Lo Re Research Group

Vincent Lo Re III, MD, MSCE
Associate Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases)
 vincentl@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
 215-573-5964

Dr. Lo Re is Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases, Associate Professor of Epidemiology, Senior Scholar in the Penn Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (CCEB), and Investigator in the Penn Center for Pharmacoepidemiology Research and Training (CPeRT) and Penn Center for AIDS Research (CFAR). He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases and has an active clinical practice devoted to the management of chronic viral hepatitis, particularly hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. His research examines the epidemiology of chronic viral hepatitis, including those who are HIV/HCV-coinfected. In particular, he has focused on the evaluation of hepatic and extrahepatic complications associated with chronic viral hepatitis and HIV/hepatitis coinfection. He has also conducted a number of pharmacoepidemiologic studies on antiviral therapy for chronic viral hepatitis. He has a unique combination of advanced training in clinical epidemiology and research methods in clinical outcomes. 

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Dena M. Carbonari, MS
Research Project Manager
 dcarbo@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Dena Carbonari is Research Project Manager in the Penn Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics and Associate Investigator in the Penn CPeRT. Dena has worked with Dr. Lo Re since 2011, serving as Project Manager on his Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality-funded R01 to evaluate drug-induced acute liver failure; US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-funded study evaluating severe liver injury within the Mini-Sentinel Distributed Database; series of post-marketing drug safety studies; studies evaluating the risk of hip fracture associated with treated and untreated chronic HBV infection and HIV/HBV coinfection; FDA-funded study evaluating serious infections among an immunocompromised population within the Sentinel Distributed Database; and NIH-funded R01 evaluating the impact of successful cure of hepatitis C on muscle, bone, fat, and inflammatory markers. 

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Katie Brecker, BS
Clinical Research Coordinator
 katie.brecker@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Ms. Brecker is a Clinical Research Coordinator in the Penn Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics and Associate Investigator in the Penn CPeRT. She has worked with Dr. Lo Re since March 2020, focusing on evaluating the impact of successful cure of hepatitis C virus infection on muscle, bone, fat, and inflammatory markers. Previously, Ms. Brecker worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator at Drexel University College of Medicine, Drexel Neurosciences Institute researching neurologic and neurodegenerative disorders.

Nicole D. Ferrante, MD
Fellow (Gastroenterology)
 nicole.ferrante@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Dr. Ferrante is a gastroenterology fellow within the Division of Gastroenterology at the University of Pennsylvania. She is board certified in Internal Medicine and plans to obtain her Masters of Science in Clinical Epidemiology through the Penn CCEB. Her research interests include viral hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma, and she hopes to pursue a career in transplant hepatology.

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Craig W. Newcomb, MS
Biostatistician
 cnewcomb@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Mr. Newcomb is Biostatistician in the Biostatistics Analysis Center of the Penn CCEB. He has collaborated with Dr. Lo Re since 2010, serving as Biostatistician on his series of post-marketing drug safety studies and studies evaluating the risk of hip fracture associated with treated and untreated chronic HBV infection and HIV/HBV coinfection.

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Jason A. Roy, PhD
Professor of Biostatistics (Rutgers University)
 jason.roy@rutgers.edu

Dr. Roy is Professor of Biostatistics and Chair of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the Rutgers School of Public Health. He also serves as Director of Rutgers University Biostatistics and Epidemiology Services. Dr. Roy is also Founder and Co-Director of the Penn Center for Causal Inference, Senior Scholar in the Penn CCEB, and Investigator in the Penn CPeRT. He has published methodological papers on causal inference, informative missing data, and latent variable models. He also has extensive collaborative experience in health services research and pharmacoepidemiology. His research focuses on the development of Bayesian nonparametric methods for causal inference, especially for the analysis of data from large healthcare databases. Dr. Roy has collaborated with Dr. Lo Re since 2010.

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M. Elle Saine, PhD, MA
MD/PhD Student
 msaine@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Dr. Saine is a MD/PhD student at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, Associate Investigator in the Penn CPeRT, and former Research Analyst in the Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics. She has worked with Dr. Lo Re since 2014, serving as Research Analyst on his series of post-marketing drug safety studies.

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Shanae M. Smith, MHA
Clinical Research Coordinator
 shanae.smith@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Ms. Smith is a part-time Clinical Research Coordinator in the Penn Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics and Associate Investigator in the Penn CPeRT. She has worked with Dr. Lo Re since 2018, focusing on evaluating the impact of successful cure of hepatitis C virus infection on muscle, bone, fat, and inflammatory markers. Previously, Ms. Smith worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator within the Policy Lab at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Jessie Torgersen, MD, MHS, MSCE, FACP
Assistant Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases)
 jessie.torgersen@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Dr. Torgersen is Assistant Professor of Medicine within the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Pennsylvania and Clinical Director of the Center for Viral Hepatitis at the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. She is board certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease and has completed her Masters of Science in Clinical Epidemiology through the Penn CCEB. Her research interests primarily focus on the epidemiology and clinical impact of hepatic steatosis in HIV, with additional interest in the management of HIV in the elderly and viral hepatitis.

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Erica J. Weinstein, MD
Fellow (Infectious Diseases)
 erica.weinstein@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Dr. Weinstein is a clinical fellow within the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Pennsylvania. She is board certified in Internal Medicine and is currently completing her Masters of Science in Clinical Epidemiology through the Penn CCEB. Her research interests primarily focus on the epidemiology of orthopedic infections, particularly prosthetic joint infections.

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