Susan S Huang

Picture of Susan S Huang
Chancellor's Professor, Infectious Diseases
School of Medicine
Medical Director, Epidemiology and Infection Prevention
B.S., Brown University, Neuroscience
M.D., Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Medicine
M.P.H., Harvard School of Public Health, Quantitative Methods
University of California, Irvine
101 The City Drive South
City Tower, Suite 400
Mail Code: 4081
Orange, CA 92868
Research Interests
Antimicrobial resistance, multidrug-resistant organisms, decolonization, healthcare epidemiology
Academic Distinctions
1997 Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine: Class Rank 1st
1997 The Warfield T. Longcope Prize in Clinical Medicine
2003 Excellence in Teaching Award, Harvard Medical School
2004-06 Scholars in Medicine Award, Channing Laboratory, Harvard Medical School
2007 Emanuel Wolinsky Award, Infectious Diseases Society of America
2009 Dean’s Junior Faculty Physician Scientist Award for Outstanding
Research, UC Irvine School of Medicine
2010 ARISE Team Award, H1N1 Working Group
2011 Distinguished Assistant Professor Award for Research, Academic Senate
UC Irvine
2012 Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award, UC Irvine Institute of Clinical and
Translational Science
2012 IDWeek Investigator Award; jointly awarded by the Infectious Diseases
Society of America (IDSA) and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of
America (SHEA)
2014 Honor Award, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for forging a novel partnership aimed at eliminating infections in healthcare settings and protecting patients.
2016 Oswald Avery Award, Infectious Diseases Society of America (early recognition award for outstanding achievement in an area of infectious diseases by an individual 45 years or younger)
2016 SOAR Award, Nosocomial C. difficile Infection Reduction Project. UC Irvine Health
2017 IDWeek Program Committee Choice Award. Plenary Presentation. SHEA Featured Oral Abstract, “The CDC SHIELD Orange County Project – Baseline Multi Drug-Resistant Organism (MDRO) Prevalence in a Southern California Region,” IDWeek (6th Annual Joint Meeting of IDSA, SHEA, HIVMA, and PIDS), October 6, 2017 (San Diego, CA).
2017 Abstract Award, “When a Home is Not a Home: MultiDrug-Resistant Organism (MDRO) Colonization and Environmental Contamination in 28 Nursing Homes (NHs),” Older Adults Interest Group, Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)
2018 Election, American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), physician scientist honor society
2018 Team Award for Outstanding Achievement, Epidemiology & Infection Prevention, conferred by Chief Nursing Officer, UC Irvine Health
2018 Lowbury Lectureship, Healthcare Infection Society, UK
Research Abstract
Dr. Huang’s research focuses on the clinical epidemiology of highly antibiotic-resistant organisms including estimating the risk for infection and assessing practical means for prevention. Dr. Huang’s work involves studying the risks of healthcare-associated transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE), including both short and long-term sequelae due to these pathogens within and beyond the hospital stay. Her scope of research also includes an evaluation of inter-facility spread and containment of these pathogens, including the intersection of preventative measures on hospital networks, affiliated nursing homes, and surrounding communities. She has evaluated several strategies to mitigate transmission and disease, including active surveillance and institution of contact precautions, enhanced environmental cleaning, and, most recently, leading several large individual and cluster randomized trials of decolonization to reduce multidrug-resistant organisms and healthcare-associated infections.
Dr. Huang has also built a population laboratory in a large metropolitan county in Southern California (Orange County, CA). She has performed detailed data collection across all hospitals and nursing homes in this county, including extensive details on inter-facility patient sharing, infection control practices, and ICUs, non-ICUs, and nursing homes estimates of pathogen burden in this county. These detailed population data are the foundation for a dynamic transmission model of Orange County facilities and communities built through the NIH Models of Infectious Disease Agent Study (MIDAS) collaborative. This model will allow simulation of intervention strategies as well as prediction of future trends in transmission and disease burden for MRSA and other pathogens.
Beyond MRSA, Dr. Huang is broadly interested in the measurement and prevention of healthcare associated infections. She has evaluated more efficient ways to look at relative hospital rankings using administrative data, and has balanced this with rigorous in depth assessments related to accuracy and completeness of reporting. She has specific interests in the use of automated hospital and claims data to assess pathogen clusters and surgical site infections.
In addition, Dr. Huang is addressing important concerns that widely used proxy measures may produce substantial errors in estimating the burden of these organisms. Moreover, traditional epidemiologic and statistical methods may not be ideally suited to measure infectious outcomes due to their non-independent nature. Her current work evaluates use of complex statistical techniques allow analysis of highly dependent, infectious outcomes in closed settings such as a hospital unit.
