Dr. Jacobson’s research focuses on the epidemiology of tuberculosis and drug resistant tuberculosis, including identification of social, biological, and economic determinants of and risk factors for drug resistance and approaches for improving TB outcomes in resource-limited settings. Dr. Jacobson has established a highly productive collaboration with researchers in South Africa, investigating the drivers of drug resistance in the Western Cape Province of South Africa and working to identify potentially modifiable factors. She is also studying the impact of problem alcohol use on tuberculosis treatment response, aiming to clarify the causal mechanisms including impact on pharmacokinetics of the drugs.