Michelle Hsiang, MD, MS
Associate Professor
Epidemiology & Biostatistics
School of Medicine

She serves as the Director of Research for the Malaria Elimination Initiative at the Institute for Global Health Sciences.

Her research is in the epidemiology of malaria in low-endemic settings aiming for elimination. She develops and evaluates novel malaria diagnostic, surveillance, and drug and vector control interventions to address the challenge of low-level infections that contribute to persistent transmission and disease. She has worked mainly in sub-Saharan Africa but also works in Latin America and the Asia-Pacific.

She was an inaugural member of the Malaria Elimination Group (MEG) and co-founded the Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network (APMEN). She is a WomenLift Leader in Global Health through Stanford and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's program WomenLift Health. She studied Human Biology as an undergraduate at Stanford University and attended medical school at Baylor College of Medicine. She trained in Pediatrics and Pediatric Infectious Diseases at UCSF, and obtained a Masters in Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. From 2012-2021, she was Assistant Professor in Pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical School where she was also a Horchow Family Endowed Scholar in Pediatrics.

• Assessing the acceptability and feasibility of reactive drug administration for malaria elimination in a Plasmodium vivax predominant setting: a qualitative study in two provinces in Thailand.
  BMC public health 2023 Suwannarong K, Cotter C, Ponlap T, Bubpa N, Thammasutti K, Chaiwan J, Finn TP, Kitchakarn S, Mårtensson A, Baltzell KA, Hsiang MS, Lertpiriyasuwat C, Sudathip P, Bennett A
• The in-vivo dynamics of Plasmodium falciparum HRP2: implications for the use of rapid diagnostic tests in malaria elimination.
  Malaria journal 2022 Marquart L, Webb L, O'Rourke P, Gatton ML, Hsiang MS, Kalnoky M, Jang IK, Ntuku H, Mumbengegwi DR, Domingo GJ, McCarthy JS, Britton S
• Application of an innovative grid-based surveillance strategy to ensure elimination and prevent reintroduction of malaria in high-risk border communities in China.
  BMC public health 2022 Lu SN, Ding W, Wang JZ, Yin SQ, Li SG, Zhou XW, Xu QL, Sun XD, Cotter C, Hsiang MS, Tatarsky A, Gosling R, Lv S, Wang DQ
• Cost and cost effectiveness of reactive case detection (RACD), reactive focal mass drug administration (rfMDA) and reactive focal vector control (RAVC) to reduce malaria in the low endemic setting of Namibia: an analysis alongside a 2×2 factorial design cluster randomised controlled trial.
  BMJ open 2022 Ntuku H, Smith-Gueye C, Scott V, Njau J, Whittemore B, Zelman B, Tambo M, Prach LM, Wu L, Schrubbe L, Kang Dufour MS, Mwilima A, Uusiku P, Sturrock H, Bennett A, Smith J, Kleinschmidt I, Mumbengegwi D…
• Tafenoquine for the treatment of Plasmodium vivax malaria.
  Expert opinion on pharmacotherapy 2022 Llanos-Cuentas A, Manrrique P, Rosas-Aguirre A, Herrera S, Hsiang MS
• Triple artemisinin-based combination therapies for malaria: a timely solution to counter antimalarial drug resistance.
  The Lancet. Infectious diseases 2022 Chen I, Hsiang MS
• Inferring person-to-person networks of Plasmodium falciparum transmission: are analyses of routine surveillance data up to the task?
  Malaria journal 2022 Huber JH, Hsiang MS, Dlamini N, Murphy M, Vilakati S, Nhlabathi N, Lerch A, Nielsen R, Ntshalintshali N, Greenhouse B, Perkins TA
• Transfusion-Transmitted Malaria: Two Pediatric Cases From the United States and Their Relevance in an Increasingly Globalized World.
  Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society 2021 Stubbs LA, Price M, Noland D, Fuchs J, Filkins L, McElvania E, Luu HS, Sebert M, Waters A, Hsiang MS
• Achieving malaria elimination in China.
  The Lancet. Public health 2021 Cao J, Newby G, Cotter C, Hsiang MS, Larson E, Tatarsky A, Gosling RD, Xia Z, Gao Q
• Marked reduction in antibiotic usage following intensive malaria control in a cohort of Ugandan children.
  BMC medicine 2021 Krezanoski PJ, Roh ME, Rek J, Nankabirwa JI, Arinaitwe E, Staedke SG, Nayiga S, Hsiang MS, Smith D, Kamya M, Dorsey G
• COVID-19 Therapeutics for Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Review of Candidate Agents with Potential for Near-Term Use and Impact.
  The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene 2021 Maxwell D, Sanders KC, Sabot O, Hachem A, Llanos-Cuentas A, Olotu A, Gosling R, Cutrell JB, Hsiang MS
• Effectiveness and safety of reactive focal mass drug administration (rfMDA) using dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine to reduce malaria transmission in the very low-endemic setting of Eswatini: a pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial.
  BMJ global health 2021 Vilakati S, Mngadi N, Benjamin-Chung J, Dlamini N, Dufour MK, Whittemore B, Bhangu K, Prach LM, Baltzell K, Nhlabathi N, Malambe C, Dlamini B, Helb D, Greenhouse B, Maphalala G, Pindolia D, Kalungero …
• Community acceptance of reactive focal mass drug administration and reactive focal vector control using indoor residual spraying, a mixed-methods study in Zambezi region, Namibia.
  Malaria journal 2021 Roberts KW, Smith Gueye C, Baltzell K, Ntuku H, McCreesh P, Maglior A, Whittemore B, Uusiku P, Mumbengegwi D, Kleinschmidt I, Gosling R, Hsiang MS
• Mini-outbreak response for malaria using indoor residual spraying.
  Lancet (London, England) 2021 Hsiang MS, Mumbengegwi D, Chimumbwa J
• Substantial underestimation of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the United States.
  Nature communications 2020 Wu SL, Mertens AN, Crider YS, Nguyen A, Pokpongkiat NN, Djajadi S, Seth A, Hsiang MS, Colford JM, Reingold A, Arnold BF, Hubbard A, Benjamin-Chung J
• Effectiveness of reactive focal mass drug administration and reactive focal vector control to reduce malaria transmission in the low malaria-endemic setting of Namibia: a cluster-randomised controlled, open-label, two-by-two factorial design trial.
  Lancet (London, England) 2020 Hsiang MS, Ntuku H, Roberts KW, Dufour MK, Whittemore B, Tambo M, McCreesh P, Medzihradsky OF, Prach LM, Siloka G, Siame N, Gueye CS, Schrubbe L, Wu L, Scott V, Tessema S, Greenhouse B, Erlank E, …
• Active Case Finding for Malaria: A 3-Year National Evaluation of Optimal Approaches to Detect Infections and Hotspots Through Reactive Case Detection in the Low-transmission Setting of Eswatini.
  Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2020 Hsiang MS, Ntshalintshali N, Kang Dufour MS, Dlamini N, Nhlabathi N, Vilakati S, Malambe C, Zulu Z, Maphalala G, Novotny J, Murphy M, Schwartz A, Sturrock H, Gosling R, Dorsey G, Kunene S, Greenhouse …
• "We were afraid of the lion that has roared next to us"; community response to reactive focal mass drug administration for malaria in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland).
  Malaria journal 2019 Baltzell KA, Maglior A, Bangu K, Mngadi N, Prach LM, Whittemore B, Ntshalintshali N, Saini M, Dlamini N, Kunene S, Hsiang MS
• Possible canine source of Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus causing meningitis in an infant.
  IDCases 2019 Zahlanie Y, Almatrafi M, Filkins L, Hsiang MS
• Assessing malaria risk at night-time venues in a low-transmission setting: a time-location sampling study in Zambezi, Namibia.
