Rebecca Earnest, MPH
About
Biography
Rebecca is a PhD candidate in the Grubaugh Lab in the Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases. Her research focuses on the outbreak dynamics of emerging viruses in human and animal populations. Previously, Rebecca was a Research Analyst in the Prevention Policy Modeling Lab at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where her work focused on modeling the potential impact of changes in disease control strategies. She received a Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and also has four years of experience in global and domestic health consulting.
Education & Training
- MPH
- Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University (2017)
- BA
- College of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Economics (2012)
Research
Publications
2023
Survey of white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) in Connecticut, USA reveals low SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and infection with divergent betacoronaviruses
Earnest R, Hahn A, Feriancek N, Brandt M, Filler R, Zhao Z, Breban M, Vogels C, Chen N, Koch R, Porzucek A, Sodeinde A, Garbiel A, Keanna C, Litwak H, Stuber H, Cantoni J, Pitzer V, Olarte Castillo X, Goodman L, Wilen C, Linske M, Williams S, Grubaugh N. Survey of white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) in Connecticut, USA reveals low SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and infection with divergent betacoronaviruses. Npj Viruses 2023, 1: 10. DOI: 10.1038/s44298-023-00010-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMethod versatility in RNA extraction-free PCR detection of SARS-CoV-2 in saliva samples
Allicock O, Yolda-Carr D, Earnest R, Breban M, Vega N, Ott I, Kalinich C, Alpert T, Petrone M, Wyllie A. Method versatility in RNA extraction-free PCR detection of SARS-CoV-2 in saliva samples. Progress In Biophysics And Molecular Biology 2023, 182: 103-108. PMID: 37369293, PMCID: PMC10290768, DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2023.06.004.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2022
Daily Rapid Antigen Exit Testing to Tailor University COVID-19 Isolation Policy - Volume 28, Number 12—December 2022 - Emerging Infectious Diseases journal - CDC
Earnest R, Chen C, Chaguza C, Hahn A, Grubaugh N, Wilson M, . Daily Rapid Antigen Exit Testing to Tailor University COVID-19 Isolation Policy - Volume 28, Number 12—December 2022 - Emerging Infectious Diseases journal - CDC. Emerging Infectious Diseases 2022, 28: 2455-2462. PMID: 36417936, PMCID: PMC9707582, DOI: 10.3201/eid2812.220969.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchSevere Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Outbreak at a College With High Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccination Coverage—Connecticut, August 2021–September 2021
Bart S, Curtiss CC, Earnest R, Lobe-Costonis R, Peterson H, McWilliams C, Billig K, Hadler JL, Grubaugh ND, Arcelus VJ, Sosa LE. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Outbreak at a College With High Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccination Coverage—Connecticut, August 2021–September 2021. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2022, 75: s243-s250. PMID: 35675696, PMCID: PMC9214140, DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciac422.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSARS-CoV-2 infectionLaboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infectionSARS-CoV-2 casesHigh vaccination coverageMultivariate logistic regressionDelta variant outbreakSARS-CoV-2 outbreakVaccine seriesVaccination historyVaccination coverageUnvaccinated studentsViral testsVariant outbreakInfected studentsUninfected studentsInfectionWeekly testingLogistic regressionAttack rateConnecticut DepartmentPublic healthViral sourcesViral genome sequencesOutbreakSocial gatheringsCombining genomic and epidemiological data to compare the transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 variants Alpha and Iota
Petrone ME, Rothman JE, Breban MI, Ott IM, Russell A, Lasek-Nesselquist E, Badr H, Kelly K, Omerza G, Renzette N, Watkins AE, Kalinich CC, Alpert T, Brito AF, Earnest R, Tikhonova IR, Castaldi C, Kelly JP, Shudt M, Plitnick J, Schneider E, Murphy S, Neal C, Laszlo E, Altajar A, Pearson C, Muyombwe A, Downing R, Razeq J, Niccolai L, Wilson MS, Anderson ML, Wang J, Liu C, Hui P, Mane S, Taylor BP, Hanage WP, Landry ML, Peaper DR, Bilguvar K, Fauver JR, Vogels CBF, Gardner LM, Pitzer VE, St. George K, Adams MD, Grubaugh ND. Combining genomic and epidemiological data to compare the transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 variants Alpha and Iota. Communications Biology 2022, 5: 439. PMID: 35545661, PMCID: PMC9095641, DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03347-3.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchRapid emergence of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant is associated with an infection advantage over Delta in vaccinated persons