Dr. Huang’s intent is to apply epidemiologic, statistical, and mathematical modeling methods to impact the way we monitor and intervene in the spread of bacterial infectious diseases and promote a career studying the spread and containment of antimicrobial resistant pathogens in healthcare and community settings.
Publications
McKinnell JA, Singh RD, Miller LG, Kleinman K, Gussin G, He J, Saavedra R, Dutciuc TD, Estevez M, Chang J, Heim L, Yamaguchi S, Custodio H, Gohil SK, Park S, Tam S, Robinson PA, Tjoa T, Nguyen J, Evans KD, Bittencourt CE, Lee BY, Mueller LE, Bartsch SM, Jernigan JA, Slayton RB, Stone ND, Zahn M, Mor V, McConeghy K, Baier RR, Janssen L, O'Donnell K, Weinstein RA, Hayden MK, Coady MH, Bhattarai M, Peterson EM, Huang SS; CDC Safety and Healthcare Epidemiology Prevention Research Development (SHEPheRD) Program. The SHIELD Orange County Project -Multi Drug-Resistant Organism (MDRO) Prevalence in 21 Nursing Homes and Long Term Acute Care Facilities in Southern California. Clin Infect Dis. 2019 Feb 11. [Epub ahead of print]
Lee BY, Bartsch SM, Wong KF, Kim DS, Cao C, Mueller LE, Gussin GM, McKinnell JA, Miller LG, Huang SS. Tracking the spread of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) through clinical cultures alone underestimates the spread of CRE even more than anticipated. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2019 Mar 28:1-3.
Huang SS, Septimus E, Kleinman K, Moody J, Hickok J, Heim L, Gombosev A, Avery TR, Haffenreffer K, Shimelman L, Hayden MK, Weinstein RA, Spencer-Smith C, Kaganov RE, Murphy MV, Forehand T, Lankiewicz J, Coady MH, Portillo L, Sarup-Patel J, Jernigan JA, Perlin JB, Platt R. Chlorhexidine versus Routine Bathing to Prevent Multi Drug-Resistant Organisms and All-Cause Bloodstream Infection in General Medical and Surgical Units: The ABATE Infection Cluster Randomized Trial. Lancet. 2019. Mar 23;393(10177):1205-1215.
Huang SS, Singh S, McKinnell JA, Park S, Gombosev A, Eells SJ, Gillen DL, Kim D, Rashid S, Macias-Gil R, Bolaris MA, Tjoa T, Cao C, Hong SS, Lequieu J, Cui E, Chang J, He J, Evans K, Peterson E, Simpson G, Robinson P, Choi C, Bailey CC, Leo, JD, Amin A, Goldmann D, Jernigan JA, Platt R, Septimus E, Weinstein RA, Hayden MK, Miller LG. Decolonization to Reduce Postdischarge Infection Risk Among MRSA Carriers. N Engl J Med 2019 Feb 14;380(7):638-650.
Calderwood MS, Yokoe DS, Murphy MV, DeBartolo KO, Duncan K, Chan CA, Schneider EC, Parry G, Goldmann D, Huang SS. Effectiveness of a Multi-State Quality Improvement Campaign in Reducing Risk of Surgical Site Infections following Hip and Knee Arthroplasty. BMC Qual Safety. 2018 Oct 8. doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2018-007982. [Epub ahead of print] PMID:30297375
Quan KA, Yim J, Merrill D, Khusbu U, Madey K, Dickey L, Dangodara AA, Rudkin SE, O’Brien M, Thompson D, Parekh N, Albers CG, Wilson WC, Thrupp L, Bittencourt CE, Huang SS, Gohil SK. Reductions in Clostridium difficile Infection (CDI) Rates Using Real-Time Automated Clinical Criteria Verification to Enforce Appropriate Testing. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2018;39(5):625-7.
Calderwood MS, Huang SS, Keller V, Bruce CB, Kazerouni N, Janssen L. Variable Case Detection and Many Unreported Cases of Surgical Site Infection Following Colon Surgery and Abdominal Hysterectomy in a State-Wide Validation. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2017 Sep;38(9):1091-1097.