  Malaria journal 2019 Jacobson JO, Smith JL, Cueto C, Chisenga M, Roberts K, Hsiang M, Gosling R, Mumbengegwi D, Bennett A
• Using parasite genetic and human mobility data to infer local and cross-border malaria connectivity in Southern Africa.
  eLife 2019 Tessema S, Wesolowski A, Chen A, Murphy M, Wilheim J, Mupiri AR, Ruktanonchai NW, Alegana VA, Tatem AJ, Tambo M, Didier B, Cohen JM, Bennett A, Sturrock HJ, Gosling R, Hsiang MS, Smith DL, Mumbengegwi…
• Subpatent malaria in a low transmission African setting: a cross-sectional study using rapid diagnostic testing (RDT) and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) from Zambezi region, Namibia.
  Malaria journal 2018 McCreesh P, Mumbengegwi D, Roberts K, Tambo M, Smith J, Whittemore B, Kelly G, Moe C, Murphy M, Chisenga M, Greenhouse B, Ntuku H, Kleinschmidt I, Sturrock H, Uusiku P, Gosling R, Bennett A, Hsiang MS
• Laboratory challenges of Plasmodium species identification in Aceh Province, Indonesia, a malaria elimination setting with newly discovered P. knowlesi.
  PLoS neglected tropical diseases 2018 Coutrier FN, Tirta YK, Cotter C, Zarlinda I, González IJ, Schwartz A, Maneh C, Marfurt J, Murphy M, Herdiana H, Anstey NM, Greenhouse B, Hsiang MS, Noviyanti R
• Costs and cost-effectiveness of malaria reactive case detection using loop-mediated isothermal amplification compared to microscopy in the low transmission setting of Aceh Province, Indonesia.
  Malaria journal 2018 Zelman BW, Baral R, Zarlinda I, Coutrier FN, Sanders KC, Cotter C, Herdiana H, Greenhouse B, Shretta R, Gosling RD, Hsiang MS
• Is there a correlation between malaria incidence and IRS coverage in western Zambezi region, Namibia?
  Public health action 2018 Mumbengegwi DR, Sturrock H, Hsiang M, Roberts K, Kleinschmidt I, Nghipumbwa M, Uusiku P, Smith J, Bennet A, Kizito W, Takarinda K, Ade S, Gosling R
• Study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled factorial design trial to assess the effectiveness and feasibility of reactive focal mass drug administration and vector control to reduce malaria transmission in the low endemic setting of Namibia.
  BMJ open 2018 Medzihradsky OF, Kleinschmidt I, Mumbengegwi D, Roberts KW, McCreesh P, Dufour MK, Uusiku P, Katokele S, Bennett A, Smith J, Sturrock H, Prach LM, Ntuku H, Tambo M, Didier B, Greenhouse B, Gani Z, …
• Reply to Rossi et al.
  Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2017 Hsiang MS, Ranadive N, Chitundu S, Ntshalintshali N, Greenhouse B
• Limitations of Rapid Diagnostic Testing in Patients with Suspected Malaria: A Diagnostic Accuracy Evaluation from Swaziland, a Low-Endemicity Country Aiming for Malaria Elimination.
  Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2017 Ranadive N, Kunene S, Darteh S, Ntshalintshali N, Nhlabathi N, Dlamini N, Chitundu S, Saini M, Murphy M, Soble A, Schwartz A, Greenhouse B, Hsiang MS
• Low-Quality Housing Is Associated With Increased Risk of Malaria Infection: A National Population-Based Study From the Low Transmission Setting of Swaziland.
