Population Council Research that makes a difference

Lauren Katzen

Clinical Trial Specialist

Lauren Katzen is a clinical trial specialist who joined the Population Council in 2006. In this role, Katzen is responsible for study management, including developing project timelines, study-specific documents, manuals, and standard operating procedures; managing budgets and subawards to trial sites; working with investigators to develop surveys and case report forms; ensuring proper training of site staff; and conducting on-site monitoring in accordance with relevant regulations and guidelines. Katzen currently is managing an NIH/USAID-funded simulated microbicides trial in India that was designed to prepare for future Phase 2 and 3 microbicide clinical trials. The study explores willingness to participate and methods for improving reporting of adherence, including the use of interactive voice response systems (IVRS).

Prior to her role as clinical trial specialist, Katzen was a research coordinator and coordinated qualitative studies ancillary to the Carraguard® Phase 3 trial.  In this role, she also collaborated on data analysis for the qualitative studies as well as a quantitative assessment of the informed consent process.

Katzen holds an M.P.A. in health policy and management from the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University, and a B.A. in sociology, Italian studies, and women’s studies from Wheaton College in Massachusetts.

Lauren Katzen

Clinical Trial Specialist

A Qualitative Exploration of Women Newly Infected with HIV (more)
Interviews conducted by Council researchers will inform ongoing work in the creation of integrated service delivery models.
(1/2008 - ongoing)
Topics: HIV care, support, and treatment; Integrating health services
Countries: South Africa

A Simulated Clinical Trial to Explore Willingness to Participate and Methods for Improving Reporting of Adherence Among a Sex-worker Cohort in Nellore, India (more)
A simulated microbicides clinical study is being conducted in India to develop and test strategies for improving recruitment, adherence, and the reporting of adherence for future microbicides clinical trials.
(1/2008 - ongoing)
Topics: Microbicides; Sex workers
Countries: India

Fertility Intentions and Reproductive Health Needs of Newly HIV-infected Women (more)
Council researchers conducted a study with women who recently tested HIV-positive to determine their fertility intentions and RH needs.
(1/2008 - ongoing)
Topics: Family planning services; HIV care, support, and treatment; Integrating health services; Microbicides
Countries: South Africa

Evaluation of the Informed Consent Process in the Phase 3 Study of the Candidate Microbicide Carraguard® (more)
Council researchers evaluated the informed consent process in the Council’s Phase 3 trial of the candidate microbicide Carraguard.
(1/2006 - 12/2008)
Topics: Microbicides
Countries: South Africa

Microbicides Acceptability Research (more)
Council researchers collected data on social, cultural, and sexual norms and practices, and on interpersonal relationships, to better understand their impact on microbicide acceptability and use.
(10/2006 - 12/2007)
Topics: Microbicides
Countries: South Africa

Lauren Katzen

Clinical Trial Specialist

Acceptability in microbicide and PrEP trials: Current status and a reconceptualization  (abstract) 
Mensch,Barbara S.; van der Straten,Ariane; Katzen,Lauren L.
Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS 7(6): 534-541
Publication date: 2012

Characteristics of female sex workers in southern India willing and unwilling to participate in a placebo gel trial  (abstract) (PDF) 
Mensch,Barbara S.; Friedland,Barbara A.; Abbott,Sharon; Katzen,Lauren L.; Tun,Waimar; Kelly,Clifton A.; Sarna,Avina; Srikrishnan,Aylur K.; Solomon,Suniti
AIDS and Behavior Published online ahead of print, 21 August
Publication date: 2012

Validation of a dye stain assay for vaginally inserted hydroxyethylcellulose-filled microbicide applicators  (abstract) 
Katzen,Lauren L.; Fernandez-Romero,Jose A.; Sarna,Avina; Murugavel,Kailapuri G.; Gawarecki,Daniel; Zydowsky,Thomas M.; Mensch,Barbara S.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases 38(11): 1050-1055
Publication date: 2011