McKinnell JA,* Miller LG,* Singh R, Kleinman K, Peterson E, Evans KD, Dutciuc TD, Heim L, Gombosev A, Estevez M, Launer B, Tjoa T, Tam S, Bolaris MA, Huang SS. Prevalence and Factors Associated with Multidrug Resistant Organism (MDRO) Colonization in Three Nursing Homes. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2016 Dec;37(12):1485-1488. *co-first author
Hayden MK, Lolans K, Haffenreffer K, Avery TR, Kleinman K, Li H, Kaganov RE, Lankiewicz J, Moody J, Septimus E, Weinstein RA, Hickok J, Jernigan J, Perlin JB, Platt R, Huang SS. Chlorhexidine and Mupirocin Susceptibility of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolates in the REDUCE-MRSA Trial. J Clin Microbio. 2016 Nov;54(11):2735-2742.
Lee BY, Bartsch SM, Wong KF, McKinnell JA, Cui E, Cao C, Kim DS, Miller LG, Huang SS. Beyond the Intensive Care Unit (ICU): Countywide Impact of Universal ICU Staphylococcus aureus Decolonization. Am J Epidemiol. 2016 Mar;183(5):480-9.
Lee BY, Bartsch SM, Wong KF, McKinnell JA, Slayton RB, Miller LG, Cao C, Kim DS, Kallen AJ, Jernigan JA, Huang SS. The Potential Trajectory of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), an Emerging Threat to Health-Care Facilities, and the Impact of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Toolkit. Am J Epidemiol. 2016 Mar;183(5):471-9.
Gohil SK, Cao C, Phelan M, Rhee C, Platt R, Huang SS. Impact of policies on the rise of sepsis incidence, 2000-2010. Clin Infect Dis. 2016 Mar 15;62(6):695-703.
Huang SS, Septimus E, Hayden MK, Kleinman K, Sturtevant J, Avery TR, Moody J, Hickok J, Lankiewicz J, Gombosev A, Kaganov RE, Haffenreffer K, Jernigan JA, Perlin JB, Platt R, Weinstein RA. Impact of Body Surface Decolonization on Bacteriuria and Candiduria in a Cluster-Randomized Trial of Intensive Care Units. Lancet Infectious Diseases. 2016 Jan;16(1):70-9.
Gohil SK, Datta R, Cao C, Phelan MJ, Nguyen V, Rowther SS, Huang SS. Impact of Hospital Population Case-Mix, Including Poverty, on Hospital All-Cause and Infection-Related 30-Day Readmission Rates. Clin Infect Dis. 2015 Oct 15;61(8):1235-43. PMID: 26129752
Quan KA, Cousins SM, Porter DD, Puppo RA, Huang SS. Automated Tracking and Ordering of Precautions for Multi-Drug Resistant Organisms (MDRO). Am Journal Infect Control. 2015 Jun; 43(6):577-80. PMID 25681303.
Calderwood MS, Kleinman K, Bratzler DW, Ma A, Kaganov RE, Bruce CB, Balaconis EC, Canning C, Platt R, Huang SS. Medicare Claims Can Be Used to Identify U.S. Hospitals with Higher Rates of Surgical Site Infection Following Vascular Surgery. Med Care. 2014 Oct;52(10):918-25
Huang SS, Septimus EJ, Avery TR, Lee GM, Hickok J, Weinstein RA, Moody J, Hayden MK, Perlin JB, Platt R, Ray GT. Cost Savings of Universal Decolonization to Prevent Intensive Care Unit Infection: Implications of the REDUCE MRSA Trial. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2014 Oct;35 Suppl 3:S23-S31.
Septimus EJ, Hayden MK, Kleinman K, Avery TR, Moody J, Weinstein RA, Hickok J, Lankiewicz J, Gombosev A, Haffenreffer K, Kaganov RE, Jernigan JA, Perlin JB, Platt R, Huang SS. Does Chlorhexidine Bathing in Adult ICUs Reduce Blood Culture Contamination? A Pragmatic Cluster Randomized Trial. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2014 Oct;35 Suppl 3:S17-S22.
Datta R, Kleinman K, Rifas-Shiman S, Placzek H, Lankiewicz J, Platt R, Huang SS. Confounding by indication affects antimicrobial risk factors for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) but not vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) acquisition. Antibio Resist Infect Control. 2014 Jun 1;3:19. PMCID: PMC4057914
Yokoe DS, Avery TR, Platt R, Huang SS. Reporting surgical site infections following total hip and knee arthroplasty: impact of limiting surveillance to the operative hospital. Clin Infect Dis. 2013 Nov;57(9):1282-8.
McKinnell J, Miller LG, Eells S, Cui E, Huang SS. A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-analysis of Factors Associated with MRSA Colonization at Time of Hospital or ICU Admission. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2013 Oct;34(10):1077-86.
