Mercedes C. Becerra, ScD

Associate Professor

Educational History

  • 1991 BA, Harvard College
  • 1993 ScM, Harvard School of Public Health
  • 1999 ScD, Harvard School of Public Health

Dr. Becerra's research focuses on the treatment and epidemiology of drug-resistant tuberculosis. She also studies the burden of tuberculosis in the child and adult household contacts of patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis, and strategies to improve contact investigation, case detection, and treatment in high-risk households.

Courses Taught

Introduction to Social Medicine

Research Interests

Tuberculosis treatment and prevention

Current Projects

  • Tuberculosis risk in child and adult household contacts of patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis
  • Epidemiology of drug-resistant tuberculosis
  • Treatment outcomes in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis

Select Publications

  • Bayona J, Chavez-Pachas AM, Palacios E, Llaro K, Sapag R, Becerra MC. Contact investigations as a means of detection and timely treatment of persons with infectious multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis 2003;7(12Suppl 3):501-9.
  • Mukherjee JS, Rich ML, Socci AR, Joseph JK, Alcántara Virú F, Shin S, Furin J, Becerra MC, Barry D, Kim JY, Bayona J, Farmer P, Smith Fawzi MC, Seung KJ. Programmes and principles in treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Lancet 2004; 363:474-81
  • Becerra MC, Pachao-Torreblanca IF, Bayona J, Celi R, Shin SS, Kim JY, Farmer PE, Murray M. Expanding tuberculosis case detection by screening household contacts. Public Health Rep 2005; 120(3):271-7.
  • Saravia JC, Appleton SC, Rich ML, Sarria M, Bayona J, Becerra MC. Re-treatment management strategies when first-line tuberculosis therapy fails. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis 2005;9(4):421-9.
  • Drobac PC, Mukherjee JS, Joseph JK, Mitnick C, Furin JJ, del Castillo H, Shin SS, Becerra MC. Community-based therapy for children with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Pediatrics 2006;117:2022-29.
  • Rich ML, Socci AR, Mitnick CD, Nardell EA, Becerra MC, Bonilla C, Bayona J, Seung KJ, Furin JJ, Farmer PE, Mukherjee JS. Representative drug-susceptibility patterns for guiding design of retreatment regimens for MDR-TB. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis 2006;10(3):290-6.
  • Franke MF, Appleton SC, Bayona J, Arteaga F, Palacios E, Llaro K, Shin SS, Becerra MC, Murray MB, Mitnick CD. Risk factors and mortality associated with default from multidrug-resistant tuberculosis treatment. Clin Inf Dis 2008;46(12):1844-51.
  • Mitnick CD, Shin SS, Seung KJ, Rich ML, Atwood SS, Furin JJ, Fitzmaurice GM, Alcántara FA, Appleton SC, Bonilla CA, Chalco K, Choi S, Franke MF, Fraser HSF, Guerra D, Hurtado RM, Jazayeri D, Joseph K, Llaro K, Mestanza L, Mukherjee JS, Muñoz M, Palacios E, Sánchez E, Bayona JN, Sloutsky A, Becerra MC. Extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis: a comprehensive treatment approach. N Engl J Med 2008;359:563-74.
  • Becerra MC, Appleton SC, Franke MF, Chalco K, Bayona J, Murray MB, Mitnick CD. Recurrence after treatment for pulmonary multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Clin Inf Dis 2010;51(6):709-11.
  • Becerra MC, Appleton SC, Franke MF, Chalco K, Arteaga F, Bayona J, Murray M, Atwood SA, Mitnick CD. Tuberculosis burden in households of patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis: a retrospective cohort study. Lancet 2011;377:147-52.
  • Cohen T, Murray M, Abubakar I, Zhang Z, Sloutsky A, Arteaga F, Chalco K, Franke MFF, Becerra MC. Multiple introductions of multidrug resistant tuberculosis into households. Emerg Infect Dis 2011;17(6):969-75.
  • Qazi F, Khan U, Khowaja S, Javed M, Ahmed A, Salahuddin N, Hussain H, Becerra MC, JE Golub JE, Khan AJ. Predictors of delayed culture conversion in patients treated for multidrug resistant tuberculosis in Pakistan. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis 2011;15(11):1556-9.