely with civil society, governments, UN agencies, and high-level influencers.
Along with his full-time role, Ahsan is an MPH candidate, at the Yale School of Public Health, focusing on epidemiology and applied analytics, and health policy. Additionally, he serves as a Research Fellow at the Solomon Center for Health Law and Policy at the Yale Law School, and is a Cultivating Conversations Fellow at the Office of the Secretary and Vice President for University Life.
Departments & Organizations
Research
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Overview
Public Health Interests
ORCID
0000-0003-2735-6659- View Lab Website
Center for Infection and Immunity
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frederick Lewis Altice, MD, MA
Sheela Shenoi, MD, MPH, FIDSA
Adeeba Kamarulzaman
Allison Mobley
Daniel Bromberg
Luke Davis, MD
Publications
Featured Publications
The 67th UN CND—upholding human rights in drug policy
Ahmad A, Kamarulzaman A, Kazatchkine M, Dreifuss R, Clark H. The 67th UN CND—upholding human rights in drug policy. The Lancet 2024, 403: 1851-1852. PMID: 38734469, DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(24)00763-3.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetric
2025
Screening and diagnostic strategies for active pulmonary tuberculosis among people in prison in Malaysia: a prospective diagnostic study
Zhang L, Altice F, Kamarulzaman A, Ahmad A, Kaur S, Yukhi S, Ibrahim N, Davis J, Suli Z, Shenoi S. Screening and diagnostic strategies for active pulmonary tuberculosis among people in prison in Malaysia: a prospective diagnostic study. The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific 2025, 64: 101712. PMID: 41312442, PMCID: PMC12648966, DOI: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2025.101712.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsArea under the curveChest X-rayHighest area under the curveAcid-fast bacilliPulmonary TBPredictive valueActive pulmonary TBWorld Health OrganizationActive pulmonary tuberculosisNegative predictive valueProspective diagnostic studyPositive predictive valueC-reactive proteinOpioid use disorderSensitivity of SSMalaysia’s largest prison.Receiver operating curvePulmonary tuberculosisDiagnostic strategiesUse disorderDiagnostic studiesDiagnostic testsReference standardScreening testOperating curveFacilitators and barriers to scaling up methadone maintenance therapy in Malaysian prisons: using nominal group technique with custodial staff
Mobley A, Shenoi S, Ahmad A, Ravie N, Bromberg D, Madden L, Long J, Pang J, Kamarulzaman A, Altice F. Facilitators and barriers to scaling up methadone maintenance therapy in Malaysian prisons: using nominal group technique with custodial staff. International Journal Of Prison Health 2025, 21: 473-487. PMID: 40787851, DOI: 10.1108/ijoph-11-2024-0064.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCustodial staffCustody officersMethadone maintenance treatmentMalaysia’s largest prison.Opioid use disorderMixed-methods strategyVital perspectiveLargest prisonPrison settingMalaysian prisonsPrisonTop-ranked barriersMiddle-income countriesHealth-care programsEase-of-accessTreatment of opioid use disorderMethadone maintenance treatment programsMonths employmentNominal group techniqueMethadone maintenance therapyOfficeMMT programDecision-makingStaffUse disorderPrescribing methadone in prison predicts linkage to HIV care after release from prison: A randomized and patient preference trial
Mobley A, Wegman M, Bazazi A, Shenoi S, Bromberg D, Ahmad A, Kamarulzaman A, Altice F. Prescribing methadone in prison predicts linkage to HIV care after release from prison: A randomized and patient preference trial. International Journal Of Drug Policy 2025, 137: 104733. PMID: 39923270, PMCID: PMC11875876, DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104733.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsLinkage to HIV careHIV careIncrease linkage to HIV careTreatment-as-prevention strategiesHIV treatment cascadeHIV treatment outcomesOpen-label trialCox proportional hazards modelsPatient preference trialOpioid use disorderMalaysia’s largest prison.Impact of methadoneProportional hazards modelTreatment cascadeInverse probability weighted Cox proportional hazards modelAnalytic sampleStudy participantsCareTreatment outcomesPrescribed methadoneOpioidConfounding variablesHIVUse disorderHazards model
2024
Higher methadone dose at time of release from prison predicts linkage to maintenance treatment for people with HIV and opioid use disorder transitioning to the community in Malaysia
