Christopher Berger, MD | UCSF Center for TB

Assistant Professor

M_MED-ZSFG-PULM

Christopher Berger, MD, MSIMT is an assistant professor in the UCSF Division of Pulmonary Critical Care Medicine, clinically based at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. His research focuses on improving tuberculosis screening, diagnosis, and treatment programs globally through the use of implementation science and human-centered design principles. He works with Dr. Adithya Cattamanchi on projects in the Philippines to improve the diagnostic and clinical tools used in MDR and XDR TB and in Uganda designing improved versions of the globally utilized “Directly Observed Therapy” toolkit. Christopher completed his undergraduate degree in international health at the University of Pittsburgh where he went on complete his MD. He received his master’s in tropical medicine and international health at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain. He completed his internal medicine residency and pulmonary/critical care medicine fellowship at UCSF. He is currently completing a masters in Clinical Research at UCSF.

UCSF Center for Tuberculosis Initiatives:
TB RAMP Scholar | Class 2023
World TB Day Planning Committee 2022

Publications

Adverse Events Reported During Weekly Isoniazid-Rifapentine (3HP) Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment Among People With Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Uganda.

Kadota JL, Musinguzi A, Aschmann HE, Akello L, Welishe F, Nakimuli J, Berger CA, Kiwanuka N, Phillips PPJ, Katamba A, Dowdy DW, Cattamanchi A, Semitala FC

Impact of heteroresistance on treatment outcomes of people with drug-resistant TB.

Crowder R, Kato-Maeda M, Schwem B, Dela Tonga A, Geocaniga-Gaviola DM, Lopez E, Valdez CL, Lim AR, Hunat N, Sedusta AG, Sacopon CA, Atienza GAM, Bulag E, Lim D, Bascuña J, Shah K, Basillio RP, Berger CA, Lopez MCDP, Sen S, Allender C, Folkerts M, Karaoz U, Brodie E, Mitarai S, Garfin AMC, Ama MC, Engelthaler DM, Cattamanchi A, Destura R

Evaluating the implementation of weekly rifapentine-isoniazid (3HP) for tuberculosis prevention among people living with HIV in Uganda: A qualitative evaluation of the 3HP Options Trial.

Musinguzi A, Kasidi JR, Kadota JL, Welishe F, Nakitende A, Akello L, Nakimuli J, Kunihira LT, Opira B, Baik Y, Patel D, Sammann A, Berger CA, Aschmann HE, Nahid P, Belknap R, Kamya MR, Handley MA, Phillips PP, Kiwanuka N, Katamba A, Dowdy DW, Cattamanchi A, Semitala FC, Katahoire AR

Adverse events reported during weekly isoniazid-rifapentine (3HP) tuberculosis preventive treatment among people living with HIV in Uganda.

Kadota JL, Musinguzi A, Aschmann HE, Akello L, Welishe F, Nakimuli J, Berger CA, Kiwanuka N, Phillips PP, Katamba A, Dowdy DW, Cattamanchi A, Semitala FC

Comparison of 3 optimized delivery strategies for completion of isoniazid-rifapentine (3HP) for tuberculosis prevention among people living with HIV in Uganda: A single-center randomized trial.

M_MED-ZSFG-AIDS

Semitala FC, Kadota JL, Musinguzi A, Welishe F, Nakitende A, Akello L, Kunihira Tinka L, Nakimuli J, Ritar Kasidi J, Bishop O, Nakasendwa S, Baik Y, Patel D, Sammann A, Nahid P, Belknap R, Kamya MR, Handley MA, Phillips PP, Katahoire A, Berger CA, Kiwanuka N, Katamba A, Dowdy DW, Cattamanchi A

Implementation, feasibility, and acceptability of 99DOTS-based supervision of treatment for drug-susceptible TB in Uganda.

Kiwanuka N, Kityamuwesi A, Crowder R, Guzman K, Berger CA, Lamunu M, Namale C, Kunihira Tinka L, Nakate AS, Ggita J, Turimumahoro P, Babirye D, Oyuku D, Patel D, Sammann A, Turyahabwe S, Dowdy DW, Katamba A, Cattamanchi A

Understanding patient-level costs of weekly isoniazid-rifapentine (3HP) among people living with HIV in Uganda.

JCI insight

Sung J, Musinguzi A, Kadota JL, Baik Y, Nabunje J, Welishe F, Bishop O, Berger CA, Katahoire A, Nakitende A, Nakimuli J, Akello L, Kasidi JR, Kunihira Tinka L, Kamya MR, Sohn H, Kiwanuka N, Katamba A, Cattamanchi A, Dowdy DW, Semitala FC

Barriers and Facilitators to Implementing a Digital Adherence Technology for Tuberculosis Treatment Supervision in Uganda: Qualitative Study.

Leddy A, Ggita J, Berger CA, Kityamuwesi A, Sanyu AN, Tinka LK, Crowder R, Turyahabwe S, Katamba A, Cattamanchi A

Adherence trajectory as an on-treatment risk indicator among drug-resistant TB patients in the Philippines.

Research Square

Huddart S, Geocaniga-Gaviola DM, Crowder R, Lim AR, Lopez E, Valdez CL, Berger CA, Destura R, Kato-Maeda M, Cattamanchi A, Garfin AMC

Completion of isoniazid-rifapentine (3HP) for tuberculosis prevention among people living with HIV: Interim analysis of a hybrid type 3 effectiveness-implementation randomized trial.

