Researcher Spotlight: Michael Chung

What is your professional background?
I went to medical school at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and completed an MPH at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health before completing Internal Medicine residency at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. I did my Infectious Diseases fellowship at the University of Washington and as part of my training, went to Kenya, where I have been based for the last 18 years. I have been on faculty in the Departments of Global Health, Medicine, and Epidemiology at the University of Washington and most recently, was chair of the Department of Medicine at Aga Khan University in Nairobi, Kenya before joining Emory.

In what division do you work?
I work in the Division of Infectious Diseases.

Briefly describe your research. Why is it important?
My research has been focused on improving HIV care for the underserved in resource-limited settings, and has ranged from behavioral interventions (adherence to antiretroviral therapy) to the basic sciences (pre-treatment drug resistance testing) to operational (cervical cancer screening and treatment). Understanding how best to detect and treat pre-cancerous lesions among HIV-positive women is important since human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, the precursor to cervical cancer, is more prevalent and aggressive with HIV. I enjoy using rigorous study designs to determine inexpensive treatment methods that can be brought to scale and have global impact.

What do you like most about Emory?
In addition to being brilliant and inquisitive, people at Emory are very friendly and supportive. It is a wonderful academic environment to work in.

What is your favorite movie or TV show?
My favorite recent TV show is ‘Watchmen.’

What do you like to do in your spare time?
I like to play with my kids, go for a jog, and hit the gym when I have time. I also try to set aside an hour each day to meditate.

What is a fun fact about you?
Despite my appearance and to the chagrin of my parents, I probably understand more Swahili and Tamil than Korean.