Chaguza C, Coppi A, Earnest R, Ferguson D, Kerantzas N, Warner F, Young HP, Breban MI, Billig K, Koch RT, Pham K, Kalinich CC, Ott IM, Fauver JR, Hahn AM, Tikhonova IR, Castaldi C, De Kumar B, Pettker CM, Warren JL, Weinberger DM, Landry ML, Peaper DR, Schulz W, Vogels CBF, Grubaugh ND. Rapid emergence of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant is associated with an infection advantage over Delta in vaccinated persons. Med 2022, 3: 325-334.e4. PMID: 35399324, PMCID: PMC8983481, DOI: 10.1016/j.medj.2022.03.010.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSpike gene target failureSARS-CoV-2 Omicron variantPositivity rateOmicron variantOmicron infectionVaccine dosesVaccine-induced immunityNumber of dosesTest positivity rateOdds of infectionSARS-CoV-2Significant reductionDominant Delta variantUnvaccinated personsVaccination statusHigher oddsDelta variantInfectionVaccine manufacturersDisease controlVirus copiesDosesPCR testOddsTarget failureComparative transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 variants Delta and Alpha in New England, USA
Earnest R, Uddin R, Matluk N, Renzette N, Turbett SE, Siddle KJ, Loreth C, Adams G, Tomkins-Tinch CH, Petrone ME, Rothman JE, Breban MI, Koch RT, Billig K, Fauver JR, Vogels CBF, Bilguvar K, De Kumar B, Landry ML, Peaper DR, Kelly K, Omerza G, Grieser H, Meak S, Martha J, Dewey HB, Kales S, Berenzy D, Carpenter-Azevedo K, King E, Huard RC, Novitsky V, Howison M, Darpolor J, Manne A, Kantor R, Smole SC, Brown CM, Fink T, Lang AS, Gallagher GR, Pitzer VE, Sabeti PC, Gabriel S, MacInnis BL, Team N, Altajar A, DeJesus A, Brito A, Watkins A, Muyombwe A, Blumenstiel B, Neal C, Kalinich C, Liu C, Loreth C, Castaldi C, Pearson C, Bernard C, Nolet C, Ferguson D, Buzby E, Laszlo E, Reagan F, Vicente G, Rooke H, Munger H, Johnson H, Tikhonova I, Ott I, Razeq J, Meldrim J, Brown J, Wang J, Vostok J, Beauchamp J, Grimsby J, Hall J, Messer K, Larkin K, Vernest K, Madoff L, Green L, Webber L, Gagne L, Ulcena M, Ray M, Fisher M, Barter M, Lee M, DeFelice M, Cipicchio M, Smith N, Lennon N, Fitzgerald N, Kerantzas N, Hui P, Harrington R, Downing R, Haye R, Lynch R, Anderson S, Hennigan S, English S, Cofsky S, Clancy S, Mane S, Ash S, Baez S, Fleming S, Murphy S, Chaluvadi S, Alpert T, Rivard T, Schulz W, Mandese Z, Tewhey R, Adams M, Park D, Lemieux J, Grubaugh N. Comparative transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 variants Delta and Alpha in New England, USA. Cell Reports Medicine 2022, 3: 100583. PMID: 35480627, PMCID: PMC8913280, DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100583.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsEnhanced transmissibilitySARS-CoV-2 variant DeltaSARS-CoV-2 Delta variantViral RNA copiesPublic health programsAlpha infectionDelta infectionEffective reproductive numberDelta variantHealth programsVariant DeltaRNA copiesInfectionAlphaReproductive numberTransmissibilityEpidemiological dynamics
2021
Reply to: A finding of sex similarities rather than differences in COVID-19 outcomes
Takahashi T, Ellingson MK, Wong P, Israelow B, Lucas C, Klein J, Silva J, Mao T, Oh JE, Tokuyama M, Lu P, Venkataraman A, Park A, Liu F, Meir A, Sun J, Wang EY, Casanovas-Massana A, Wyllie AL, Vogels CBF, Earnest R, Lapidus S, Ott IM, Moore AJ, Shaw A, Fournier JB, Odio CD, Farhadian S, Dela Cruz C, Grubaugh ND, Schulz WL, Ring AM, Ko AI, Omer SB, Iwasaki A. Reply to: A finding of sex similarities rather than differences in COVID-19 outcomes. Nature 2021, 597: e10-e11. PMID: 34552250, DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03645-6.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchModeling the Cost-Effectiveness of Express Multisite Gonorrhea Screening Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in the United States
Earnest R, Rönn MM, Bellerose M, Menon-Johansson AS, Berruti AA, Chesson HW, Gift TL, Hsu KK, Testa C, Zhu L, Malyuta Y, Menzies NA, Salomon JA. Modeling the Cost-Effectiveness of Express Multisite Gonorrhea Screening Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in the United States. Sexually Transmitted Diseases 2021, 48: 805-812. PMID: 33993161, PMCID: PMC8505150, DOI: 10.1097/olq.0000000000001467.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGonococcal infectionAsymptomatic MSMAnatomic sitesUS MSMIncremental cost-effectiveness ratioMore anatomic sitesCost-effectiveness ratioExtragenital screeningGonorrhea ScreeningPhysical examinationSmall cost savingsAsymptomatic screeningProvider consultationRoutine screeningMore infectionsOnward transmissionVisit costsCumulative health effectsIntervention yearInfectionMSMHealth effectsDiagnostic costsCost-effective optionMenMultiplex qPCR discriminates variants of concern to enhance global surveillance of SARS-CoV-2
Vogels CBF, Breban MI, Ott IM, Alpert T, Petrone ME, Watkins AE, Kalinich CC, Earnest R, Rothman JE, de Jesus J, Claro I, Ferreira G, Crispim MAE, Network B, Singh L, Tegally H, Anyaneji UJ, Africa N, Hodcroft EB, Mason CE, Khullar G, Metti J, Dudley JT, MacKay MJ, Nash M, Wang J, Liu C, Hui P, Murphy S, Neal C, Laszlo E, Landry ML, Muyombwe A, Downing R, Razeq J, de Oliveira T, Faria NR, Sabino EC, Neher RA, Fauver JR, Grubaugh ND. Multiplex qPCR discriminates variants of concern to enhance global surveillance of SARS-CoV-2. PLOS Biology 2021, 19: e3001236. PMID: 33961632, PMCID: PMC8133773, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001236.Peer-Reviewed Original Research