M_MED-ZSFG-AIDS

Semitala FC, Kadota JL, Musinguzi A, Nabunje J, Welishe F, Nakitende A, Akello L, Bishop O, Patel D, Sammann A, Nahid P, Belknap R, Kamya MR, Handley MA, Phillips PPJ, Katahoire A, Berger CA, Kiwanuka N, Katamba A, Dowdy DW, Cattamanchi A

Acceptance and completion of rifapentine-based TB preventive therapy (3HP) among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Kampala, Uganda-patient and health worker perspectives.

Semitala FC, Musinguzi A, Ssemata J, Welishe F, Nabunje J, Kadota JL, Berger CA, Katamba A, Kiwanuka N, Kamya MR, Dowdy D, Cattamanchi A, Katahoire AR

Digital adherence technology for tuberculosis treatment supervision: A stepped-wedge cluster-randomized trial in Uganda.

M_MED-ZSFG-AIDS

Cattamanchi A, Crowder R, Kityamuwesi A, Kiwanuka N, Lamunu M, Namale C, Tinka LK, Nakate AS, Ggita J, Turimumahoro P, Babirye D, Oyuku D, Berger C, Tucker A, Patel D, Sammann A, Stavia T, Dowdy D, Katamba A

Iterative Adaptation of a Tuberculosis Digital Medication Adherence Technology to Meet User Needs: Qualitative Study of Patients and Health Care Providers Using Human-Centered Design Methods.

Patel D, Berger CA, Kityamuwesi A, Ggita J, Kunihira Tinka L, Turimumahoro P, Feler J, Chehab L, Chen AZ, Gupta N, Turyahabwe S, Katamba A, Cattamanchi A, Sammann A

Study protocol and implementation details for a pragmatic, stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial of a digital adherence technology to facilitate tuberculosis treatment completion.

Crowder R, Kityamuwesi A, Kiwanuka N, Lamunu M, Namale C, Tinka LK, Nakate AS, Ggita J, Turimumahoro P, Babirye D, Oyuku D, Berger CA, Tucker A, Patel D, Sammann A, Dowdy D, Stavia T, Cattamanchi A, Katamba A

Opportunities to improve digital adherence technologies and TB care using human-centered design.

JCI insight

Berger C, Patel D, Kityamuwesi A, Ggita J, Tinka LK, Turimumahoro P, Neville K, Chehab L, Chen AZ, Gupta N, Turyahabwe S, Katamba A, Cattamanchi A, Sammann A

Variation in tuberculosis treatment outcomes and treatment supervision practices in Uganda.

Berger CA, Kityamuwesi A, Crowder R, Lamunu M, Kunihira Tinka L, Ggita J, Sanyu Nakate A, Namale C, Oyuku D, Chen K, Turyahabwe S, Cattamanchi A, Katamba A

Protocol for the 3HP Options Trial: a hybrid type 3 implementation-effectiveness randomized trial of delivery strategies for short-course tuberculosis preventive therapy among people living with HIV in Uganda.

P_Bioengineering

Kadota JL, Musinguzi A, Nabunje J, Welishe F, Ssemata JL, Bishop O, Berger CA, Patel D, Sammann A, Katahoire A, Nahid P, Belknap R, Phillips PPJ, Namusobya J, Kamya M, Handley MA, Kiwanuka N, Katamba A, Dowdy D, Semitala FC, Cattamanchi A

Summary for Clinicians: 2019 Clinical Practice Guideline Summary for the Treatment of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis.

M_MED-ZSFG-PULM

Berger CA, Alipanah N, Kheir F, Ruminjo JK, Nahid P, Thomson C

Willingness to accept reimbursement for visits to an HIV clinic for tuberculosis preventive therapy.

JCI insight

Kadota JL, Katamba A, Musinguzi A, Welishe F, Nabunje J, Ssemata JL, Berger CA, Kamya MR, Namusobya J, Semitala FC, Cattamanchi A, Dowdy DW

Management and Outcomes of Critically-Ill Patients with COVID-19 Pneumonia at a Safety-net Hospital in San Francisco, a Region with Early Public Health Interventions: A Case Series.

Vanderburg S, Alipanah N, Crowder R, Yoon C, Wang R, Thakur N, Slown K, Shete PB, Rofael M, Metcalfe JZ, Merrifield C, Marquez C, Malcolm K, Lipnick M, Jain V, Gomez A, Burns G, Brown LB, Berger C, Auyeung V, Cattamanchi A, Hendrickson CM

Presentation and outcome of suspected sepsis in a high-HIV burden, high antiretroviral coverage setting.

Chaka W, Berger C, Huo S, Robertson V, Tachiona C, Magwenzi M, Magombei T, Mpamhanga C, Katzenstein D, Metcalfe J

Implementation science to improve the quality of tuberculosis diagnostic services in Uganda.

Cattamanchi A, Berger CA, Shete PB, Turyahabwe S, Joloba M, Moore DA, Davis LJ, Katamba A

Open-source point-of-care electronic medical records for use in resource-limited settings: systematic review and questionnaire surveys.

Millard PS, Bru J, Berger CA