My overall research aims to increase infant and neonatal survival in low-resource settings through the development of effective, low-cost interventions that may be implemented at the community level. Current activities include investigation of topical umbilical cord cleansing with chlorhexidine, bacterial colonization of the cord and association with omphalitis (Bangladesh), prevalence, timing, and risk factors for newborn hypothermia (Nepal), development of sign-based algorithms for newborn skin and umbilical cord infections (Bangladesh, Nepal, Tanzania), and examination of the role of minimally-trained community-based health workers in improving maternal and neonatal outcomes (Burma, Nepal).

I am also interested in the impact of human rights violations on population health, and the application of epidemiological tools to investigate this relationship. My work in this area focuses on internally displaced populations in border regions of Burma (Thailand, China, India).

neonatal health, child survival, umbilical cord infection, skin infection, chlorhexidine, omphalitis, low birth weight, human rights, Nepal, Burma

Delta Omega (2005)

Bradley R. Sack Family Scholarship Award (2002) – Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health

Fogarty AITRP New & Minority Investigator Award (2000-2001) – Hopkins Fogarty Aids International Training and Research Program

Phi Beta Kappa (1997)

Mullany LC, Biggar RJ. Combined vaginal and newborn skin cleansing with chlorhexidine: inconsistent results or divergent settings? [In Press, Lancet, 2009]

Mullany LC, Katz J, Khatry SK, LeClerq SC, Darmstadt GL, Tielsch JM. Incidence and seasonality of hypothermia among newborns in southern Nepal. [In Press: Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 2009]

Merritt MW, Taylor HA, Mullany LC. Ancillary Care in Community-Based Public Health Intervention Research. [In Press: AJPH 2009]

Coles CL, Sherchand JB, Khatry SK, Katz J, LeClerq SC, Mullany LC, Tielsch JM. Nasopharyngeal carriage of S. pneumoniae among young children in rural Nepal. [In Press, Tropical Medicine and International Health, 2009]

Richards AK, Banek K, Mullany LC, Lee CI, Smith L, Oo EK, Lee TJ. Integrated malaria control by and for internally displaced persons: Results from a pilot program in eastern Burma. Trop Med Int Health. 2009;14(5):1-10.

Teela KC, Mullany LC, Lee CI, Poh E, Paw P, Masenior N, Maung C, Beyrer C, Lee TJ. Community-based maternal health care in conflict-affected areas of eastern Burma: experiences from the field. Soc Sci Med. 2009;68(7):1332-40

Mullany LC, Lee CI, Yone L, Paw P, Shwe Oo EK, Maung C, Lee TJ, Beyrer C. Access to essential maternal health interventions and human rights violations among displaced communities in eastern Burma. PLoS Med. 2008;5(12):1689-97.

Mullany LC, Faillace S, Tielsch JM, Stoltzfus RJ, Nygaard K, Kavle JA, Farag TH, Haji HJ, Khalfan SS, Ali NS, Omar RS, Darmstadt GL. Incidence and risk factors for newborn umbilical cord infections on Pemba Island, Zanzibar, Tanzania. PIDJ. 2009;28:503-509

Coles CL, Sherchand JB, Khatry SK, Katz J, LeClerq SC, Mullany LC, Tielsch JM. Zinc mitigates the association between nasopharyngeal S. pneumoniae carriage and risk of acute lower respiratory infection among young children in rural Nepal. J Nutr. 2008;138:2462-7.

Falle TY, Mullany LC, Thatte N, Khatry SK, LeClerq SC, Darmstadt GL, Katz J, Tielsch JM. Potential role of traditional birth attendants in neonatal health care in rural southern Nepal. J Health Popul Nutr. 2009;27(1):53-61.

Mullany LC, Darmstadt GL, Katz J, Khatry SK, LeClerq SC, Adhikari RK, Tielsch JM. Risk of mortality subsequent to umbilical cord infection among newborns of southern Nepal: cord infection and mortality. PIDJ. 2009;28(1):17-20.

Rosenberg RE, Ahmed S, Saha SK, Ahmed ASMNU, Chowdhury MAKA, Law PA, Choi Y, Mullany LC, Tielsch JM, Katz J, Black RE, Santosham M, Darmstadt GL: Simplified age-weight mortality risk classification for very low birth weight infants in low-resource settings. J Pediatr. 2008;153(4):519-524.