Huang SS, Septimus E, Kleinman K, Moody J, Hickok J, Avery TR, Lankiewicz J, Gombosev A, Terpstra L, Hartford F, Hayden MK, Jernigan JA, Weinstein RA, Fraser VJ, Haffenreffer K, Cui E, Kaganov RE, Lolans K, Perlin JB, Platt R; the CDC Prevention Epicenters Program; the AHRQ DECIDE Network and Healthcare-Associated Infections Program. Targeted versus Universal Decolonization to Prevent ICU Infection. N Engl J Med. 2013 May 29. [Epub ahead of print]
Hudson LO, Murphy CR, Spratt BG, Enright MC, Elkins K, Nguyen C, Terpstra L, Gombosev A, Kim D, Hannah P, Mikhail L, Alexander R, Moore DF, Huang SS. Diversity of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Strains Isolated from Inpatients of 30 Hospitals in Orange County, California. PLoS ONE. 2013 Apr 24;8(4):e62117
Murphy CR, Hudson LO, Spratt BG, Elkins K, Terpstra L, Gombosev A, Nguyen C, Hannah P, Alexander R, Enright MC, Huang SS. Predictors of Hospitals with Endemic Community-Associated Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Infection Control Hospital Epidemiology. 2013 Jun;34(6):581-7.
Carling PC, Huang SS. Improving Healthcare Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection: Current and Evolving Issues. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2013 May;34(5):507-13.
Lee BY, Yilmaz SL, Wong KF, Bartsch SM, Eubank S, Song Y, Avery TR, Christie R, Brown ST, Epstein JM, Parker JI, Huang SS. Modeling the Regional Spread and Control of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE). Am Journal Infect Control. In press.
Mody LM, Bradley SF, Huang SS. Keeping the “Home” in Nursing Home: Implications for Infection Prevention. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2013 In Press. (Perspective)
McDanel JS, Murphy CR, Diekema DJ, Quan V, Kim DS, Peterson EM, Evans KD, Tan GL, Hayden MK, Huang SS. Chlorhexidine and Mupirocin Susceptibility of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from Colonized Nursing Home Residents. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2013. 57(1):552-8.
Lee BY, Singh A, Bartsch SM, Wong KF, Kim DS, Avery TR, Brown ST, Murphy CR, Yilmaz SL, Huang SS. The Potential Regional Impact of Contact Precaution Use in Nursing Homes to Control Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2013 Feb;34(2):151-60
Murphy CR, Hudson LO, Spratt BG, Quan V, Kim D, Peterson E, Tan G, Evans K, Meyers H, Cheung M, Lee BY, Mukamel D, Enright M, Whealon M, Huang SS. Predicting High Prevalence of Community MRSA Strains in Nursing Homes. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2013 Mar;34(3):325-6.
Murphy CR, Quan V, Kim DS, Peterson E, Whealon M, Tan G, Evans K, Meyers H, Cheung M, Lee BY, Mukamel DB and Huang SS. Nursing Home Characteristics Associated with Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Burden and Transmission. BMC Infect Dis. 2012;12:269. PMCID:3528666.
Lee BY, Bartsch SM, Wong KF, Singh A, Avery TR, Kim DS, Brown ST, Song Y, Murphy CR, Yilmaz SL, Potter MA, Huang SS. The Spread of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Among Hospitals and Nursing Homes. Medical Care. 2013;51(3):205-215.
Lee BY, Wong KF, Bartsch SM, Yilmaz SL, Avery T, Brown ST, Song Y, Singh A, Kim DS, Huang SS. The Regional Healthcare Ecosystem Analyst (RHEA): Simulation Modeling Tool to Assist Infectious Disease Control in a Health System. J Amer Med Informatics Assoc. Apr 9 [Epub ahead of print]
Calderwood MS, Kleinman K, Bratzler DW, Ma A, Bruce CB, Kaganov RE, Canning C, Platt R, Huang SS. Using Medicare Claims to Identify U.S. Hospitals with a High Rate of Surgical Site Infection Following Hip Arthroplasty. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2013 Jan;34(1):31-9.
Datta R*, King MK*, Kim D, Nguyen MC, Elkins K, Gombosev A, Avery TR, Meyers H, Cheung M, Huang SS. What is Nosocomial? Large Variation in Hospital Choice of Numerators and Denominators Affects Rates of Hospital-Onset Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2012 33(11):1166-1169. *Co-first author
Lee BY, Bartsch SM, Wong KF, Yilmaz SL, Avery TR, Aingh A, Song Y, Kim DS, Brown ST, Potter MA, Burke DS, Platt R, Huang SS. Cooperation among hospitals can help better control methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Health Affairs. 2012 Oct;31(10):2295-2303.
