Catherine Chappell, MD, MSc

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Catherine Chappell, MD, MSc

Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences; Associate Professor, Clinican and Translational Science, Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute

Contact

UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences
300 Halket Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Phone: 412-641-1809
Email: chappellca@upmc.edu

Administrative Contact
Kathy Smith
Email: smitkl2@upmc.edu

Area of Research

Infectious Diseases

Education

MD, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School

MsC, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Fellowships, Repro ID and Family Planning, UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA

The development of medications falls short in adequate testing during for women during their reproductive years. That’s where we fill in the gaps. We are evaluating if contraceptives are safe and effective when taken with HIV medications and if hepatitis C medications are safe and effective during pregnancy.
Catherine Chappell, MD, MSc

Research in Brief

Dr. Chappell’s work aims to ensure that women living with HIV or hepatitis C receive safe, effective reproductive healthcare. By studying contraceptive and antiviral drug interactions during pregnancy, her research seeks to protect maternal and fetal health in women with chronic viral infections.

Current Projects

Evaluating dose‑escalation of the etonogestrel implant in women living with HIV taking efavirenz-based ART (in collaboration with the Infectious Disease Institute, Kampala, Uganda)
Pharmacokinetic and safety study of ledipasvir/sofosbuvir for hepatitis C treatment during pregnancy

Selected Publications

Chappell CA, Brooks KM, Kiser JJ, Klein B, Nerguizian D, Bushman L, Laird HJ, Stewart E, Kasula K, Kwon KM, Letterio C, Naik S, Kreter B, Krans EE. Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir Concentrations in the Breastmilk of Postpartum Women with Opioid Use Disorder Receiving Treatment for Hepatitis C Virus: a pharmacokinetic study. Clin Infect Dis. 2025 Aug 7:ciaf443. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciaf443. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40795873.
Chappell CA, Kiser JJ, Brooks KM, Randolph R, Macio IS, Meyn LA, MaWhinney S, Rick AM, Muniz GB, Kwon KM, Letterio C, Naik S, Kreter B, Bunge KE, Krans EE, Hillier SL. Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir Pharmacokinetics, Safety, and Efficacy in Pregnant People With Hepatitis C Virus. Clin Infect Dis. 2025 Apr 30;80(4):744-751. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciae595. PMID: 39688397; PMCID: PMC12043070.
Chappell CA, Lamorde M, Nakalema S, Kyohairwe I, Byakika-Kibwika P, Meyn LA, Pham MM, Scarsi KK. A randomized trial of double vs single-dose etonogestrel implant to overcome the interaction with efavirenz-based antiretroviral therapy. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2024 Aug;231(2):242.e1-242.e9. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2024.03.001. Epub 2024 Mar 7. PMID: 38458408.
Chappell CA, Stewart E, Laird HJ, Jonassaint N, Kasula K, Patterson M, Krans EE. Postpartum Treatment for Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Among People With Opioid Use Disorder: A Prospective Pilot Clinical Trial. J Addict Med. 2024 Mar-Apr 01;18(2):160-166. doi: 10.1097/ADM.0000000000001266. Epub 2024 Jan 22. PMID: 38258866.
Chappell CA, Scarsi KK, Kirby BJ, Suri V, Gaggar A, Bogen DL, Macio IS, Meyn LA, Bunge KE, Krans EE, Hillier SL. Ledipasvir plus sofosbuvir in pregnant women with hepatitis C virus infection: a phase 1 pharmacokinetic study. Lancet Microbe. 2020 Sep;1(5):e200-e208. doi: 10.1016/S2666-5247(20)30062-8. Epub 2020 Jul 27. PMID: 32939459; PMCID: PMC7491553.
Chappell CA, Harkoo I, Szydlo DW, Bunge KE, Singh D, Nakabiito C, Mhlanga F, Kamira B, Piper JM, Balkus JE, Hillier SL; CAT and MTN-020/ASPIRE Study Team. Contraceptive method switching among women living in sub-Saharan Africa participating in an HIV-1 prevention trial: a prospective cohort study. Contraception. 2019 Sep;100(3):214-218. doi: 10.1016/j.contraception.2019.06.006. Epub 2019 Jun 19. PMID: 31226323; PMCID: PMC6699890.
Chappell CA, Hillier SL, Crowe D, Meyn LA, Bogen DL, Krans EE. Hepatitis C Virus Screening Among Children Exposed During Pregnancy. Pediatrics. 2018 Jun;141(6):e20173273. doi: 10.1542/peds.2017-3273. Epub 2018 May 2. PMID: 29720535; PMCID: PMC5984711.

To view Dr. Chappell’s publications, visit Pubmed.

Research Group

Ingrid Macio maciis@upmc.edu →

gallagherrn@upmc.edu

campta@upmc.edu

In the News

Oct 17, 2024
First-Hand Insights into Treating Hepatitis C in Pregnancy

Jun 19, 2020
Chemical & Engineering News features a Q & A with Dr. Catherine Chappell

Jun 15, 2020
ACS Publications - A Conversation with Catherine Chappell

May 2, 2018
Study says better screenings can help newest victims of opioid epidemic: Babies born with hepatitis C