Sharma V, Katz J, Mullany LC, Khatry SK, LeClerq SC, Shrestha SR, Darmstadt GL, Tielsch JM. Young maternal age and the risk of neonatal mortality in rural Nepal. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2008;162(9):828-35.

Mahn M, Maung C, Shwe Oo EK, Smith L, Lee CI, Whichard E, Neuman C, Richards AK, Mullany LC, Kuiper H, Lee TJ. Multi-level partnerships to promote health services among internally displaced in eastern Burma. Global Public Health. 2008;3(2):164-86.

Lee AC, Mullany LC, Tielsch JM, Katz J, Khatry SK, LeClerq SC, Adhikari RK, Shrestha SR, Darmstadt GL. Utilizing Verbal Autopsy Methods to Identify Birth Asphyxia Deaths in a Community-based setting in Southern Nepal Pediatrics. 2008;121(5):1372-80.

Mullany LC, Khatry SK, Sherchand JB, LeClerq SC, Darmstadt GL, Katz J, Gauchan P, Adhikari RK, Rana A, Tielsch JM. Bacterial colonization of hospital-born infants in Nepal and impact of chlorhexidine skin cleansing: a randomized controlled trial. Pediatr Inf Dis J. 2008;27(6):505-11.

Mullany LC, Katz J, Li YM, Khatry SK, LeClerq SC, Darmstadt GL, Tielsch JM. Breastfeeding patterns, time to initiation, and neonatal mortality risk among newborns of southern Nepal. J Nutr. 2008;138(3):599-603.

Mullany LC, Lee CI, Paw P, Shwe Oo EK, Maung C, Kuiper H, Masenior N, Beyrer C, Lee TJ. The MOM Project: Delivering maternal health services among internally displaced populations in eastern Burma. Reprod Health Matters. 2008;16(31):44-56.

Alam MA, Ali NA, Sultana N, Mullany LC, Teela KC, Khan NZ, Baqui AH, El Arifeen S, Mannan, I, Darmstadt GL, Winch P. Newborn umbilical cord and skin care in Sylhet District, Bangladesh – Implications for promotion of umbilical cord cleansing with topical chlorhexidine. J Perinatol. 2008;28 Suppl 2:S61-8.

Thatte N, Mullany LC, Khatry SK, Katz J, Tielsch JM, Darmstadt GL. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of delivery and newborn care—a qualitative study of traditional birth attendants in rural Nepal. Global Public Health. 2009;

Rhee V, Mullany LC, Khatry SK, Katz J, LeClerq SC, Darmstadt GL, Tielsch JM. Maternal and birth attendant hand washing and neonatal mortality in southern Nepal. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2008;162(7):603-608

Lee AC, Mullany LC, Tielsch JM, Katz J, Khatry SK, LeClerq SC, Adhikari RK, Darmstadt GL. Risk factors for birth asphyxia mortality in a community-based setting in southern Nepal: a prospective cohort study. Pediatrics. 2008;121(5):1381-90

Richards AK, Smith L, Mullany LC, Lee CI, Wichard E, Banek K, Mahn M, Schwe Oo EK, Lee TJ. Prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum in active conflict areas of Eastern Burma: A summary of cross-sectional data. Confl Health. 2007;5:1-9.

Tielsch JM, Khatry SK, Stoltzfus RJ, Katz J, LeClerq SC, Adhikari R, Black R, Mullany LC, Shrestha SR. Impact of daily zinc supplementation on preschool child mortality in southern Nepal. Lancet 2007; 370:1230–39.

Mullany LC, Richards AK, Lee CI, Suwanvanichkij V, Maung C, Mahn M, Beyrer C, Lee TJ. Population-based survey methods to quantify associations between human rights violations and health outcomes among internally displaced persons in eastern Burma. J Epidemiol Community Health 2007;61:908-914

Darmstadt GL, Hossain MM, Choi Y, Shirin M, Mullany LC, Islam M, Saha SK. Safety and Effect of Chlorhexidine Skin Cleansing on Skin Flora of Neonates in Bangladesh. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2007;26(6):492-5.