  Open forum infectious diseases 2017 Dlamini N, Hsiang MS, Ntshalintshali N, Pindolia D, Allen R, Nhlabathi N, Novotny J, Kang Dufour MS, Midekisa A, Gosling R, LeMenach A, Cohen J, Dorsey G, Greenhouse B, Kunene S
• Malaria risk factor assessment using active and passive surveillance data from Aceh Besar, Indonesia, a low endemic, malaria elimination setting with Plasmodium knowlesi, Plasmodium vivax, and Plasmodium falciparum.
  Malaria journal 2016 Herdiana H, Cotter C, Coutrier FN, Zarlinda I, Zelman BW, Tirta YK, Greenhouse B, Gosling RD, Baker P, Whittaker M, Hsiang MS
• Housing quality as a potential risk factor for locally acquired malaria infection in Swaziland.
  Annals of Global Health 2016 N. Mkhonta, R. Allen, D. Pindolia, N. Ntshalintshali, J. Novotny, M. Kang Dufour, R. Gosling, A. LeMenach, J. Cohen, A. Midekisa, B. Greenhouse, M.S. Hsiang, S. Kunene
• Mapping residual transmission for malaria elimination.
  eLife 2015 Reiner RC, Le Menach A, Kunene S, Ntshalintshali N, Hsiang MS, Perkins TA, Greenhouse B, Tatem AJ, Cohen JM, Smith DL
• Epidemiology of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in San Francisco children.
  Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases 2015 Christina Hermos, Rita Shiau, Michelle Hsiang, Henry Chambers, Erica Pan
• Striding Toward Malaria Elimination in China.
  The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene 2015 Hsiang MS, Gosling RD
• Reply to Goyal et al.
  The Journal of infectious diseases 2014 Hsiang MS, Greenhouse B, Rosenthal PJ
• Fine-scale malaria risk mapping from routine aggregated case data.
  Malaria journal 2014 Sturrock HJ, Cohen JM, Keil P, Tatem AJ, Le Menach A, Ntshalintshali NE, Hsiang MS, Gosling RD
• Point of care testing for malaria using LAMP, loop mediated isothermal amplification.
  The Journal of infectious diseases 2014 Hsiang MS, Greenhouse B, Rosenthal PJ
• Malaria in overseas labourers returning to China: an analysis of imported malaria in Jiangsu Province, 2001-2011.
  Malaria journal 2014 Liu Y, Hsiang MS, Zhou H, Wang W, Cao Y, Gosling RD, Cao J, Gao Q
• Pulmonary coccidiomycosis masquerading as refractory metastatic Ewing sarcoma.
  Journal of pediatric hematology/oncology 2014 Stieglitz E, Hsiang MS, Simko JP, Hirose S, Goldsby RE
• Malaria and severe anemia: thinking beyond Plasmodium falciparum.
  PLoS medicine 2013 Gosling RD, Hsiang MS
• Mass drug administration for the control and elimination of Plasmodium vivax malaria: an ecological study from Jiangsu province, China.
  Malaria journal 2013 Hsiang MS, Hwang J, Tao AR, Liu Y, Bennett A, Shanks GD, Cao J, Kachur SP, Feachem RG, Gosling RD, Gao Q
• Active case detection for malaria elimination: a survey among Asia Pacific countries.
  Malaria journal 2013 Smith Gueye C, Sanders KC, Galappaththy GN, Rundi C, Tobgay T, Sovannaroth S, Gao Q, Surya A, Thakur GD, Baquilod M, Lee WJ, Bobogare A, Deniyage SL, Satimai W, Taleo G, Hung NM, Cotter C, Hsiang MS, …
• Targeting asymptomatic malaria infections: active surveillance in control and elimination.
  PLoS medicine 2013 Sturrock HJ, Hsiang MS, Cohen JM, Smith DL, Greenhouse B, Bousema T, Gosling RD
• Reactive case detection for malaria elimination: real-life experience from an ongoing program in Swaziland.
  PloS one 2013 Sturrock HJ, Novotny JM, Kunene S, Dlamini S, Zulu Z, Cohen JM, Hsiang MS, Greenhouse B, Gosling RD
• The changing epidemiology of malaria elimination: new strategies for new challenges.
