Dr. Castel's research interests center on infectious diseases, including vaccine-preventable diseases and HIV/AIDS, and on international health. As an EIS officer, she has investigated numerous communicable disease outbreaks and researched meningococcal disease among college students. In the international arena, Dr. Castel has conducted research on pediatric HIV/AIDS prevention and has monitored polio eradication campaigns. Since joining the faculty at GWU, Dr. Castel has also worked on developing the framework for the development of the World Health Organization regulatory guidelines regarding task-shifting. Through the Department's partnership with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, she led the evaluation of the organization's PEPFAR funded care and treatment in three African countries. Through her membership in the GWU HIV/AIDS Institute Dr. Castel is collaborating with other institute colleagues to conduct a study examining barriers to care among HIV infected hospitalized patients at the George Washington University Hospital. Dr. Castel is currently serving as the Project Director for the DC Cohort, a NIH-funded public health research database which aims to follow over 10,000 HIV-infected individuals seeking care in the District of Columbia. She currently co-directs the Department's Practicum and Culminating Experience courses for MPH students and co-directs the Field/Laboratory Experience for the MSPHMEID program. She also teaches courses on HIV/AIDS Surveillance and on Issues in HIV and Care and Treatment. - See more at: http://publichealth.gwu.edu/faculty/?employeeID=185#sthash.FPcUCRKx.dpuf
