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 2/6/2026
Sarpatwari A, Mahesri M, Lii J, Lee SB, Zakoul H, Toyserkani GA, Zhou EH, Lacivita C, Dal Pan GJ, Bykov K, Moran L, Avorn J, Kesselheim AS, Huybrechts KF. Risk of neutropenia-related hospitalisation among clozapine initiators. BMJ Ment Health. 2026 Feb 06; 29(1). PMID: 41651559.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 1/19/2026
Leonard SA, Main EK, Hlatky MA, Huybrechts KF, Bateman BT. Reply: Targeted Therapy for Hypertension in Pregnancy: Hemodynamics as a Therapeutic Compass. JACC Adv. 2026 Feb; 5(2):102521. PMID: 41558365.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 12/2/2025
Bea S, Basham CA, Edrees HH, Huybrechts KF, Vine SM, Glynn RJ, Bateman BT, Bykov K. Risk of opioid overdose associated with concurrent use of hydrocodone and CYP3A4-inhibiting calcium channel blockers: a population-based cohort study. Am J Epidemiol. 2025 Dec 02; 194(12):3609-3619. PMID: 40908920.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 12/1/2025
Huang PC, Huybrechts KF, Straub L, Brown JP, Bateman B, Hernández-Díaz S. Maternal Diabetes Types and the Risk of Pregnancy Loss and Specific Malformations in the Infant. Birth Defects Res. 2025 Dec; 117(12):e70009. PMID: 41399102.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 11/28/2025
Bea S, Huybrechts KF, Glynn RJ, Vine SM, Belitkar S, Bateman BT, Bykov K. Opioid overdose associated with concomitant use of hydrocodone and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. BMC Med. 2025 Nov 28; 23(1):666. PMID: 41316177.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 11/22/2025
Huybrechts KF, Hernández-Díaz S, Bateman BT. Untangling the Risks of Antidepressants in Pregnancy. N Engl J Med. 2025 Nov 27; 393(21):2073-2075. PMID: 41283218.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 10/15/2025
Brown JP, Huybrechts KF, Straub L, Heider D, Bateman BT, Hernández-Díaz S. Associations of maternal and paternal characteristics with cardiac malformations using real-world data and machine learning. Commun Med (Lond). 2025 Oct 15; 5(1):423. PMID: 41094179.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 10/1/2025
Zhu Y, Anand P, Sarpatwari A, Hernández-Díaz S, Bykov K, Kesselheim AS, Avorn J, Vine SM, Adomi M, DiCesare EC, Mahesri M, Zakoul H, Mogun H, Toyserkani GA, LaCivita C, Zhou EH, Dal Pan GJ, Huybrechts KF. Isotretinoin Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy and Pregnancy Incidence. JAMA Intern Med. 2025 Oct 01; 185(10):1289-1291. PMID: 40690251.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 9/15/2025
Bykov K, Basham CA, Khan NF, Glynn RJ, Belitkar S, Vine SM, Bea S, Bateman BT, Huybrechts KF. Comparative Risks of Opioid Overdose in Patients on Oxycodone Initiating Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors. Epidemiology. 2026 Jan 01; 37(1):132-140. PMID: 40951958.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 9/4/2025
Damkier P, Huybrechts KF, Nordeng H. Big Data in the Assessment of Medication Safety in Pregnancy: Opportunities and Challenges. Paediatr Drugs. 2025 Nov; 27(6):673-677. PMID: 40906238.
Read At: PubMed
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