About

Debika Bhattacharya, MD, specializes in the management of HIV and HIV/viral hepatitis co-infection. She graduated from the seven-year accelerated medical program at Boston University and completed her internal medicine training at Baylor University in Houston, Texas. She further completed an infectious diseases fellowship at Stanford University. Dr. Bhattacharya sees patients living with viral hepatitis and HIV/viral hepatitis co-infection at the UCLA CARE Center and at the West Los Angeles Veteran's Affairs Medical Center. Her research involves viral hepatitis clinical therapeutics and long-term clinical outcomes in persons living with HIV/viral hepatitis or hepatitis alone.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Virology
• Immunology
• Internal medicine
• Geography
• Environmental health
• Intensive care medicine
• Radiology
• Biology
• Family medicine
• Gastroenterology

Selected publications

• Hypertension in a randomized trial of dolutegravir- versus efavirenz-based antiretroviral therapy in pregnant and postpartum women with HIV

  Clinical Infectious Diseases · 2026-04-09

  article

  INTRODUCTION: We performed an analysis of incident hypertension in a randomized trial comparing dolutegravir(DTG)+emtricitabine(F)/tenofovir alafenamide(TAF) vs DTG+F/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate(TDF) vs efavirenz(EFV)/F/TDF in pregnant and postpartum women with HIV. METHODS: Women were randomized at 14-28 weeks gestational age (GA) to start DTG+F/TAF, DTG+F/TDF, or EFV/F/TDF and followed through 50 weeks postpartum. The composite incident hypertension outcome was defined as initiation of antihypertensive medication or ≥2 elevated blood pressures categorized as: elevated (130-139 and/or 80-89mmHg), mild (140-159 and/or 90-99mmHg), moderate (≥160-179 and/or ≥100-109mmHg), severe (≥180 and/or ≥110mmHg). Incident gestational hypertension was defined by initiation of antihypertensive medication or ≥2 blood pressures ≥140 and/or ≥90mmHg at ≥20 weeks GA with resolution by 12 weeks postpartum. Cox proportional hazard models were used for by-arm comparisons of the composite outcome and to look for the effect of weight change within arm. RESULTS: Of 626 women without baseline hypertension (median age 26.6 years), the composite incident outcome occurred in 49% (n=308), predominantly due to the incident elevated category of elevated blood pressure, with no significant differences by arm, although hypertension was numerically more likely in the DTG arms. Each additional 5kg of weight was associated with an 8-17% higher hazard of the composite hypertension outcome. Twenty-seven participants (4.3%) had gestational hypertension with no apparent differences between arms. CONCLUSIONS: Our data contribute information regarding the safety of DTG-based ART and TAF in pregnant and postpartum women and highlight the importance of monitoring weight and performing hypertension screening as part of maternal health care for young women with HIV.

  PublisherDOI

• Envisioning a Multidisciplinary HBV Cure Research Agenda

  Current HIV/AIDS Reports · 2025-11-08

  reviewOpen accessSenior author

  PURPOSE OF REVIEW: We examine the current understanding of the multidisciplinary aspects of hepatitis B cure research, such as socio-behavioral sciences, ethics, community engagement, and translational and implementation science. RECENT FINDINGS: The peer-reviewed literature on the multi-disciplinary aspects of HBV cure research is gradually expanding, although several areas still require attention. These deficiencies include: the acceptability of HBV treatment discontinuations, HBV-related stigma, the impact of co-infections (e.g., HIV), and the translation of discoveries to resource-limited settings. This review highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary framework that bridges socio-behavioral sciences, ethics, community engagement, and translational and implementation science to help ensure the development of an effective, acceptable, scalable and equitable HBV cure.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Executive Summary: State-of-the-Art Review: Hepatitis C

  Clinical Infectious Diseases · 2025-08-15 · 1 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• State-of-the-Art Review: Hepatitis C

  Clinical Infectious Diseases · 2025-04-23 · 3 citations

  article

  Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains a major cause of chronic liver disease and premature mortality worldwide. The World Health Organization and US Department of Health and Human Services have committed to eliminating HCV infection as a major public health threat by 2030, as defined by a 90% reduction in incidence of new HCV infections and 65% reduction in mortality from a 2015 baseline. To help to achieve HCV elimination, it will be necessary to increase HCV screening and increase uptake of HCV treatment, particularly within primary care, correctional, and substance use treatment settings. In this review, we provide strategies for healthcare providers to implement in their practice to enhance patients' completion of the steps of the HCV care cascade. Improving successful completion of each step of the cascade will help alleviate the burden of HCV infection and make the 2030 HCV elimination goals a reality.

