Dr. Cristina Brickman is an infectious disease specialist whose focus is evaluating and treating anal cancer.
Brickman's research focuses on HPV infection, looking at which populations are affected and how it may lead to cancer, particularly in patients with HIV. Her work is aimed at identifying risk factors associated with progression of abnormal cells to invasive cancer. She is also interested in studying anal cancer risk in both the very young and old in high-risk populations, with the goal of optimizing screening practices.
Brickman received her medical degree from Columbia University. She completed a residency in internal medicine at New York–Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, followed by a fellowship in infectious diseases at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. She went on to pursue a master of science degree in clinical epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania.
As part of her master's degree program, Brickman completed two research projects: The first evaluated the treatment and outcomes of HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer (cancer at the top of the throat) in patients with HIV, and the second looked at the association between depression and sexual risk behavior, also in patients with HIV.
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