Ke W, Huang SS, Hudson LO, Elkins KR, Nguyen CC, Spratt BG, Murphy CR, Avery TR, Lipsitch M. Patient Sharing and Genetic Structure of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U.S.A. 2012;109(17):6763-8. Epub 2012 Mar 19.
Murphy CR, Eells SJ, Quan V, Kim D, Peterson E, Miller LG, Huang SS. Environmental contamination of nursing home common areas is associated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) prevalence. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2012;60(6):1012-8.
Wroe PC*, Lee GM*, Finkelstein JA, Pelton SI, Hanage WP, Lipsitch M, Stevenson AE, Rifas-Shiman SL, Kleinman K, Dutta-Linn MM, Hinrichsen VL, Lakoma M, Huang SS. (*co-first author) Pneumococcal carriage and antibiotic resistance in young children prior to 13-valent conjugate vaccine. Pediatr Infect Dis Journal. 2012;31(3):249-54. PMCID: PMC3288953.
Lankiewicz JD, Yokoe DS, Olsen MA, Onufrak F, Fraser VJ, Stevenson K, Khan Y, Hooper D, Platt R, Huang SS. Beyond 30 days. Does limiting the duration of surgical site infection follow up limit detection? Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2012;33(2):202-4.
Avery TR, Kleinman KP, Klompas M, Aschengrau A, Huang SS. Inclusion of 30-day post-discharge detection triples incidence of hospital-onset methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2012;33(2):114-21.
Calderwood MS, Ma A, Khan YM, Olsen MA, Bratzler DW, Yokoe DS, Hooper DC, Stevenson K, Fraser VJ, Platt R, Huang SS. Use of Medicare Diagnosis and Procedure Codes to Improve Detection of Surgical Site Infections Following Hip Arthroplasty, Knee Arthroplasty, and Vascular Surgery. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2012;33(1):40-9.
Quan K, Tehrani DM, Dickey L, Spiritus E, Hizon D, Heck K, Samuelson P, Kornhauser E, Zeitany R, Mancia S, Thrupp L, Huang SS. Voluntary to Mandatory: Evolution of Strategies and Attitudes Towards Influenza Vaccination of Health Care Workers. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2012;33(1):63-70.
Murphy CR, Avery TR, Dubberke ER, Huang SS. Frequent hospital readmissions for Clostridium difficile infection and the impact on estimates of hospital-associated. C. difficile burden. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2012;33(1):20-8.
Hudson LO, Spratt B, Reynolds C, Terpstra L, Gombosev A, Hannah P, Mikhail L, Alexander R, Moore D, Huang SS. Differences in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains isolated from pediatric and adult patients from hospitals in a large California county . J Clin Microbiol. 2012;50(3):573-9.
Lee BY, Song Y, Bartsch SM, Kim DS, Singh A, Avery TR, Brown ST, Yilmaz SL, Wong KF, Potter MA, Burke DS, Platt R, Huang SS. Long-term care facilities: important participants of the acute care facility social network? PLoS One 2011;6(12):e29342.
Elkins KR, Nguyen CM, Kim DS, Meyers H, Cheung M, Huang SS. Successful strategies for high participation in three regional healthcare surveys: an observational study. BMC Medical Research Methodology. 2011;11(1):176.
Huang SS, Hinrichsen VL, Datta R, Stulgis L, Miroshnik I, Nelson K, Platt R. Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infection and Hospitalization in High-Risk Patients in the Year Following Detection. PLoS ONE. 2011;6(9):e24340.
Huang SS, Datta R, Rifas-Shiman S, Kleinman K, Placzek H, Lankiewicz JD, Platt R. Colonization with Antibiotic-Susceptible Strains Protects against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus but not Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci Acquisition: A Nested Case-Control Study. Critical Care. 2011, 15(5):R210.
Huang SS, Placzek H, Livingston J, Ma A, Onufrak F, Lankiewicz J, Kleinman K, Bratzler D, Olsen MA, Lyles R, Khan Y, Wright P, Yokoe DS, Fraser VJ, Weinstein RA, Stevenson K, Hooper D, Vostok J, Datta R, Nsa W, Platt R for the CDC Prevention Epicenters. Use of Medicare Claims to Rank Hospitals by Surgical Site Infection (SSI) Risk Following Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2011;32(8):775-783.
