Research

Infectious Diseases Research

The Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases is comprised of faculty with expertise in basic, translational and clinical research.

The focus of basic research in the department is on microbial pathogenesis. Studies include examination of the pathogenesis of genital tract disease and eye disease due to Chlamydia trachomatis, pulmonary disease due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and systemic disease due to the Lyme spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi. Translational research studies include analysis of chronic Group A strep carriage, rheumatic fever, pediatric urinary tract infection and asymptomatic bacteriuria, and congenital cytomegalovirus infection.

Clinical studies are conducted through the Infectious Disease Clinical Research Unit (CRU) and include studies that are regional, national and international in scope. The CRU itself has evolved considerably since its earliest days as the Pittsburgh Vaccine Center, with an expanded focus to both practice-based and hospital-based studies of infectious diseases. While studies continue to include evaluations of new vaccines, they also now include epidemiology studies of pathogens and several new antimicrobial agents.

Current clinical studies by the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases involve research related to incidence of streptococcal throat infections and rheumatic fever; acute streptococcal pharyngitis; the use of new vaccines for hepatitis A, measles-mumps-rubella, and meningococcus; and drugs for treatment of influenza, complicated pneumonia and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections to name just a few.

Division scientists maintain close ties to Children’s services that care for patients undergoing heart, heart-lung, liver, small bowel and kidney transplantations. In addition, the division provides exceptional care to children exposed to or affected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).