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Infectious Diseases
Research
The Section of Infectious Diseases has an active basic and translational research program with more than five million dollars of federal funding yearly. The Section has 22 full-time faculty engaged in a broad range of research, including respiratory viral pathogens, enteric viral diseases, international health, HIV, TB, Kawasaki disease, Staph toxin disease, and vaccine-preventable diseases. We participate in multiple national clinical trials of antiviral agents, antiretroviral medications, and vaccines.
Faculty Research Interests
Dr. Mark Abzug directs clinical research on patients with viral infections, infections in immune-compromised patients, and chronic sinusitis. He is involved in several national collaborative clinical trials of antiviral therapies.
Dr. Marsha Anderson performs clinical research on vaccines, vaccine-preventable disease, and Kawasaki disease.
Emily Barr, PNP, CNM, has a research focus on adherence to HIV medications, long-term effects of antiretroviral exposure, prevention of perinatal transmission of HIV, HIV in pregnancy, and international HIV treatment trials.
Dr. Sam Dominguez's research focuses on the epidemiology, disease associations, and pathophysiology of newly discovered human and bat coronaviruses, and he is interested in emerging pathogens. He also pursues laboratory and clinical studies on the etiology and epidemiology of Kawasaki disease.
Jennifer Dunn, MS, RN, FNP-BC, has a research focus on pediatric HIV disease and treatments as well as adolescent HIV and maternal to child transmission of HIV.
Dr. Mary Glodé is involved in clinical vaccine trials and pursues clinical studies of the etiology, epidemiology, and therapy of Kawasaki disease.
Heather Heizer, MPAS, PA-C, manages the outpatient Infectious Diseases Clinic at The Children’s Hospital. She is interested in numerous aspects of infectious diseases and currently has clinics that include PICC line/bone and joint infections as well as a clinic dedicated to MRSA and to Kawasaki disease. She currently is also involved in developing studies with other faculty members in the department to examine the natural history and therapy of MRSA.
Dr. Myron Levin is studying the immune response to herpes virus infections and methods of treating and preventing such infections, including antiviral therapy and active immunization. He does basic research on the nature of latency of herpes viruses in human neurons. A vaccine to prevent shingles in elderly individuals has been developed and licensed through his clinical research, and further investigations of this vaccine are in progress.
Dr. Shaobing Li’s research focuses on molecular diagnosis for viral infections.
Dr. Robin McEvoy participates in research evaluating the effects of HIV infection and antiretroviral treatment on the cognitive, language, neurological, psychological development of infants, children, and teens infected or exposed to HIV.
Dr. Elizabeth McFarland is studying the maturation of cell-mediated immune responses in both normal and HIV-infected infants, immune responses to HIV vaccines in exposed newborns, the role of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes in the pathogenesis of congenitally acquired HIV infection, pediatric HIV clinical trials of antiretroviral therapy and vaccines, and complications of HIV and treatment.
Dr. Ann-Christine Nyquist serves as Medical Director for Infection Control at The Children's Hospital. Her research focus includes antimicrobial utilization and resistance, immunization and hospital epidemiology/infection control.
Dr. Sean O'Leary is working on the epidemiology and natural history of MRSA infections in healthy children. He is also investigating adverse events associated with immunizations as part of a multicenter, FDA-funded study.
Dr. Sarah Parker is studying the contributions of thioesterases to cell wall biosynthesis in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and their potential for drug target development.
Suzanne Paul, MSN, RN, FNP-C, has a research focus on pediatric HIV disease and treatments as well as adolescent HIV and maternal to child transmission of HIV.
Dr. Suchitra Rao is studying the epidemiology of the newly discovered respiratory viruses, WU and KI, and their role in respiratory tract infections in children. She is also working on a study exploring the neurological outcomes and predictors of encephalitis in children, as well as a study of renal toxicity associated with the use of acyclovir.
Dr. Harley Rotbart's research interests are in the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which enteroviruses and rhinoviruses cause disease, as well as methods for rapid molecular diagnosis and treatment of these infections.
Dr. Eric Simões is working with the World Health Organization for the management of common pediatric conditions in developing countries (Integrated Management of Childhood Illness) and studies the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and prevention of the short- and long-term effects of respiratory syncytial virus infection in children.
Dr. Adriana Weinberg is studying cellular and humoral immune responses to microbial organisms and regulation of immune responses with emphasis on HIV and opportunistic infections. She is also studying the effect of hormonal contraceptives on immune responses.
Amy Witte, RN, MSN, FNP-C, has a research focus on HIV transmission, pathophysiology and treatment in youth.
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