Huang SS, Johnson KM, Ray GT, Wroe P, Lieu TA, Moore MR, Zell ER, Linder JA, Grijalva CG, Metlay JP, Finkelstein JA. Healthcare utilization and cost of pneumococcal disease in the United States. Vaccine. 2011;29(18);3398-3412.
Costa MA, Huang SS, Moore M, Kulldorff M, Finkelstein JA. New approaches to estimating national rates of invasive pneumococcal disease. Am J Epidemiol. 2011;174(2):234-42.
Lee BY, McGlone SM, Wong KF, Yilmaz L, Avery T, Song Y, Christie R, Eubank S, Brown ST, Epstein JM, Parker JI, Burke DS, Platt R, Huang SS. Modeling the spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) outbreaks throughout the hospitals in Orange County, California. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2011;32(6):562-572.
Datta R, Platt R, Yokoe DS, Huang SS. Impact of an environmental cleaning intervention on the risk of acquiring multidrug-resistant organisms from prior room occupants. Arch Intern Med. In press.
Reynolds C, Quan V, Kim D, Peterson E, Dunn J, Whealon M, Terpstra L, Meyers H, Cheung M, Lee BY, Huang SS. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriage in 10 nursing homes in Orange County, California. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. In press.
Lee BY, Song Y, McGlone SM, Avery T, Eubank S, Chang J, Wagener DK, Burke DS, Platt R, Huang SS. Social network analysis of hospitals in Orange County, California. Am J Public Health. In press.
Datta R. Huang SS. Risk of post-discharge infection with vancomycin-resistant enterococci after initial infection or colonization. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. In press.
Huang SS, Avery TR, Song Y, Elkins KR, Nguyen CC, Nutter SK, Nafday AS, Condon CJ, Chang MT, Chrest D, Boos J, Bobashev G, Wheaton W, Frank SA, Platt R, Lipsitch M, Bush RM, Eubank S, Burke DS, Lee BY. Quantifying inter-hospital patient sharing as a mechanism for infectious disease spread. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2010;31(11):1160-9.
Platt R, Takvorian SU, Septimus E, Hickok J, Moody J, Perlin J, Jernigan JA, Kleinman K, Huang SS. Cluster Randomized Trials in Comparative Effectiveness Research: Randomizing hospitals to test methods for prevention of healthcare-associated infections. Medical Care. Medical Care. 2010;48(6) Suppl 1:S52-7.
Huang SS*, Yokoe DS*, Stelling J, Placzek H, Kulldorff M, Kleinman K, O’Brien TF, Calderwood MS, Vostok J, Dunn J, Platt R. Automated detection of infectious disease outbreaks in hospitals: a retrospective cohort study. PLoS Med 2010;7(2):e1000238.(*co-first author)
Lee GM, Huang SS, Rifas-Shiman S, Hinrichsen VL, Pelton S, Kleinman K, Hanage WP, Lipsitch M, McAdam A, Finkelstein JA. Epidemiology and risk factors for Staphylococcus aureus colonization in children in the post-PCV7 era. BMC Infectious Diseases 2009;9:110.
Huang SS, Hinrichsen VL, Stevenson AE, Rifas-Shiman SL, Kleinman K, Pelton SI, Lipsitch M, Hanage WP, Lee GM, Finkelstein JA. Continued impact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine on serotypes, antibiotic resistance, and risk factors for carriage in young children. Pediatrics. 2009;124(1):e1-11.
Huang SS. Healthcare associated infections: assessing the value and validity of our measures. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2009;48(8):1116-22
Cohen AL, Calfee D, Fridkin SK, Huang SS, Jernigan JA, Lautenbach E, Oriola S, Ramsey KM, Salgado CD, Weinstein RA. Recommendations for Multidrug-resistant Organisms Metrics in Healthcare Settings: SHEA/HICPAC Position Paper. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2008;29(10):901-13.
Goodman ER, Platt R, Bass R, Onderdonk AB, Yokoe DS, Huang SS. Impact of an environmental cleaning intervention on the presence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci on surfaces in intensive care unit rooms. Infect Control and Hosp Epidemiol.2008;29(7):593-9.
Datta R and Huang SS. Risk of Infection and Death due to Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Long-term Carriers. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2008;47(2):176-81.
Huang SS, Diekema DJ, Warren DK, Zuccotti G, Winokur PL, Tendolkar S, Ward MA, Datta R, Jones RM, Boyken L, Aubrey T, Onderdonk AO, Platt R. Strain-relatedness of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates from patients with repeated infection. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2008;46(8):1241-7.
