Dr. Lagakos' current research involves a variety of statistical issues arising in clinical trials and other longitudinal studies, with particular emphasis on statistical methods and analyses relating to HIV and other infectious diseases.

One area of interest in statistical methods for estimating the timing of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, which can occur in utero or after birth through breast feeding. The statistical challenge arises because in utero infection status cannot be directly observed, and because diagnostic tests given to newborns are imperfect and periodic.

Another area of interest is the design and analysis of viral eradication studies. Recently, drugs have been developed that may, with prolonged use, eradicate chronic viral infections such as hepatitis C and HIV. The design, analysis, and interpretation of such studies is complicated by the fact that `eradication' is a silent event whose occurrence can only be ascertained by discontinuing therapy and observing whether viral load levels rebount, because some patients develop viral resistance while still receiving treatment. In addition to estimating the distribution of the eradication/resistance process, another important scientific issue with a strong statistical component is the short- and long-term effects of discontinuing therapy, for the purpose of assessing eradication status, in a patient whose virus is not yet eradicated.

A third area of research interest is statistical models and methods for periodically observed discrete-state process, such as the natural history of human papilloma virus.

Ph.D., 1972, George Washington University