Dr. Kirk, Professor of Epidemiology, Medicine and Oncology at Johns Hopkins University, is an infectious disease physician and epidemiologist. His research explores the effect of HIV and related immune deficiency on the development of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). He provided the scientific vision and leadership to rigorously incorporate chronic disease, cancer and geriatric research strategies into aging cohorts of HIV-infected persons. This ground-breaking work provided among the earliest and strongest evidence for independent effects of HIV on NCDs and geriatric phenotypes including lung cancer, chronic lung disease, liver fibrosis, frailty, physical function and multimorbidity. Currently, he leads the ALIVE (AIDS Linked to the Intravenous Experience) study, a 28-year prospective cohort of injection drug users (IDUs) focusing on the development of non-AIDS outcomes among HIV infected and at risk IDUs. He initiated a consortium of Baltimore-based cohorts to longitudinally evaluate chronic pulmonary complications of HIV (SHIELD; Study of HIV Infection in the Etiology of Lung Disease). He also has led the development, implementation and analysis of other large-scale clinical and epidemiological studies of HIV and hepatitis in The Gambia, Uganda and the USA. He also has developed innovative mobile health (mHealth) interventions using technology to characterize illicit drug use patterns and then to leverage these technologies to improve HIV care and NCD outcomes in this population. He continues providing care to HIV-infected and infectious diseases patients and is actively engaged in mentoring students, fellows and faculty in clinical research both in the US and internationally.