Finkelstein JA, Huang SS, Kleinman K, Rifas-Shiman SL, Stille CJ, Daniel J, Schiff N, Steingard R, Soumerai S, Ross-Degnan D, Goldmann D, Platt R. Impact of a 16-community randomized trial to promote judicious antibiotic use in Massachusetts. Pediatrics 2008;121:e15-23.
Huang SS, Livingston JM, Rawson NSB, Schmaltz S, Platt R. Developing algorithms for healthcare insurers to systematically monitor surgical site infection rates. BMC Medical Research Methodology 2007;7(1):20.
Huang SS, Rifas-Shiman SL, Kleinman K, Kotch J, Schiff N, Stille CJ, Steingard R, Finkelstein JA. Parental knowledge about antibiotic use: results of a cluster-randomized multicommunity intervention. Pediatrics. 2007;119:698-706.
Huang SS, Rifas-Shiman SL, Pottinger J, Herwaldt L, Zembower T, Noskin GA, Cosgrove S, Perl T, Curtis A, Tokars J, Platt R and the CDC Prevention Epicenters Program. Improving assessment of vancomycin resistant enterococci. Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2007;195(3):339-46. Epub 2006 Dec 27.
Huang SS, Rifas-Shiman SL, Warren DK, Fraser VJ, Climo MW, Wong ES, Cosgrove SE, Perl TM, Pottinger JM, Herwaldt LA, Jernigan JA, Tokars JL, Diekema DJ, Hinrichsen VL, Yokoe DS, Platt R, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Epicenters Program. Improving MRSA surveillance and reporting in ICUs. Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2007;195(3):330-8. Epub 2006 Dec 27.
Huang SS, Yokoe DS, Hinrichsen VL, Stulgis L, Datta R, Miroshnik I, Platt R. Impact of routine intensive care unit surveillance cultures and resultant barrier precautions on hospital-wide methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2006:43;971-8.
Huang SS, Datta R, Platt R. Risk of acquiring antibiotic-resistant bacteria from prior room occupants. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2006;166:1945-51.
Huang SS, Platt R, Rifas-Shiman SL, Pelton SI, Goldmann D, Finkelstein JA. Post-PCV7 changes in colonizing pneumococcal serotypes in 16 Massachusetts communities, 2001 and 2004. Pediatrics 2005;116(3):e408-13.
Huang SS, Finkelstein JA, and Lipsitch M. Modeling community- and individual-level effects of child care attendance on pneumococcal carriage. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2005;40(9):1215-22. Epub 2005 Mar 23.
Huang SS, Finkelstein JA, Rifas-Shiman S, Kleinman K, and Platt R. Community-level predictors of pneumococcal carriage and resistance in young children. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2004;159(7):645-54.
Huang SS, Platt R. Risk of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection after previous infection or colonization. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2003;36(3):281-5.
Huang SS, Labus BJ, Samuel MC, Wan DT, and Reingold AL. Antibiotic resistance patterns of
bacterial isolates from blood in San Francisco County, California, 1996-1999. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2002;8(2):195-201.
Grants
2001-2003 NIH Individual NRSA (F32 AI49657-01) Principal Investigator, “Modeling Antibiotic Resistance in Communities”
2001-2005 AHRQ (5 R01 HS010247) Co-Investigator, “Reducing Antimicrobial Resistance in Communities: A Randomized Control Trial”
2003-2005 CDC (UR8/CCU115079) Co-Investigator, “Healthcare Associated Infections in Populations”
2005-2010 NIH/NIAID (K23AI64161-01, PI: Huang) Principal Investigator, “Improving Assessment of MRSA & VRE Transmission in ICUs”
2006-2011 CDC (1U01 CI000344, PI : Platt) Co-Investigator, “Eastern Massachusetts Prevention Epicenters Program II”
2010-2011 NIH (1U01 GM76672, PI : Huang) Principal Investigator, “Modeling Health System Infectious Disease Data”
2008-2011 Task Order, AHRQ (HHSA29020050033I-TO9) Task Order Principal Investigator (Huang); DEcIDE network PI (Platt) “MRSA Reservoirs in Hospitals and Nursing Homes”
2009-2011 Task Order, AHRQ (HHSA29020050033I-TO10) Task Order Principal Investigator (Huang); DEcIDE network PI (Platt) “Cluster Randomized Trial of Hospitals to Assess Impact of Targeted vs Universal Strategies to Reduce MRSA in Intensive Care Units (ICU)”
