division of infectious diseases

December 21, 2020

HERO-TOGETHER study seeks health care workers who receive COVID-19 vaccine

Health care workers, who have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, will be the first tier of Vanderbilt University Medical Center employees to receive vaccine to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection.

By Kathy Whitney
C. Henrique Serezani, PhD, right, and colleagues, from left, Amondrea Blackman, Nathan Klopfenstein and Júlia Miranda Ribeiro Bazzano are studying the early events of the inflammatory response to infection.
December 10, 2020

Study details early events of inflammatory response

Vanderbilt University Medical Center investigators have identified a key molecular player in the early events of the inflammatory response to infection. The findings suggest new therapeutic possibilities for enhancing the inflammatory response to protect against pathogens and for blocking inflammation gone awry in diseases like arthritis and atherosclerosis.

By Leigh MacMillan
October 1, 2020

Genes spell penicillin allergy risk

Studies using large DNA biobanks revealed genetic variants associated with penicillin allergy, the most common type of drug-induced allergic reaction.

By Paul Govern
June 26, 2020

American Airlines boosts travelers’ peace of mind with VUMC expertise

American Airlines has created a new Travel Health Advisory Panel that includes Vanderbilt University Medical Center infectious disease experts to advise on health and cleaning matters as travelers return over the summer.

By VUMC News and Communications
May 27, 2020

Target trials support drug safety in pregnant women

Out of concern for fetal safety, pregnant people have typically been excluded from drug trials. And when human health is on the line, drug studies assessing fetal safety in animal models may be viewed as far from definitive.

By Paul Govern
January 9, 2020

Deadline extended for transplant infectious diseases fellowship

The Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center is seeking applicants for its new Transplant and Immunocompromised Host Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program.

By Paul Govern
December 16, 2019

Applications sought for Transplant Infectious Diseases/Immunocompromised Host Fellowship Program

The Division of Infectious Diseases is seeking applicants for its new Transplant Infectious Diseases/Immunocompromised Host (TID/ICH) Fellowship Program.
By Paul Govern
September 24, 2019

Treating C. diff: new purpose for an old drug?

An inexpensive generic drug once used to prevent gastrointestinal ulcers in people taking daily NSAIDs protects against C. diff infection in mice.
By Paul Govern
July 18, 2019

Effort seeks to improve safety of drugs given during pregnancy

A 19-year-old student is leading a multi-institutional collaboration to identify drugs that can be prescribed safely to pregnant women without harming the fetus.
By Bill Snyder
July 11, 2019

Vanderbilt team shows how stomach bug can trigger cancer

Researchers at Vanderbilt University and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor have obtained the first high-resolution image of a molecular “machine” used by the insidious stomach bug Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) to inject a cancer-causing protein into the stomach lining.
By Bill Snyder
January 17, 2019

Pain relievers a risk for C. diff?

A link between anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and C. diff infection suggests caution against overusing such drugs in patients at high risk for infection.
By Leigh MacMillan
December 6, 2018

Schaffner honored by Infectious Diseases Society of America

William Schaffner, MD, professor of Preventive Medicine in the Department of Health Policy and professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases, is the recipient of the 2018 D.A. Henderson Award for Outstanding Contributions to Public Health.
By Craig Boerner
November 29, 2018

Parsing diabetic skin infections

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered a role for an inflammatory mediator in diabetic skin infections, suggesting new therapeutic targets for this common complication of diabetes.
By Paul Govern