PALLAVI A.

KACHE, MPH
Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Columbia University
+1 (512) 944-8939 | pallavi.kache@columbia.edu | Twitter: @PallaviKache | pallavikache.weebly.com

EDUCATION

2017– PhD Candidate, Ecology Columbia University, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and
Environmental Biology
- Faculty Advisor: Maria Diuk-Wasser, PhD
2015–2017 MPH, Epidemiology Columbia University Medical Center, Mailman School of Public Health
- Certificate in Infectious Disease Epidemiology

2009–2013 BS, Public Health The University of Texas at Austin, College of Natural Sciences
- Concentration in Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Business Foundations Certificate, McCombs School of Business

CURRENT RESEARCH APPOINTMENTS

2016–Present Graduate Research Assistant, Diuk-Wasser Lab, Department of Ecology, Evolution and
Environmental Biology, Columbia University

(1) Co-investigator: “Examining the effects of urban spatial heterogeneities on dengue risk at
multiple scales in Colombia.”
- In collaboration with the Universidad de los Andes and Universidad de Ibagué.
- Leading study design, IRB submission, participant recruitment, fieldwork operations, focus
group implementation, and data analysis.
(2) Co-investigator: “The Tick App—assessing the human social component of tick-borne
diseases in Northeast and Midwest U.S.”
- In collaboration with University of Wisconsin, Madison.
- Involved in study design, IRB submission, participant recruitment, mobile application
testing, focus group implementation, and data analysis.

PRIOR RESEARCH & PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS

2018 Visiting Student Researcher, Centro Internacional de Entrenamiento e Investigaciones

Medical (CIDEIM), Colombia
Co-investigator: “Variation in the coexistence of Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus across
the urban landscape in Cali, Colombia.”
- Designed an entomological survey and carried out ten weeks of field work, coordinating
logistics and managing two field assistants.
- Trained in species identification of Aedes adult mosquitoes and larval stages.
2017 Entomological Trainee, Louis Calder Center Biological Field Station, New York State (NYS)
Department of Health
Conducted mosquito surveillance activities across three counties, NYS.
- Acquired mosquito trapping experience using BG-Sentinel, CDC light, and gravid traps.
2016–2017 Health Research Training Program (HRTP), Division of Disease Control, New York
City (NYC) Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Analyzed 10 years of state hospitalization records for pneumonia-associated hospitalizations and
emergency department visitations among NYC residents. Used both spatial epidemiology analyses
and standard epidemiological metrics.
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2013–2015 ORISE Fellow, Bacterial Special Pathogens Branch (BSPB), National Centers for
Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
(1) Conducted national surveillance and facilitated case investigations involving bacterial
zoonoses (anthrax, brucellosis, leptospirosis, etc.).
- Assisted with behavioral and epidemiological risk factor studies among high-risk
populations (e.g., laboratory workers, hunters, livestock owners, pet owners).
- Served as health communications coordinator for BSPB by: (1) representing BSPB at
anthrax countermeasure and division-level communications meetings; and (2) engaging in
collaborations to develop outreach and educational initiatives for high-risk populations.
(2) Participated in response teams, committees, and working groups:
- Anthrax Management Team, Communications Team (2015)
- Zoonoses Education Coalition on rodent-borne zoonoses (2015)
- Emergency Operations Center (EOC), Anthrax Laboratory Exposure Incident,
Epidemiology Team (2014)
- EOC, 2014 West Africa Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak, Epidemiology Team (2014)
2013 Epidemiology Intern, TB/HIV/STD and Viral Hepatitis Unit, Texas Department of
State Health Services
(1) Developed and managed MS Access database for TB genotype cluster investigations.
(2) Prepared training modules on TB epidemiology, surveillance, and cluster investigations for
TB control staff at local health departments.

2012 Community Outreach Intern, ACTIVE Life, Inc.

Helped initiate a statewide obesity prevention campaign.

2012 Undergraduate Research Assistant, Ancel-Meyers Lab, Department of Ecology, Evolution

and Behavior, The University of Texas at Austin
Assisted a doctoral researcher in examining ecological factors for tick-borne disease prevalence in
wild rodents by: (1) conducting field working including tick drags and microclimate assessments;
and (2) assisted in molecular analyses including DNA extraction, processing, and PCR.
2010–2012 Science Aide, US Fish & Wildlife Service
Wrote five-year status updates for endangered plant species in West Texas, assessing population
trends, habitat conditions, and conservation policy.

SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS

2020 Muñoz AG, Chourio X, Riviere-Cinnamond A, Diuk-Wasser MA, Kache PA, Mordecai E,
Harrington L, Thomson MC. AeDES: A Next-Generation Monitoring and Forecasting System for
Environmental Suitability of Aedes-borne Disease Transmission. Scientific Reports.

Kache PA, Person MK, Sara SM, McQuiston JR, McCollum JT, Traxler RM. Rat-Bite Fever in
the United States: An Analysis Using Multiple National Data Sources, 2001–2015. Open Forum
Infectious Diseases.

Illescas AH, Kache PA, Whittemore K, Lucero DE, Quinn C, Daskalakis D, Vora NM.
Hospitalizations Involving an Intensive Care Unit Admission Among Patients Aged 65 Years and
Older Within New York City Hospitals During 2000–2014. Medical Care. 2020; 58(1):74–82.

2019 Kache PA, Eastwood G, Collins-Palmer K, Katz M, Falco RC, Bajwa WI, Armstrong PM,
Andreadis TG, Diuk-Wasser MA. Environmental Determinants of Aedes albopictus Abundance at
a Northern Limit of Its Range in the United States. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine
and Hygiene. 2019: 102(2), 436–447.