Lauren Katzen

Clinical Trial Specialist

Impact of a comprehension assessment among adult and adolescent clients on scale up of male circumcision services in Zambia (abstract) (PDF) 
Poster presentation at the 6th International AIDS Society Conference, Rome, Italy, 17-20 July
Friedland,Barbara A.; Apicella,Louis; Sheehy,Meredith; Schenk,Katie D.; Munjile,Kelvin; Adams,Alfred; Hewett,Paul C.; Katzen,Lauren L.
Publication date: 2011

MTN 005 ACASI training (PDF) 
presentation at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, 23 March
Mierzwa,Stan; Katzen,Lauren L.
Publication date: 2011

'I was honest, but not that much': A qualitative investigation of acceptability of ACASI and self-reports of honesty in a simulated microbicide trial (abstract)  
Poster presentation at the XVIII International AIDS Conference, Vienna, 22 July
Abbott,Sharon; Mensch,Barbara S.; Katzen,Lauren L.
Publication date: 2010

Challenges implementing behavioral research in microbicides clinical trials  
Presentation at Microbicides 2008, New Delhi, 24-27 February
Abbott,Sharon; Friedland,Barbara A.; de Kock,Alana; Harries,Jane; Morar,Neetha S.; Madiba,Sphiwe; Katzen,Lauren L.
Publication date: 2008

Decision making and the influences of others in the informed consent process: A qualitative investigation in the Phase 3 study of Carraguard® (PDF) 
Poster presented at Microbicides 2008, New Delhi, 24-27 February
Abbott,Sharon; Friedland,Barbara A.; Katzen,Lauren L.; de Kock,Alana; Madiba,Sphiwe; Cishe,Sheila
Publication date: 2008

Evaluation of a video to enhance the informed consent process in the Phase 3 Carraguard® trial (PDF) 
Poster presented at Microbicides 2008, New Delhi, 24-27 February
Friedland,Barbara A.; Skoler,Stephanie; de Kock,Alana; Katzen,Lauren L.; Apicella,Louis; Williams,Manuela M.; Mehlomakulu,Vuyelwa; Mtimkulu,Vuyelwa
Publication date: 2008

Impact of acceptability on adherence in the Carraguard® Phase 3 trial (PDF) 
Poster presented at Microbicides 2008, New Delhi, 24-27 February
Friedland,Barbara A.; Littlefield,Sarah A.; Skoler,Stephanie; de Kock,Alana; Palanee,Thesla; Gehret,Marlena; Katzen,Lauren L.; Morar,Neetha S.; Mehlomakulu,Vuyelwa; Williams,Manuela M.
Publication date: 2008

Male partner involvement in the Carraguard® Phase 3 trial: Data from a qualitative study of the informed consent process (PDF) 
Poster presented at Microbicides 2008, New Delhi, 24-27 February
Madiba,Sphiwe; Friedland,Barbara A.; Abbott,Sharon; Katzen,Lauren L.; de Kock,Alana; Cishe,Sheila
Publication date: 2008

Qualitative evaluation of the informed consent process in the Phase 3 Carraguard® efficacy trial: Study staff experiences and recommendations for future trials (PDF) 
Poster presented at Microbicides 2008, New Delhi, 24-27 February
Katzen,Lauren L.; Friedland,Barbara A.; Abbott,Sharon; de Kock,Alana; Madiba,Sphiwe; Cishe,Sheila
Publication date: 2008

What motivates women to enroll in vaginal microbicide clinical trials: Results from the Phase III Carraguard trial  
Poster presentation at XVII International AIDS Conference, Mexico City, 3-8 August
Abbott,Sharon; Friedland,Barbara A.; Katzen,Lauren L.; Madiba,Sphiwe; de Kock,Alana; Cishe,Sheila
Publication date: 2008

Health concerns and HIV risk perception as motives to join a clinical trial  
Presentation at 36th Annual Psychosocial Workshop, New Orleans, April
Abbott,Sharon; Friedland,Barbara A.; Katzen,Lauren L.
Publication date: 2007