Faculty and Staff Profile

Moonseong Heo

Educational Background

University of Rochester, PhD in Statistics

University of Rochester, MA in Statistics
Yonsei University, MA in Applied Statistics

Yonsei University, BA in Economics

Courses Taught

Epidemiology II: Study Design and Analysis (HLTH 8290)
Quantitative Analysis in Health Research I (HLTH 8310)
Quantitative Analysis in Health Research II (HLTH 8320)
Critical Inquiry

Research Interests

Clinical Trials, Substance Use Disorder, Hepatitis C Virus, Medication and Care Adherence Pattern Analysis, Obesity Epidemiology

Research Publications

Since 2025, Updated August 2026
Heymsfield SB, Thomas DM, Yang S, Heo M, McCarthy C, Pietrobelli A. (2025) Weigh/Height2: Mathematical overview of the world’s most widely used adiposity index. Obesity Reviews, January; 26(1):e13842, PMID: 39390753, PMCID: PMC11611441.
Heo M, Rea CJ, Brady TM, Bundy DG, Melikam ES, Orringer K, Tarini BA, Giuliano K, Twombley K, Goilav B, Kelly P, Faith MS, Pietrobelli A, Rinke M. (2025) Racial and ethnic disparity in pediatric counseling on nutrition, lifestyle, and weight: A secondary analysis of BP-CATCH randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open, January, 8(1); e2456238. PMID: 39878982, PMCID: PMC11780477
Pericot-Valverde I, Heo M, Nahvi S, Barron J, Voss S, Ortiz E, Gaalema D, Thrasher JF, Batchelder AW, Byrne KA, Kunkel D, Litwin AH. (2025) Effects of E-Cigarettes on Combustible Cigarette Smoking Among Adults with Opioid Use Disorder on Buprenorphine: A Single Arm ERASER Pilot Trial. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, Apr 22;27(5):856-863. PMID: 39484988
Lopes SS, Dotherow JE, Pericot-Valverde I, Lum PJ, Taylor LE, Mehta SH, Tsui JI, Feinberg J, Kim AY, Norton BL, Page K, Murray-Krezan C, Anderson J, Karasz A, Arnsten JH, Moschella P, Heo M, Litwin AH, and the HERO study group. (2025) Patient-Navigator Working Alliance and Hepatitis C Treatment Cascade Outcomes Among Persons Who Inject Drugs: The HERO Study. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. May 1;270:112617. PMID: 40031361
Obeysekare J, Pericot-Valverde I, Lopes S, Groome M, Norton BL, Tsui JI, Mehta SH, Taylor LE, Lum PJ, Feinberg J, Kim AY, Page K, Heo M, Litwin AH and the HERO Study Group. (2025) Improvement in Anxiety Symptoms during Treatment of Hepatitis C in People who Inject Drugs: The HERO Study. Drug and Alcohol Dependence May 1;270:112592. PMID: 39999625
Tsui JI, Ludwig-Barron NT, James JR, MD, Heo M, Sivaraj LB, Arnsten JH, Lum PJ, Taylor LE, Mehta SH, Falade-Nwulia O, Feinberg J, Kim AY, Norton BN, Page K, Litwin AH. Current self-reported pain before and after cure of hepatitis C among persons who actively inject drugs. Journal of Addiction Medicine. May-Jun 01;19(3):248-253. PMID: 39475112
Bhatraju E, Tsui JI, Heo M, Sivaraj L, Lopes SS, Radick A, Mehta S, Lum P, Taylor LE, Feinberg J, Kim A, Norton B, Pericot-Valverde I, Page K, Litwin AH. (2025) Interest in Injectable and oral PrEP for HIV prevention among women and men who inject drugs. Journal of Addiction Medicine, Jul-Aug 01;19(4):479-483. PMID: 39846474
Guess S, Roth A, Gormley M, Roth P, Litwin AH, Hobbs J, Heo M, Moschella P. (2025) Pre-exposure prophylaxis provided in the emergency department: Clinical perspectives. Southern Medical Journal Aug;118(8):556-560. PMID: 40750262
Heo M, Britt JL, Zhang L, Doherty EA, Crockett AH. (2025) Optimal group and individual prenatal care visit patterns and preterm birth. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, Aug 14;25(1):848. PMID: 40813652 PMCID: PMC12351913
Thomas AM, Litwin AH, Tsui JI, Sprecht-Walsh S, Blalock KL, Tashima K, Lum PJ, Feinberg J, Page K, Mehta SH, Kim AY, Norton BL, Heo M, Stein ES, Murray-Krezan C, Arnsten JH, Groome MS, Waters E, Taylor LE. (2025) Retreatment of hepatitis C virus among people who inject drugs. Clinical Infectious Diseases Apr 15:ciaf082
