Image of Leonid Lecca

Leonid Lecca, M.D.

Dr. Lecca is an international expert on global health. He earned his MD from Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University, where also holds his MSc in Epidemiology and Health Management. Last year, he participated in the Global Health Intensive Program at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Dr. Lecca is also the Executive Director at Partners In Health in Peru, and serve as the principal investigator for numerous NIH and Grand Challenges of Canada grants among others, oversees a staff of 250, manages relationships with government, and facilitates the participation of students and research affiliates on various projects at the PIH site and throughout Peru. In the past, Dr. Lecca worked as a technical advisor in infectious disease projects at U.S. Agency for International Development, and was the Human Research Protection Administrator at the Peruvian National Institute of Health. 

Leonid Lecca, MD, MSc is a Lecture in the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School. His research focuses on the epidemiology of tuberculosis, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, maternal-health, mental health, chronic diseases and community-based approaches to dealing with public health problems, social responsibility, and public health approaches in global health. Current projects include:

  • The discovery and development of innovative TB Diagnostics.
  • Finding and treating unsuspected and resistant TB to reduce hospital transmission.
  • Identification of metabolic factors that control the spectrum of human tuberculosis.
  • Clinical trials for TB, MDR-TB and XDR-TB.
  • Study of community-based family coaching interventions to improve neurodevelopment in at-risk children.
  • An innovative interdisciplinary approaches to sustainable airborne infection control.
  • Clinical and programmatic outcomes of a community-based antiretroviral therapy program for HIV positive patients.
High prevalence and heterogeneity of Dysglycemia in patients with tuberculosis from Peru: a prospective cohort study.
Authors: Authors: Calderon RI, Arriaga MB, Lopez K, Barreda NN, Sanabria OM, Fróes Neto JF, Araújo DN, Lecca L, Andrade BB.
BMC Infect Dis
View full abstract on Pubmed
Vitamin D status and risk of incident tuberculosis disease: A nested case-control study, systematic review, and individual-participant data meta-analysis.
Authors: Authors: Aibana O, Huang CC, Aboud S, Arnedo-Pena A, Becerra MC, Bellido-Blasco JB, Bhosale R, Calderon R, Chiang S, Contreras C, Davaasambuu G, Fawzi WW, Franke MF, Galea JT, Garcia-Ferrer D, Gil-Fortuño M, Gomila-Sard B, Gupta A, Gupte N, Hussain R, Iborra-Millet J, Iqbal NT, Juan-Cerdán JV, Kinikar A, Lecca L, Mave V, Meseguer-Ferrer N, Montepiedra G, Mugusi FM, Owolabi OA, Parsonnet J, Roach-Poblete F, Romeu-García MA, Spector SA, Sudfeld CR, Tenforde MW, Togun TO, Yataco R, Zhang Z, Murray MB.
PLoS Med
View full abstract on Pubmed
Early progression to active tuberculosis is a highly heritable trait driven by 3q23 in Peruvians.
Authors: Authors: Luo Y, Suliman S, Asgari S, Amariuta T, Baglaenko Y, Martínez-Bonet M, Ishigaki K, Gutierrez-Arcelus M, Calderon R, Lecca L, León SR, Jimenez J, Yataco R, Contreras C, Galea JT, Becerra M, Nejentsev S, Nigrovic PA, Moody DB, Murray MB, Raychaudhuri S.
Nat Commun
View full abstract on Pubmed
Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in pediatric stool samples using TruTip technology.
Authors: Authors: Mesman AW, Soto M, Coit J, Calderon R, Aliaga J, Pollock NR, Mendoza M, Mestanza FM, Mendoza CJ, Murray MB, Lecca L, Holmberg R, Franke MF.
BMC Infect Dis
View full abstract on Pubmed
Reply to te Brake et al.: Conflicting Findings on an Intermediate Dose of Rifampicin for Pulmonary Tuberculosis.
Authors: Authors: Velásquez GE, Brooks MB, Coit JM, Sánchez Garavito E, Calderón RI, Jiménez J, Tintaya K, Peloquin CA, Osso E, Lecca L, Davies GR, Mitnick CD.
Am J Respir Crit Care Med
View full abstract on Pubmed
Whole genome sequencing identifies bacterial factors affecting transmission of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in a high-prevalence setting.
Authors: Authors: Dixit A, Freschi L, Vargas R, Calderon R, Sacchettini J, Drobniewski F, Galea JT, Contreras C, Yataco R, Zhang Z, Lecca L, Kolokotronis SO, Mathema B, Farhat MR.
Sci Rep
View full abstract on Pubmed
Asthma and atopy prevalence are not reduced among former tuberculosis patients compared with controls in Lima, Peru.
Authors: Authors: Byrne AL, Marais BJ, Mitnick CD, Garden FL, Lecca L, Contreras C, Yauri Y, Garcia F, Marks GB.
BMC Pulm Med
View full abstract on Pubmed
Emotional Experiences of Mothers Living With HIV and the Quest for Emotional Recovery: A Qualitative Study in Lima, Peru.
Authors: Authors: Contreras C, Rumaldo N, Lindeborg MM, Mendoza M, Chen DR, Saldaña O, Wong M, Muñoz M, Schrier E, Lecca L, Castro A, Shin S, Nelson AK.
J Assoc Nurses AIDS Care
View full abstract on Pubmed
Using Changes in Weight-for-Age z Score to Predict Effectiveness of Childhood Tuberculosis Therapy.
Authors: Authors: Chiang SS, Park S, White EI, Friedman JF, Cruz AT, Del Castillo H, Lecca L, Becerra MC, Seddon JA.
J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc
View full abstract on Pubmed
Dynamics of Treatment Supporters and Patients Starting HIV Therapy in Lima, Peru.
Authors: Authors: Harishankar K, Wong M, Saldana O, Santa Cruz J, Lecca L, Munoz M, Nelson AK, Castro A, Shin S.
J Int Assoc Provid AIDS Care
View full abstract on Pubmed