University of Pittsburgh Division of Infectious Diseases

You can’t fix what you don’t measure is a maxim in the business world. And it holds true in the world of #publichealth as well, Drs. Alexander Sundermann, Vaughn Cooper, and Lee Harrison explain genomic surveillance to track variants and end #COVID19. via The Conversation US https://theconversation.com/genomic-surveillance-what-it-is

Drs. Ken Ho and Ernesto Marques Jr. out in the Pittsburgh community looking for participants on the #COVID19 Compass Study! Be sure to stop and help #Science @PittDeptofMed @UPMCnews https://inside.upmc.com/pitt-researchers-looking-for-thous/

We are pleased to announce that Lorraine Matteo Pollini, has been selected as one of two 2021 winners of the University Staff Professional Development Award. University of Pittsburgh Staff Council established this award in honor of Ronald W. Frisch, to celebrate the tenure of Associate Vice Chancellor of Human Resources Ronald Frisch, who retired from the University in 2016. This fund and the associated annual award supports Pitt staff members who wish to supplement their jo...b training and acumen through professional development opportunities. Awards from this fund help eligible staff to defray the costs of tuition, professional conferences, workshops, training, and other opportunities necessary to continue career advancement. Lorraine was chosen as a recipient of the award by a panel comprised of rotating Staff Council members, regional campus representatives, and an Office of Human Resources representative. Lorraine has built upon on her editorial skills and communication effectiveness for the Division Chief’s office, specifically with presentations, manuscript submissions, grant preparations, and ad hoc academic editorial content as required, handling close to 150-200 high-level academic submissions annually. She has been assigned an increasingly complex volume of administrative functions and editorial functions and has worked to increase her editorial skills to meet the demands of the Chief’s expanding academic portfolio. Lorraine will receive $350 to use toward her examination registration for the Board of Editors in the Life Sciences (BELS) certification. BELS mission is to maintain and promote a proficiency in editing in the life sciences. The Editor in the Life Sciences (ELS) certification will be highly beneficial to furthering Lorraine’s expertise in the editorial functions of her position within the ID Division. Please join us in congratulating Lorraine!

Check out Dr. Ghady Haidar’s interview on 60 Minutes! https://www.cbsnews.com//covid-variants-infectious-strain/ #IDPittStop

Congratulations Dr. Madison Stellfox on being elected to serve as the Chief ID Fellow for July ‘21 - June ‘22! #IDPittStop

Dr. Dimitrov was recruited to join the Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh from the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute's (NIH/NCI) Center for Cancer Research in 2017. He was appointed to the rank of Professor of Medicine with tenure in 2020. As Director for the Center for Antibody Therapeutics (CAT), he is responsible for the development and oversight of the Center. His work focuses on identifying new monoclon...al antibodies (mAbs) as candidate therapeutics using phage and yeast display as well as to develop novel methods for antibody engineering, and generation of antibody-based candidate therapeutics including antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), chimeric antigen receptors (CARs), bispecific and multispecific antibodies, antibody-based fusion proteins, engineered antibody domains (eAds), and full size antibodies as immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1s). Under his supervision, the CAT team has identified hundreds of new mAbs and generated many antibody-based candidate therapeutics. Several of the mAbs in IgG1 and CAR formats are in clinical trials and one has been approved for compassionate use. Dr. Dimitrov is an extraordinarily creative and gifted scientist who has applied his vast knowledge to the clinically important issues, including potentially effective therapeutics against virus infection and cancer. He is recognized worldwide for his expertise in molecular engineering and antibody therapeutics. Dr. Dimitrov serves as Editor-in Chief of the journal Antibodies. He has a remarkable record of achievement as a translational scientist, collaborator and mentor. https://www.medifind.com//beyond-fauci-meet-the-science-su #idpittstop See more

Join us for our first IDGR of 2021 as Drs. Ghady Haidar and Erin McCreary give a COVID-19 update this Thursday, 1/7/21 at 4:00 p.m. EST. #idpittstop