Ahmad A, Bromberg D, Shrestha R, Salleh N, Bazazi A, Kamarulzaman A, Shenoi S, Altice F. Higher methadone dose at time of release from prison predicts linkage to maintenance treatment for people with HIV and opioid use disorder transitioning to the community in Malaysia. International Journal Of Drug Policy 2024, 126: 104369. PMID: 38484531, PMCID: PMC11056294, DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104369.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsMethadone maintenance treatmentNational Institute of Drug AbuseMethadone dosePost-releaseOpioid dependenceMaintenance treatmentMethadone maintenance treatment doseHigher doses of methadoneProspective trialsHighest methadone dosagePost-release outcomesHigher methadone dosesMalaysia’s largest prison.Levels of depressionTreatment of opioid use disorderMonths of releaseDose of methadoneOpioid use disorderLargest prisonHigher dosageIncarcerated peopleIncarceration periodUse disorderMethadone dosageTime-to-event analysis
2023
1901. High Prevalence of Latent Tuberculosis Infection in a Malaysian Prison
Zhang L, Shenoi S, Kamarulzaman A, Dhaliwal S, Ahmad A, Altice F. 1901. High Prevalence of Latent Tuberculosis Infection in a Malaysian Prison. Open Forum Infectious Diseases 2023, 10: ofad500.1729. PMCID: PMC10677608, DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofad500.1729.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsLatent tuberculosis infectionPrevalence of LTBIRisk of LTBITB preventive therapyIndependent risk factorTuberculin skin testC-reactive proteinActive TBPreventive therapyTuberculosis infectionRisk factorsHigh prevalenceMultivariable logistic regressionOpioid use disorderRisk of hepatotoxicityChest X-rayDrug use historyPaucity of dataLTBI treatmentHCV infectionHepatitis CHepatitis BMedian ageBlood testsSkin testPsychosocial risk factors and cognitive decline in people living with HIV: results from the Malaysian HIV and aging (MHIVA) study
Neelamegam M, Ahmad A, Chong M, Wong P, Zulhaimi N, Cysique L, Earnshaw V, Omar S, Kamarulzaman A, Kamaruzzaman S, Rajasuriar R. Psychosocial risk factors and cognitive decline in people living with HIV: results from the Malaysian HIV and aging (MHIVA) study. AIDS Care 2023, 36: 1041-1049. PMID: 37666210, PMCID: PMC10909927, DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2023.2254543.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsPsychosocial risk factorsRisk factorsMalaysian HIVMoCA scoresCognitive functionMean MoCA scoreMontreal Cognitive AssessmentSocial isolationDepression Anxiety Stress Scale-21Lubben Social Network Scale-6Anxiety Stress Scale-21Stress Scale-21Antiretroviral therapyMedian ageStable ARTHIV parametersNeurocognitive declineSevere depressionNeurocognitive impairmentPsychosocial factorsCognitive declineHIVSevere anxietyPLWHSevere stress
2022
Material Security Scale as a Measurement of Poverty among Key Populations At-Risk for HIV/AIDS in Malaysia: An Implication for People Who Use Drugs and Transgender People during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Salleh N, Ahmad A, Vicknasingam B, Kamarulzaman A, Yahya '. Material Security Scale as a Measurement of Poverty among Key Populations At-Risk for HIV/AIDS in Malaysia: An Implication for People Who Use Drugs and Transgender People during the COVID-19 Pandemic. International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health 2022, 19: 8997. PMID: 35897368, PMCID: PMC9331958, DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19158997.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsHepatitis C testing, treatment and prevention in low- and middle-income country prisons
Tucker J, Ahmad A, Mulu A, Muyoyeta M, Hassan M, Kamarulzaman A. Hepatitis C testing, treatment and prevention in low- and middle-income country prisons. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology 2022, 19: 484-485. PMID: 35705802, PMCID: PMC9199332, DOI: 10.1038/s41575-022-00645-3.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetric
2020
Ageing with HIV: health implications and evolving care needs
Ahmad A, Neelamegam M, Rajasuriar R. Ageing with HIV: health implications and evolving care needs. Journal Of The International AIDS Society 2020, 23: e25621. PMID: 32996718, PMCID: PMC7526224, DOI: 10.1002/jia2.25621.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetric
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- December 08, 2025Source: The Opinion Pages
OPINION: The government shutdown is over, but repercussions for science persist
- November 11, 2025
Strengthening Tuberculosis Screening in High-Risk Settings
- February 12, 2025
Improving HIV Care for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals
- May 25, 2023
Internal Medicine Staff Celebrated for Service Anniversaries
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