  Lancet (London, England) 2013 Cotter C, Sturrock HJ, Hsiang MS, Liu J, Phillips AA, Hwang J, Gueye CS, Fullman N, Gosling RD, Feachem RG
• Prevalence of PCR detectable malaria infection among febrile patients with a negative Plasmodium falciparum specific rapid diagnostic test in Zanzibar.
  The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene 2012 Baltzell KA, Shakely D, Hsiang M, Kemere J, Ali AS, Björkman A, Mårtensson A, Omar R, Elfving K, Msellem M, Aydin-Schmidt B, Rosenthal PJ, Greenhouse B
• Rationale for short course primaquine in Africa to interrupt malaria transmission.
  Malaria journal 2012 Eziefula AC, Gosling R, Hwang J, Hsiang MS, Bousema T, von Seidlein L, Drakeley C, Primaquine in Africa Discussion Group
• Epidemiologic Similarities in Pediatric Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant and Methicillin-Sensitive Staphylococcus aureus in the San Francisco Bay Area.
  Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society 2012 Hsiang MS, Shiau R, Nadle J, Chan L, Lee B, Chambers HF, Pan E
• Surveillance for malaria elimination in Swaziland: a national cross-sectional study using pooled PCR and serology.
  PloS one 2012 Hsiang MS, Hwang J, Kunene S, Drakeley C, Kandula D, Novotny J, Parizo J, Jensen T, Tong M, Kemere J, Dlamini S, Moonen B, Angov E, Dutta S, Ockenhouse C, Dorsey G, Greenhouse B
• Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society
  Few Factors Distinguish Pediatric Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant from Methicillin-Sensitive Staphylococcus aureus Infections: a Case Comparison Study in San Francisco Bay Area 2012 Hsiang MS, Shiau R, Nadle J, Chan L, Lee B, Chambers HF, Pan E.
• Trends in malaria research in 11 Asian Pacific countries: an analysis of peer-reviewed publications over two decades.
  Malaria journal 2011 Andersen F, Douglas NM, Bustos D, Galappaththy G, Qi G, Hsiang MS, Kusriastuti R, Mendis K, Taleo G, Whittaker M, Price RN, von Seidlein L
• Costs and financial feasibility of malaria elimination.
  Lancet (London, England) 2010 Sabot O, Cohen JM, Hsiang MS, Kahn JG, Basu S, Tang L, Zheng B, Gao Q, Zou L, Tatarsky A, Aboobakar S, Usas J, Barrett S, Cohen JL, Jamison DT, Feachem RG
• PCR-based pooling of dried blood spots for detection of malaria parasites: optimization and application to a cohort of Ugandan children.
  Journal of clinical microbiology 2010 Hsiang MS, Lin M, Dokomajilar C, Kemere J, Pilcher CD, Dorsey G, Greenhouse B
• The impact of Schistosoma japonicum infection and treatment on ultrasound-detectable morbidity: a five-year cohort study in Southwest China.
  PLoS neglected tropical diseases 2010 Carlton EJ, Hsiang M, Zhang Y, Johnson S, Hubbard A, Spear RC
• Malaria elimination in Asia-Pacific: an under-told story.
  Lancet (London, England) 2010 Hsiang MS, Abeyasinghe R, Whittaker M, Feachem RG
• Use of ultrasonography to evaluate Schistosoma japonicum-related morbidity in children, Sichuan Province, China, 2000-2007.
  The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene 2010 Hsiang MS, Carlton EJ, Zhang Y, Zhong B, Dongchuan Q, Cohen PA, Stewart CC, Spear RC
• High Prevalence of Risk Factors among Pediatric Patients with Community-Associated Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in San Francisco
  Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases 2009 Hermos C, Shiau R, Hsiang M, Chambers HF, Pan E