Check out our ID January Wellness Guide! Happy Holidays! #IDPittStop

Dr. Rachel Marini educating and guiding University of Pittsburgh’s Pharmacy students in administering some of Pittsburgh’s first #COVID19 Pfizer vaccine to our Healthcare Hero’s! #IDPittStop

We are pleased to announce that Neel B. Shah, MD, has received the Infectious Diseases Society of America’s Fellow designation (FIDSA). IDSA Fellows are individuals recognized for having achieved professional excellence and for providing significant service to the profession. Neel has achieved these goals during his 10 years as a member of the IDSA. Neel joined the ID division in 2015 at the rank of Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine. Dr. Shah’s primary role focuses on ...clinical education and clinical care. He was appointed to the position of Director of the Center for Infectious Diseases Outreach (CIDO) in 2016. Dr. Shah maintains the ID Division’s social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and ID Pitt Stop, our ID Division blog. Dr. Shah has a strong interest in fellowship education, and in 2017 he was appointed Associate Program Director for the Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program. Dr. Shah was instrumental in revamping the Core Infectious Diseases curriculum provided to ID Fellows. Please join us in congratulating Neel! #IDPittSTOP See more

Very excited to announce our ID Fellowship Matches starting in July of 2021! Niyati Shah, Theodore Rader, Jasan Jawanda, and Matt O’Donnell! #IDPittStop #fellowmatch

#worldaidsday2020 pittwire.pitt.edu//world-aids-day-learn-about-pitt-s-work-

Join @PACCM For Grand Rounds 12/3 at 12:00p EST for An Evolving Gram-negative Resistance Landscape and the New Therapeutic Options to Combat it Presented by: Ryan K. Shields, PharmD, MS... Associate Professor of Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases Co-Director of Antibiotic Management Program University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Join Zoom Meeting https://pitt.zoom.us/j/99996881332 Meeting ID: 999 9688 1332 Passcode: 028176 One tap mobile +12678310333,,99996881332# US (Philadelphia) 8778535247,,99996881332# US Toll-free Dial by your location +1 267 831 0333 US (Philadelphia) 877 853 5247 US Toll-free Meeting ID: 999 9688 1332 Find your local number: https://pitt.zoom.us/u/abDZQ6RO0t Join by SIP [email protected]

https://www.jhf.org//ahn-highmark-and-upmc-join-together-a #idpittstop

Ever wonder where @PittTweet student swab samples go after surveillance testing? Check out this article on Dr. Harrison’s laboratory! Lee Harrison #IDPittStop https://www.pittwire.pitt.edu//where-does-your-swab-go-aft

Dr. Neil Clancy discussing impact of climate change on the emergence of Candida auris #IDPittStop

In some patients with HIV who take medication, the virus still shows up in their blood. A study led by Dr. John Mellors has found replicloneslarge clones of HIV-infected cells that produce infectious virus particlesare to blame. #idpittstop https://www.pittwire.pitt.edu/news/study-solves-hiv-mystery

Meet the Labs!! Dr. Harrison’s Microbial Genomic Epidemiology Laboratory (MiGEL) conducts microbial genomic epidemiologic investigations of hospital and community-acquired bacterial infections. The laboratory uses genomic, phylogenetic and bioinformatic approaches to identify genetic relationships among bacterial pathogens that present serious threat to public health. MiGEL supports UPMC Infection Prevention by identifying hospital outbreaks. Ongoing MiGEL projects include: ... Bacterial and viral whole genome sequencing (WGS) for detection of outbreaks for infection prevention Development and implementation of bioinformatic methods for rapid interpretation of WGS data Integration of bacterial WGS data and mining of the electronic medical record to detect hospital associated bacterial transmission in real-time Pooling nasopharyngeal swab samples for University of Pittsburgh surveillance testing to determine asymptomatic carriage rates See more

If you are 18+ and just tested positive for COVID19, join a clinical study!