Methodology Consultation Success: Bulat Idrisov, MD, MSc

Dr. Bulat Idrisov (above, left) is a National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) International Program INVEST Drug Abuse Research Fellow under the mentorship of Dr. Jeffrey Samet, CHERISH HCV/HIV co-director. Dr. Idrisov completed his medical training in pediatrics and internal medicine in Russia and received a Fulbright Scholarship to complete his Master of Science in Global Health Policy and Management at Brandies University in the Heller School where he focused on international health systems and healthcare policy. His current research is centered on HIV, substance use and healthcare systems.  He recently published an article entitled “Implementation of methadone therapy for opioid use disorder in Russia- a modeled cost-effectiveness analysis” in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy with the help of CHERISH Consultation Director Dr. Sean Murphy (above, right).

Although his paper had been reviewed favorably, Dr. Idrisov worked with Dr. Murphy on how best to respond to the reviewers’ comments and strengthen the analysis. Upon completion of the consultation, Dr. Murphy agreed to come on board as a co-author. Dr. Murphy explained that, “Dr. Idrisov’s article was very interesting and helped me explore substance use treatment from an international perspective. My previous work had been in the context of the United States and I enjoyed learning about the health system in Russia.” Under Dr. Murphy’s guidance, Dr. Idrisov reframed his analysis to focus on DALYs as the primary outcome and include tuberculosis as a comorbid condition, in addition to HIV. Dr. Idrisov commented that “I enjoyed working with Dr. Murphy; he is a talented researcher and a very pleasant person. Overall, I would recommend the CHERISH Consultation Service and hope to continue working with the CHERISH.”