  PublisherDOI

• High HBV seroprotection rates in infants born to people with HIV and HBV infection in sub-Saharan Africa

  Vaccine X · 2025-11-21

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  There is little data on hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) responses in HIV-exposed, uninfected (HEU) infants born to people living with HIV and hepatitis B virus infection (HBV) (HEU-HBV). We examined anti-HBs titers in infants in a post-hoc analysis of the HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) 046 trial. Thirty-three infants were tested for anti-HBs at 6 and 12 months. Of these, 84.8 % had a protective response (anti-HBs >10 IU/ml) at 6 months, and 97 % had anti-HBs >10 IU/ml at 12 months. Infants with low birth weight ([LBW] ≤2500 g) had lower median anti-HBs titers at 6 and 12 months (472 IU/mL and 48 IU/mL, respectively) compared to infants without LBW, although this was not statistically significant. Anti-HBs titers at 6 and 12 months in HEU-HBV are similar to those in HIV unexposed, uninfected (HUU) infants.

  PublisherDOI

• Associations Between Prior and Current Unhealthy Alcohol Use and Liver Morbidity Risk and Mortality Among Veterans With a History of Hepatitis C Who Have Achieved Sustained Virological Response

  Journal of Viral Hepatitis · 2025-12-11

  article

  The degree to which alcohol use is associated with the risk of all-cause mortality and hepatic decompensation after hepatitis C (HCV) diagnosis, treatment, and cure remains unknown. We sought to address this question among patients achieving sustained virologic response (SVR) after direct-acting antiviral treatment in the largest HCV health system in the United States. We extracted data on alcohol use, HCV treatment, SVR, HIV co-infection, demographics, risk behaviours, hepatic decompensation, and mortality from all patients in the 1945 to 1965 VA Birth Cohort. Alcohol use categories were generated using responses to the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) questionnaire and diagnostic codes for alcohol use disorder (AUD): abstinent without a history of AUD, abstinent with a history of AUD, current lower-risk consumption, current moderate-risk consumption, and current high-risk consumption with or without AUD. Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine associations between alcohol category and the risk of hepatic decompensation and all-cause mortality. Among 50,581 patients in the analytic cohort, compared to current drinkers exhibiting lower risk alcohol consumption (referent), current high-risk consumption with or without AUD was associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality (aHR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.21-1.63) and hepatic decompensation (HR: 2.15, 95% CI: 1.60-2.89) as was abstinence with a history of AUD diagnosis (mortality aHR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.41-1.89; hepatic decompensation aHR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.36-2.51). AUD and high-risk alcohol consumption are associated with the risk of hepatic decompensation and all-cause mortality among Veterans who have achieved SVR, including those categorised as being currently abstinent. Interventions for alcohol consumption and use disorder among individuals treated for HCV infection may reduce morbidity and mortality in this population.

  PublisherDOI

• Hepatitis C Treatment Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Among Primary Care Providers—Los Angeles County, 2023

  The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine · 2025-01-01 · 2 citations

  letterOpen access

  Dear Editor We read with great interest the article by Stewart and colleagues that documented increased hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment in primary care settings associated with a multifaceted intervention that included a decision-support tool, education for clinicians, and enhanced

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Validity of Diagnostic Codes and Laboratory Tests to Identify Cholangiocarcinoma and Its Subtypes

  Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety · 2025-05-01

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: The absence of validated methods to identify cholangiocarcinoma in real-world data has prevented the conduct of pharmacoepidemiologic studies to evaluate determinants of this malignancy and examine the effectiveness of cholangiocarcinoma treatments. OBJECTIVE: To determine the accuracy of International Classification of Diseases for Oncology, Third Edition (ICD-O-3)-based algorithms to identify cholangiocarcinoma and its subtype (intrahepatic or extrahepatic) within US Veterans Health Administration (VA) data. METHODS: We identified patients with cholangiocarcinoma ICD-O-3 diagnosis codes from January 2000-December 2019 in VA data. We developed eight algorithms utilizing ICD-O-3 histology codes for cholangiocarcinoma and further used ICD-O-3 topography codes for location (liver, intrahepatic bile duct, extrahepatic bile duct) plus maximum total bilirubin (≥ 3 mg/dL vs. < 3 mg/dL) within ± 45 days of diagnosis to identify cholangiocarcinoma subtype. Up to 80 patients were randomly selected for each algorithm, and their records were reviewed by two hepatologists. The positive predictive values (PPV) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for each algorithm were estimated. RESULTS: Among 2934 unique patients who met inclusion criteria, 574 were randomly selected for validation. All eight algorithms had high PPV for definite or probable cholangiocarcinoma, ranging from 83.8% (95% CI, 73.8%-91.1%) to 100.0% (95% CI, 95.5%-100.0%). Among three algorithms to identify intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, two had PPV ≥ 80% (range: 88.8% [95% CI, 79.7%-94.7%]-91.3% [95% CI, 82.8%-96.4%]). Among five algorithms to identify extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, four had PPV ≥ 80% (range: 80.0% [95% CI, 69.6%-88.1%]-94.0% [83.5%-98.7%]). CONCLUSION: These algorithms can be used in future pharmacoepidemiologic studies to evaluate medications associated with intrahepatic or extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Whole-Genome Sequencing of Hepatitis B Virus Genotypes E and A in Zambia Reveals Limited Viral Diversity in HIV Coinfection

  Open Forum Infectious Diseases · 2025-09-27

  articleOpen access

  Background: The molecular characteristics of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in Africa, including the impact of HIV coinfection, are poorly understood. Methods: We performed whole-genome sequencing (WGS) on biospecimens collected before antiviral therapy in a well-characterized cohort of adults with HBV in Zambia, enriched for HIV coinfection (HBV/HIV). We assessed the frequency of basal core promoter (BCP) and precore variants, substitution frequencies, and the ratio of nonsynonymous to synonymous substitutions (dN/dS ratios), a surrogate for selection pressure. Results: Among 215 participants (median age, 33 years; 36% e antigen [HBeAg] positive, 35% with HBV/HIV), 114 (53.0%) had viral genotype E (gtE), and 101 (47.0%) had genotype A (gtA), subgenotype 1. BCP and precore variants, associated with HBeAg negativity, were more common with increased age, in the absence of HIV, and with gtE. Distinct from gtA, gtE had dN/dS ratios that were increased in the core vs polymerase region. Low dN/dS ratios were observed in HBV/HIV, especially at the lowest CD4 T-cell frequencies. Sequences from acute HBV infection as well as from 5 participants with chronic HBV/HIV who cleared hepatitis B surface antigen early during tenofovir-based antiretroviral therapy showed remarkably low dN/dS ratios. Conclusions: HBV gtE exhibited distinct substitution patterns compared with gtA, and HBV/HIV was associated with reduced HBV sequence diversity, consistent with impaired immune pressure.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• New Window Into Hepatitis B in Africa: Liver Sampling Combined With Single-Cell Omics Enables Deep and Longitudinal Assessment of Intrahepatic Immunity in Zambia

  The Journal of Infectious Diseases · 2024-02-09 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  In Lusaka, Zambia, we introduced liver fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) into a research cohort of adults with treatment-naive chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, with and without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection, as well as with acute HBV infection. From 117 enrollment and 47 longitudinal FNABs (at 1-year follow-up), we established participant acceptability and safety. We also demonstrated the quality of the material through single-cell RNA sequencing of selected enrollment FNAs, which revealed a range of immune cells. This approach can drive new insights into HBV immunology, informing cure strategies, and can improve our understanding of HBV natural history in Africa.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Impact of HIV PMTCT Interventions on HIV/HBV Co-infected Women and Their Infants

  NIH · $1.3M · 2016–2022

• NIH Grant K23AI066983

  NIH · $716k · 2013

• NIH Grant R01AI100748

  NIH · $1.9M · 2018

Frequent coauthors

• Dhayendre Moodley

  Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa

  54 shared

• Judith S. Currier

  University of California, Los Angeles

  54 shared

• Neaka Mohtashemi

  National Institute of Mental Health

  51 shared

• Hannah Ship

  University of Miami

  50 shared

• Matthew Bidwell Goetz

  University of California, Los Angeles

  48 shared

• Marion G. Peters

  Northwestern University

  48 shared

• Mary Glenn Fowler

  Johns Hopkins University

  48 shared

• Dingase Dula

  University of Liverpool

  46 shared

Education

• M.D.

  Boston University

• M.D., Internal Medicine

  Baylor University

• M.D., Infectious Diseases

  Stanford University