Infectious Diseases
Robert Gross, MD, MSCE
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About me

  • Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases)
  • Professor of Epidemiology in Biostatistics and Epidemiology

Dr. Gross is Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology in the Division of Infectious Diseases, with a secondary appointment in the Division of Epidemiology in the Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics. He is an Infectious Diseases Pharmacoepidemiologist with a particular interest in treatment outcomes of HIV, both domestically (particularly in Philadelphia) and internationally (particularly in Botswana). His projects have focused on several aspects of the status neutral care continuum, including assessment of risk factors for treatment failure, barriers to uptake of PrEP and testing various interventions to improve HIV-related outcomes in the developed and developing worlds. He designed and tested a CDC-endorsed adherence intervention based on problem solving theory (MAPS-Managed Problem Solving) and he has been principal investigator or co-investigator on several other interventions, including AIDS Clinical Trials Groups RCTs. Most recently, he has focused on the problem of nicotine dependence in people with HIV with several intervention trials and a mechanistic study of the etiology of the high rates of smoking in people with HIV.

His methods work has focused on the use of pharmacy-refill measures of antiretroviral adherence. Dr. Gross’ research program in Botswana has enrolled several thousand participants in studies to determine the impact of pharmacogenetic differences on HIV treatment outcomes, interventions to address nicotine addiction, and other studies of the HIV care and treatment continuum.

Dr. Gross’ program has been funded by several NIH institutes including NIMH, NIDA, NCI, NHLBI, NINR, and NIAID as well as the VA, and he held a Fogarty grant (D43) for training Batswana in HIV clinical epidemiology. He is also active in the Masters of Science in Clinical Epidemiology training program, mentoring fellows in Adult and Pediatric ID/HIV, Adolescent Medicine, Oncology, and other areas with several trainees having gone on to career development (K) awards and independent research (R) awards and prominent faculty positions at Penn and nationally.

Dr. Gross has been actively involved in the PENN Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) since its inception and currently serves as CFAR Co-Director and Director of the International Core, based in Botswana. He is also active in the International Society of Pharmacoepidemiology (ISPE), where he founded the Adherence Scientific Interest Group. He is a fellow of both ISPE and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and provides clinical infectious diseases care at the Crescenz VA Medical Center.

Education and training

  • Medical School: NewYork-Presbyterian / Weill Cornell Medical Center
  • Residency: Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
  • Fellowship: Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

Insurance accepted

My Locations

Penn Medicine hospital privileges

  • Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania: On the medical staff, but does not have privileges to treat patients in the hospital.
Dr. Gross is an independent physician who is not employed by Penn Medicine.

Qualifications and experience

Treatments and Conditions

My research

Greene B, Schnoll R, Gross R, Ashare R Examining the role of Alternative Reinforcers and Smoking Cessation Outcomes among People with and without HIV who Smoke , Psychology of Addictive Behaviors: 2025 (in press)

Shivji S, Mannathoko N, Mosepele M, Gross R, Cressman L, Jaskowiak-Barr A, Bilker WB, Alby K, Glaser L, Patel A, Sewawa K, Otukile D, Paganotti GM, Mokomane M, Snitkin E, Lautenbach E Risk Factors for Household Colonization by Extended-Spectrum Cephalosporin-Resistant Enterobacterales (ESCrE) in Botswana , Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control: 2025 (in press)

Loabile B, Bilker WB, Khunou K, Ngwako N, Tsima B, Brooks M, Moloi T, Morroni C, Gross R Association of HIV Status with Infections Complicating Abortion in Botswana , AIDS: 2025 (in press)

Mantshonyane L, Jarvis J, Loabile B, Mokete M, Monnaatlala R, Mmolai GM, Mosomodi A, Gross R “Test & Treat” for HIV Had Little Effect on Outcomes but Missed Clinic Visits Threaten Success of Botswana’s National ART Program , AIDS Patient Care and STDs: 2025 (in press)

Sanchez AL, Mills C, Coley D, Hoskins K, Momplaisir F, Gross R, Brady KA, Beidas RS Systemic Inequities, Dignity, and Trust in the Context of HIV Care: A Qualitative Analysis , International Journal for Equity in Health, 24: 2025,123

Bien-Gund C, Stephens-Shields A, Han X, Dugosh K, Gross R Effect of Providing Multiple COVID-19 Self-Test Kits to Patients for Distribution to Social Contacts , JAMA Network Open: 2025

Wood SM, Bauermeister J, Fiks AG, Phillips AW, Richardson HM, Garcia SM, Maleki P, Beidas RS, Young JF, Gross R, Dowshen NL Adolescent preferences for a pediatric primary care-based sexually transmitted infection and HIV prevention intervention , Journal of Adolescent Health, 74(6): 2024,1231-1238

Li P, Prajapati G, Geng Z, Ladage VP, Arduino JM, Watson DL, Gross R, Doshi JA. Antiretroviral Treatment Gaps and Adherence among People With HIV in the U.S. Medicare Program , AIDS and Behavior, 28(3): 2024,1002-1014

Bien-Gund CH, Sarbaugh M, Perrine L, Dugosh K, Gross R, Fishman J Salient beliefs related to secondary distribution of COVID-19 self-test kits within social networks , Frontiers in Public Health-Infectious Diseases Epidemiology and Prevention, 27(12): 2024,1337745

Medaglio D, Bilker WB, Han X, Merlin JS, Plankey M, Martin J, Crane HM, Hojat LS, Bamford L, Schnoll R, Tyndale RF, *Ashare RL, *Gross R, (*equal work by authors) Nicotine Metabolite Ratio Decreases after Switching off Efavirenz-based Therapy in People with HIV who Smoke , Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 115(1): 2024,80-85

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