Infectious Disease & Immunology

The Department of Pediatrics has a strong history of high impact research in infectious diseases and immunology. For example, pioneering studies led by former Pediatrics Chair, the late Dr. David Smith and Professor Emeritus Dr. Porter Anderson were instrumental in the development of conjugate vaccines for type B Haemophilus influenzae, an important cause of meningitis in children. Dr.’s Smith and Anderson received the Lasker Prize in recognition of these seminal contributions to children’s health. In addition, Dr. Caroline Hall’s clinical and basic science studies of viruses such as RSV and HHV6 have contributed enormously to our understanding of these important causes of childhood infections.

Our current faculty has basic science and clinical research programs focusing on:

• Pathogenesis and treatment of opportunistic fungal infections such as Pneumocystis, Candida spp. and Cryptococcus
• Pathogenesis, immunology, and epidemiology of viral infections such as influenza and HHV6
• The role of stress in immunological response to virus infection

Investigators