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2019 Kache PA, Julien T, Corrado RE, Vora NM, Daskalakis DC, Varma JK, Lucero DE. Geospatial
cluster analyses of pneumonia-associated hospitalisations among adults in New York City, 2010
2014. Epidemiology & Infection. 2019;147.

Fernandez MP, Bron GM, Kache PA, Larson SR, Maus A, Gustafson Jr D, Tsao JI, Bartholomay
LC, Paskewitz SM, Diuk-Wasser MA. Usability and Feasibility of a Smartphone App to Assess
Human Behavioral Factors Associated with Tick Exposure (The Tick App): Quantitative and
Qualitative Study. JMIR mHealth and uHealth. 2019;7(10): e14769.

2016 Nolen LD, Traxler RM, Kharod GA, Kache PA, Katharios-Lanwermeyer S, Hendricks KA,
Shadomy SV, Bower WA, Meany-Delman D, Walke HT. Post-exposure prophylaxis after possible
anthrax exposure: adherence and adverse events. Health Security. 2016; 14(6): 419–423.

Notable Acknowledgements
Goodman AB et al., Clinical inquiries received by CDC regarding suspected Ebola Virus Disease in children—United
States, July 9, 2014 – January 4, 2015. MMWR Wkly Rep. 2015; 63(36): 1006–1010.

Karwowski MP et al., Clinical inquiries regarding Ebola Virus Disease received by CDC—United States, July 9 –
November 15, 2014. MMWR Wkly Rep. 2014; 53(49): 1175–1179.

SELECT PRESENTATIONS

2019 American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH). National Harbor, MD. Fernandez
MP, Bron GM, Kache PA, Bartholomay LC, Paskewitz SM, Tsao JI, Diuk-Wasser MA.
“Evaluating the effects of human mobility patterns on tick exposure using a smartphone
application, The Tick App” (Poster).

2018 ASTMH. New Orleans, LA. Kache PA, Eastwood GE, Collins-Palmer K, Andreadis T, Diuk-
Wasser M. “Landscape and environmental determinants of Ae. albopictus in the Northeast, United
States” (Oral).

ASTMH. New Orleans, LA. Fernandez MP, Bron GM, Larson SR, Kache PA, Tsao JI,
Bartholomay LC, Paskewitz SM, Diuk-Wasser MA. “The Tick App: a smartphone application to
assess human behavioral risk factors of human-tick contacts” (Poster).

Planetary Health Alliance Conference. Edinburgh, Scotland. Kache PA, Eastwood GE, Andreadis
T, Diuk-Wasser M. “Modeling Ae. albopictus in the Northeast United States” (Poster).

2017 Esri User Conference. San Diego, CA. Julien T, Lucero DE, Kache PA. “Neighborhood-level
exposures and pneumonia hospitalizations in NYC” (Oral).

2015 Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists. Boston, MA. Kache PA, Traxler RM,
Galloway R, Guerra M, Shadomy SV, Hoffmaster A, Bower W. “Leptospirosis Case
Notification in the United States, 2012–2014.” (Oral).

2014 International Wild Pig Conference, Science and Management. Montgomery, AL. Guerra
M, Kharod GA, Tiller RM, Kache PA, Smee A. “Brucella suis in the United States — a
Growing public health concern?” (Oral).

International Wild Pig Conference, Science and Management. Montgomery, AL. Kache
PA, Young CA, Bryant N, Guerra M. “Development of strategies to detect and address
the risk factors associated with Brucella suis infection in dairy cattle.” (Poster).

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HONORS & AWARDS

2020 NSF Geography and Spatial Sciences Program—Doctoral Dissertation Research
Improvement Award. (#2020853). 08/15/2020–05/31/2022. Title: “Social and environmental
drivers of dengue risk across urban landscapes.”

American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), ASTMH Committee on

Global Health (ACGH). ACGH Award for Research Support.

2019 Fulbright U.S. Student Program. IIE Research Fellowship. Aedes mosquito population
dynamics across complex urban landscapes. Ibagué, Colombia. 2019–2020.

2018 Columbia University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS). Summer Travel Grant.
Pre-dissertation award.

Columbia University, Earth Institute. Summer Travel Grant. Pre-dissertation award.

2017 Columbia University, GSAS. Dean’s Fellowship. Five-year funding award.

2015 CDC, Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (OPHPR). PHPR Esprit de Corps
Honor Award. CDC/DOD Sample Investigation Incident Response Team.

CDC, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID). NCEZID
Honor Award. For exemplary teamwork in completing the ‘Clean Sweep’ and ensuring the highest
standards of quality and safety.

JOURNAL REVIEWER

Journal of Medical Entomology (2019–2020); American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (2020);
BMC Public Health (2020); Parasites & Vectors (2020); PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases (2020).

SKILLS & ANALYTICS

Programming R, SAS

GIS Platforms ArcGIS, QGIS, SaTScan, GeoDa

Geo-statistics Semivariogram modeling, Moran’s I, Geographically Weighted Regression,

Spatially Weighted Regression

Entomology Tick dragging, mosquito trapping (BG-Sentinel, CDC light, CDC gravid, ovitrapping),
mosquito species identification (Aedes sp., Culex sp.)

Languages Professional Working Proficiency: Spanish (including medical Spanish)

Basic: French, Hindi, Telegu, Marathi