McClure EM, Goldenberg RL, Brandes N, Darmstadt GL, Wright LL; CHX Working Group, Armbruster D, Biggar R, Carpenter J, Free MJ, Mattison D, Mathai M, Moss N, Mullany LC, Schrag S, Tielsch J, Tolosa J, Wall SN, Schuchat A, Smine A. The use of chlorhexidine to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity in low-resource settings. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2007 May;97(2):89-94

Tielsch JM, Darmstadt GL, Mullany LC, Khatry SK, Katz J, LeClerq S, Shrestha SR, Adhikari K. Impact of newborn skin cleansing with chlorhexidine on neonatal mortality in southern Nepal: a community based, cluster-randomized trial.. Pediatrics. 2007;119(2):e330-40.

Beyrer C, Suwanvanichkij V, Mullany LC, Richards AK, Franck N, Samuels A, Lee TJ. Responding to AIDS, TB, Malaria and Emerging Infectious Diseases in Burma: Dilemmas of Policy and Practice. PLoS Medicine. 2006; 3(10):e393-400.

Mullany LC, Darmstadt GL, Khatry SK, LeClerq SC, Katz J, Tielsch JM. Impact of umbilical cord cleansing with 4.0% chlorhexidine on time to cord separation among newborns of southern Nepal: a cluster-randomized, community-based trial. Pediatrics. 2006;118(5):1864-1871.

Mullany LC, Darmstadt GL, Khatry SK, LeClerq SC, Tielsch JM. Relationship between the surrogate anthropometric measures, foot length and chest circumference, and birth weight among newborns of Sarlahi, Nepal. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jan;61(1):40-6.

Mullany LC, Darmstadt GL, Katz J, Khatry SK, LeClerq SC, Adhikari RK, Tielsch JM. Risk factors for umbilical cord infection among newborns of southern Nepal. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2007; 165(2):203-211.

Lee TJ, Mullany LC, Richards AK, Kuiper HK, Maung C, Beyrer C. Mortality rates in conflict zones in Karen, Karenni, and Mon states in eastern Burma. Trop. Med. Int. Health. 2006;11(7):1119-27.

Mullany LC, Darmstadt GL, Tielsch JM. Safety and impact of chlorhexidine antisepsis interventions for improving neonatal health in developing countries. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2006;25:665-675.

Mullany LC, Darmstadt GL, Khatry SK, Katz J, LeClerq SC, Shrestha SR, Adhikari K, Tielsch JM. Topical applications of chlorhexidine to the umbilical for prevention of omphalitis and neonatal mortality in southern Nepal: a community-based, cluster-randomized trial. Lancet 2006;367:910-918

Mullany LC, Darmstadt GL, Coffey P, Khatry SK, Leclerq SC, Tielsch JM. A low-cost, color-coded, hand-held spring scale accurately categorises birth weight in low-resource settings. Arch. Dis. Child. 2006;91(5):410-3.

Tielsch JM, Khatry SK, Stoltzfus RJ, Katz J, LeClerq S, Adhikari R, Mullany LC, Shrestha SR, Black R. Effect of routine prophylactic supplementation with iron and folic-acid on preschool child mortality in southern Nepal: a community-based, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet. 2006;367:144-52.

Mullany LC, Darmstadt GL, Khatry SK, LeClerq SC, Tielsch JM. Safety of neonatal skin cleansing in rural Nepal. Indian Pediatrics. 2006;43:117-124.

Mullany LC, Darmstadt GL, Katz J, Khatry SK, Leclerq SC, Adhikari RK, Tielsch JM. Development of clinical sign-based algorithms for community-based assessment of omphalitis. Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2006 Mar;91(2):F99-104.

Mullany LC, Darmstadt GL, Khatry SK, Tielsch JM. Traditional massage of newborns in Nepal: implications for trials of improved practice. J Trop Pediatr. 2005 51(2);82-6.

Mullany LC, Darmstadt GL, Katz J, Khatry SK, Tielsch JM. Effect of instrument precision on estimation of low birth weight prevalence. Journal of Perinatology. 2005;25:11-13. doi:10.1038/sj.jp.7211209 Published online 7 October 2004

Mullany LC, Darmstadt GL, Tielsch JM. Role of antimicrobial applications to the umbilical cord in neonates to prevent bacterial colonization and infection: a review of the evidence. Pediatr Infect Dis J, 2003;22: 996-1002.

Mullany LC, Maung C, Beyrer C. HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes, and practices among Burmese migrant factory workers in Tak Province, Thailand. AIDS Care. 2003;15(1):63-70.