Anna M. Mandalakas, MD
- Retrovirology and Global Health
Chief, Division of Global Health
Director, Global Tuberculosis Program
Associate Vice Chair of Global Research, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine
Professor of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine
Email: globalhealth@texaschildrens.org
Languages: English, Greek
Departments:
Get to know Anna M. Mandalakas, MD
Dr. Mandalakas is Chief of the Division of Global Health at Texas Children’s, a Professor of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and serves as Baylor’s Associate Vice Chair of Global Research.
For over three decades, Dr. Mandalakas’ translational research has focused on identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, TB diagnostics, and prevention of TB disease with a special focus on children and adolescence living with HIV.
Since joining Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine in 2012, she has collaborated with colleagues to develop research capacity and enhance the care and treatment of TB and TB/HIV affected children, adolescents and families living in over a dozen countries. Her translational Global TB team conducts research to more effectively prevent, diagnose, and treat TB and support the goal of global TB elimination.
In her role as Associate Vice Chair of Global Research, she is leading Texas Children’s colleagues in their mission to advance high-quality clinical practice and policy development to promote child and family health globally through coordinated, high-impact, and ethical research, strengthened healthcare systems, and research capacity development for Baylor’s faculty, staff, and partners.
Clinical Interests
Tuberculosis, immigrant health
Education
| School | Education | Degree | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Western Reserve Univ. School of Medicine | Fellowship | Epidemiology | 2000 |
| Rainbow Babies and Childrens Hospital | Fellowship | International Child Health | 2000 |
| Case Western Reserve University | Residency | Pediatrics | 1997 |
| Drexel Univ. Coll. of Med./Hahnemann Univ. Sch. of Med. | Medical School | Doctor of Medicine | 1994 |
Organizations
| Organization Name | Role |
|---|---|
| American Academy of Pediatrics | Section on International Health, Founding and Past-chair of the International CATCH program; Fellow |
| American Thoracic Association | Member |
| Baylor College of Medicine/University of Texas Center for AIDS Research | Director, International Research Core |
| International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease | Member, Child Lung Health working group; New Diagnostics working group |
| TBnet | Member and Academy Core Faculty |
| World Health Organization DOTS Expansion working group | Member |
Board Certification
| Title |
|---|
| American Board of Pediatrics |
Honors and awards
- 2025
-
Michael E. DeBakey Award for Research Excellence, Baylor College of Medicine
- 2024
-
Faculty Development Mentorship Award, Baylor College of Medicine
- 2022
-
Clara Southmayd Ludlow Medal, American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
- 2022
-
Leibniz Chair, Research Center Borstel, Germany
- 2022
-
Table Talk, Houston Women's Leadership Forum
- 2020
-
Inducted, Pediatric Academic Society
- 2014
-
100 Women Leaders in Global Health, Graduate Institute Geneva
- 2009
-
Burtris Burr Breese Award, Pediatric Infectious Disease Society
- 2003
-
Triad Advocate of the Year, Adoption Network Cleveland
- 2001
-
Young Investigator Awards (Association funds; AHRQ funds, APA
* Texas Children’s Hospital physicians’ licenses and credentials are reviewed prior to practicing at any of our facilities. Sections titled From the Doctor, Professional Organizations and Publications were provided by the physician’s office and were not verified by Texas Children’s Hospital.
Research interests
Infectious disease; population and global health; health systems and implementation research; research methods and evidence synthesis; tuberculosis; HIV; immigrant health; implementation science; diagnostics; systematic reviews and meta-analyses
Mandalakas AM, Hesseling AC, Kay A, Du Preez K, Martinez L, Ronge L, DiNardo A, Lange C, Kirchner HL. Tuberculosis prevention in children: a prospective community-based study in South Africa. European Respiratory Journal. 2021;57(4)
Mandalakas AM, Kay AW, Bacha JM, Devezin T, Golin R, Simon KR, Dhillon D, Dlamini S, DiNardo A, Matshaba M. Tuberculosis among children and adolescents at HIV treatment centers in sub-Saharan Africa. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2020;26(12):2933
Mandalakas AM, Ngo K, Alonso Ustero P, Golin R, Anabwani F, Mzileni B, Sikhondze W, Stevens R. BUTIMBA: intensifying the hunt for child TB in Swaziland through household contact tracing. PloS One. 2017;12(1):e0169769
Mandalakas AM, Kirchner HL, Walzl G, Gie RP, Schaaf HS, Cotton MF, Grewal HM, Hesseling AC. Optimizing the detection of recent tuberculosis infection in children in a high tuberculosis–HIV burden setting. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 2015;191(7):820-30
Mandalakas AM, van Wyk S, Kirchner HL, Walzl G, Cotton M, Rabie H, Kriel B, Gie RP, Schaaf HS, Hesseling AC. Detecting tuberculosis infection in HIV-infected children: a study of diagnostic accuracy, confounding and interaction. The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. 2013;32(3):e111-e8
Mandalakas AM, Hesseling AC, Gie RP, Schaaf H, Marais BJ, Sinanovic E. Modelling the cost-effectiveness of strategies to prevent tuberculosis in child contacts in a high-burden setting. Thorax. 2013;68(3):247-55
Mandalakas A, Kirchner H, Lombard C, Walzl G, Grewal H, Gie R, Hesseling A. Well-quantified tuberculosis exposure is a reliable surrogate measure of tuberculosis infection. The international journal of tuberculosis and lung disease: the official journal of the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. 2012;16(8):1033