2010-2015 AHRQ R01HS019388 (Huang), Principal investigator “Project CLEAR – Changing Lives by Eradicating Antibiotic Resistance”
2010-2013 NIH/NIAID RC4AI092327 (Huang), Principal investigator “Comparative Effectiveness and Outcomes of MRSA Decolonization Strategies”
2010-2013 NIH/NIAID (R18, PI: Goldmann), Co-Investigator, “Evaluation of a Multi-Modal Network to Spread an Enhanced SSI Prevention Bundle”
2012-2014 Task Order, AHRQ (HHSA290201000008I, Task Order Principal Investigator (Huang); DEcIDE network PI (Platt) “Analysis and Dissemination of Results from the Cluster Randomized Trial of Hospitals to Assess Impact of Targeted vs Universal Strategies to Reduce MRSA in Intensive Care Units”
2011-2016 CDC (1U54 CK000172-01, Joint PI : Platt/Huang) Joint Principal Investigator, “Epicenter III: Translational research to prevent healthcare-associated infections”
2012-2017 AHRQ (1R18HS021424, PI: Platt) Co-Investigator, “National Claims-based Quality Measures for Surgical Site Infection”
2012-2018 NIH/NIAID (1 UH2/3 AT007769-01, PI: Huang) Principal Investigator, “Decreasing Bioburden to Reduce Healthcare-Associated Infections and Readmissions – The ABATE (Addressing Bioburden while Admitted To Eliminate) Infection Trial”
2015-2016 CDC (Supplement 1U54 CK000172-01, Joint PI : Platt/Huang) Joint Principal Investigator, “Project PROTECT: Protecting Nursing Homes from Viral and Bacterial Pathogens Using Decolonization”
2015-2016 AHRQ (R01 HS024424, PI: Huang) “The SAFER Lines Project: Standardizing Assessment For Effective Response”
2012-2018 AHRQ (1R18HS021424, PI: Platt) Co-Investigator, “National Claims-based Quality Measures for Surgical Site Infection”
2014-2020 AHRQ (R01 HS023317-01, PI: Lee) Co-Investigator, “Regional Healthcare Ecosystem Analyst for Healthcare Associated Infections”
2015-2020 CDC (SHEPheRD Task Order 2015-005, Task Order PI: Huang) Task Order Title: Regional mathematical modeling and intervention for the prevention of healthcare-associated transmission of infectious pathogens Project Title: “The Shared Healthcare Intervention to Eliminate Life-Threatening Dissemination of multidrug resistant organisms in Orange County (SHIELD OC)”
2018-2019 CDC BAA (75D30118C02890, PI: Huang) Project Title: Strategies to Reduce Post-Discharge Invasive S. aureus Infection
2015-2020 AHRQ (R01 HS024286, PI (Huang) “PROTECT Trial: Protecting nursing home residents from infections and readmissions”
2016-2020 CDC (1U54 CK000484-01, Joint PI: Platt/Huang) Joint Principal Investigator, “Epicenter IV: Harvard Pilgrim-UCI Center for HAI Prevention”
2016-2020 CDC (SHEPheRD Task Order 200-2011-42037 TO 2016-003, Task Order PI: Huang) Task Order Title: Comparing the Effectiveness of Evidence-based Interventions to Improve Antimicrobial Prescribing for Hospitalized Adults Project Title: ”INtelligent Stewardship Prompts to Improve Real-time Empiric Antibiotic Selection for Patients - The INSPIRE-ASP Trial”
2016-2021 Supplement, CDC 200-2016-91779S (Joint PI : Platt/Huang) Joint Principal Investigator, “The CLUSTER Trial: Cluster Linkage Using Statistics to Trigger and Evaluate Response”
Professional Societies
Infectious Diseases Society of America, Fellow
Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America, Fellow
American College of Physicians, Fellow
Other Experience
Instructor in Medicine
Harvard Medical School 2003—2006
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School 2007—2007
Lecturer/Sr. Lecturer
Harvard Medical School 2007—Curr
Assistant Hospital Epidemiologist
Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston MA 2004—2007
Residency - Internal Medicine
University of California San Francisco 1997—1999
Infectious Diseases Fellowship
Harvard Joint Program: Brigham & Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital 2000—2003
Assistant Professor
University of California, Irvine School of Medicine 2007—2011
Associate Professor
University of California, Irvine School of Medicine 2011—2014
Professor
University of California Irvine 2014—Curr
Graduate Programs
Infectious Disease (IM)
Internal Medicine
Last updated
06/29/2023