Krista Francine Huybrechts, PhD
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Epidemiology - Boston University School of Public Health
Biography
Krista F. Huybrechts, M.S., Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and an epidemiologist in the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She also holds an appointment as adjunct Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at Boston University School of Public Health. Her research centers on the utilization, comparative safety and effectiveness of prescription medications in pregnant women and their offspring, and on studying the outcomes of medications for mental health disorders in vulnerable populations. She also has a special interest in research methodology and innovative research applications in relation to both these fields of study. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the International Society of Pharmacoepidemiology and Therapeutic Risk Management and is a member of FDA’s Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee.
Her research centers on the utilization, comparative safety and effectiveness of prescription medications in pregnant women and their offspring (www.harvardpreg.org), and on studying the outcomes of medications for mental health disorders in vulnerable populations. She also has a special interest in research methodology and innovative research applications in relation to both these fields of study.
Dr. Huybrechts graduated magna cum laude with a Master of Science degree in Economics from the University of Antwerp, Belgium where she also worked as a researcher in health economics. Prior to completing a doctoral degree in epidemiology at Boston University School of Public Health, Dr. Huybrechts held several positions in pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research, both in Europe and the US. Her research projects focused primarily on psychiatry and neurology, and covered a broad spectrum of research designs, including clinical trials, naturalistic studies, retrospective data analyses, and decision-analytic simulation models.
Education
- Boston University School of Public Health, PhD Field of Study: Epidemiology
- University of Antwerp, MS Field of Study: Economics
- University of Antwerp, BS Field of Study: Economics
Publications
- Published on 5/22/2025
DiCesare E, Huybrechts KF, Bateman BT, Lii J, Straub L. Antihypertensive Treatment Adherence during Pregnancy by Race and Ethnicity. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2025 May 22. PMID: 40412465.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 5/7/2025
Huybrechts KF, Hernández-Díaz S. Estimating Treatment Effects From Observational Data-Calling It a Target Trial Does Not Make It One. JAMA Psychiatry. 2025 May 07. PMID: 40332905.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 5/7/2025
Straub L, Wang SV, Hernandez-Diaz S, Gray KJ, Vine SM, Russo M, Mittal L, Bateman BT, Zhu Y, Huybrechts KF. Hierarchical clustering analysis to inform classification of congenital malformations for surveillance of medication safety in pregnancy. Am J Epidemiol. 2025 May 07; 194(5):1436-1447. PMID: 39123096.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 3/5/2025
Huybrechts KF, Bateman BT, Hernández-Díaz S. Modern Evidence Generation on Medication Effectiveness and Safety During Pregnancy: Study Design Considerations. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2025 Apr; 117(4):895-909. PMID: 40045450.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 2/13/2025
Brett J, Cesta CE, Gillies MB, Bateman BT, Chan AYL, Cheng MC, Cho Y, Choi E, Cohen JM, Donald S, Furu K, Gissler M, Gomes T, Havard A, Hernandez-Diaz S, Hsieh MHC, Huybrechts KF, Karlsson P, Kelty E, Lai ECC, Ledlie S, Wang T, Leinonen MK, Parkin L, Reutfors J, Shin JY, Su CTT, Varney B, Wong ICK, Man KKC, Zoega H. Global Trends in Analgesic Opioid Use in Pregnancy: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Anesthesiology. 2025 Jun 01; 142(6):1100-1113. PMID: 39946665.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 12/18/2024
Anike O, Zhang Q, Bhasin S, Flanders WD, Getahun D, Haw JS, Huybrechts KF, Lash TL, McCracken CE, Roblin D, Silverberg MJ, Suglia SF, Tangpricha V, Vupputuri S, Goodman M. Association Between Gender-affirming Hormone Therapy and Measures of Glucose Metabolism: A Longitudinal Study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2024 Dec 18; 110(1):289-296. PMID: 38815002.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 12/2/2024
Wittström F, Cesta CE, Bateman BT, Bendix M, Bliddal M, Chan AYL, Cho Y, Choi EY, Cohen JM, Donald S, Gissler M, Havard A, Hernandez-Diaz S, Huybrechts KF, Kollhorst B, Lai EC, Leinonen MK, Li BMH, Man KKC, Ng VWS, Parkin L, Pazzagli L, Rasmussen L, Rotem RS, Schink T, Shin JY, Tran DT, Wong ICK, Zoega H, Reutfors J. Lithium Use During Pregnancy in 14 Countries. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Dec 02; 7(12):e2451117. PMID: 39680408.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 12/1/2024
Rotem RS, Weisskopf MG, Bateman B, Huybrechts K, Hernández-Diáz S. Maternal periconception hyperglycemia, preconception diabetes, and risk of major congenital malformations in offspring. Hum Reprod. 2024 Dec 01; 39(12):2816-2829. PMID: 39406385.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 11/28/2024
Adomi M, McElrath TF, Hernández-Díaz S, Huybrechts KF. Reply to 'TNF-a inhibitors and preeclampsia: assessing the evidence for risk reduction'. J Hypertens. 2025 Jan 01; 43(1):182. PMID: 39625004.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 11/13/2024
Brown JP, Yland JJ, Williams PL, Huybrechts KF, Hernández-Díaz S. Accounting for Twins and Other Multiple Births in Perinatal Studies of Live Births Conducted Using Healthcare Administration Data. Epidemiology. 2025 Mar 01; 36(2):165-173. PMID: 39887117.
Read At: PubMed
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