In Press:
Doherty E, Griffin S, Cartmell K, Heo M, Chen, L, Britt J, Crockett A. Patient Characteristics Associated with Group Prenatal Care Attendance in a Randomized Controlled Trial. Women’s Health Issues
Pericot-Valverde I, Heo M, Ortiz E, King A, Sivaraj LB, Byrne K, Litwin AH. A Randomized Pilot Trial of An Integrated Intervention Combining Computerized Behavioral Therapy and Recovery Coaching for People with Opioid Use Disorder: The OVERCOME Study. Journal of Addiction Medicine.
Byrne KA, Pericot-Valverde I, Pittman J, Ross LA, Heo M, Litwin AH. The Peer Recovery Coaching Linkage (RC-Link) Intervention Study: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial for Alcohol Use Disorder Recovery in the Inpatient Hospital Setting. Contemporary Clinical Trials
Pericot-Valverde I, Lopes S, Obeysekared J, Batchelder AW, Groome M, Taylor LE, Page K, Tsui JI, Mehta SH, Feinberg J, Kim AY, Norton B, Arnsten JH, Heo M, Litwin AH. Depression Profiles and Hepatitis C Treatment Outcomes Among People Who Inject Drugs: The HERO Study. Journal of Psychosomatic Research
Riback LR, Davis M, King A, Boswell K, Heo M, Litwin AH, Akiyama MJ. Rationale, design, and methodology of a randomized clinical trial evaluating a peer-enhanced care coordination intervention for HCV treatment among formerly incarcerated individuals. Contemporary Clinical Trials
Lopes SS, Pericot-Valverde I, Lum PJ, Taylor LE, Mehta SH, Tsui JI, Feinberg J, Kim AY, Norton BL, Page K, Murray-Krezan C, Anderson J, Karasz A, Arnsten J, Moschella P, Heo M, Litwin AH, the HERO study group. Impact of Social Determinants of Health, Self-Efficacy, and Substance Use on COVID-19 Preventative Behaviors Among PWID with HCV: The HERO Study. IJERPH
Pericot-Valverde I, Heo M, Byrne KA, Karasz A, Perez A, Lopes S, Groome M, Voss S, King A, Barnick K, Litwin AH. Rationale and design of a three-arm randomized clinical trial to improve drug use and retention in care of people with opioid use disorder on buprenorphine: OVERCOME II study. Contemporary Clinical Trials
Waters E, Obeysekare J, Pericot-Valverde I, Lopes S, Norton BL, Tsui, Mehta SH, Taylor LE, Lum PJ, Feinberg J, Kim AY, Page K, Anderson J, Murray-Krezan C, Heo M, Litwin AH, and the HERO Study Group. Achieving SVR is Associated with Long Term Reduced Hazardous Alcohol Use for People Who Inject Drugs Receiving HCV Treatment: The HERO Study. Drug and Alcohol Dependence
Heo M. Determination of offset values in binary regression models to adjust for misclassification errors. IJERPH
Babatunde A, Stover AN, Witrick B, Heo M, Rennert L. Assessing, knowledge, attitude and barriers to opioid overdose among college students. BMC Public Health
Lopes SS, Pericot-Valverde I, Lum PJ, Taylor LE, Mehta SH, Tsui JI, Feinberg J, Kim AY, Norton BL, Page K, Murray-Krezan C, Anderson J, Karasz A, Arnsten J, Moschella P, Heo M, Litwin AH. Substance use and Mental Health Before Versus During COVID-19 Pandemic Among Persons Who Inject Drugs With HCV Infection History—the HERO Study. Harm Reduction Journal
Pericot-Valverde I, Heo M, Batchelder A, Thrasher J, Gaalema D, Byrne K, Cicchino J, Nahvi S, Haskell S, Thompson A, Sloyan J, Ortiz E, Voss S, Barron B, Kunkel D, Murphy O, Litwin A. E-Cigarette Puffs per Day and Changes in Cigarettes per Day Among Combustible Cigarette Smokers with Opioid Use Disorder: A Secondary Data Analysis for the ERASER Study. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology

Honors and Awards

2011-2018 Editorial Board Member, World Journal of Methodology
2012-2019 Editorial Board Member, British Journal of Nutrition
2017-2018 Lead guest editor of a special issue of Journal of Obesity
2019- Statistical Editorial Board, International Journal of Obesity
2020-2023 Statistical Editorial Board, JAMA Network Open
2022- Editorial Board Member, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH)
2021-2025 NIH Ad-hoc Reviewer Member

Links