Opportunistic Pathogens Working Group

Working Group Leader:  W. Henry Boom, M.D., Professor of Medicine

Opportunistic infections continue to be a great problem in the international HIV epidemic, particularly in Sub-Saharan African countries such as Uganda, where the Case CFAR has had longstanding research programs. Tuberculosis, a major research focus as Case, is the number on Opportunistic Infection complicating HIV infection in the devleoping world.  In the United States, Opportunistic Infetions with C. albicans and C. neoformans continue to be common presenting syndromes for undiagnosed, antiretroviral resistant and non-compliant HIV-infected persons. 

The Opportunistic Pathogens Working Group focuses its efforts on four opportunistic pathogens that complicate HIV infection:  Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Hepatitis C, Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans.  Building on institutional strengths in the immunology and microbiology of these infectious pathogens and in international clinical trials, research has focused on basic mechanisms of immune evasion and resistance by M. tuberculosis, Hepatitis C and fungi, and strategies to affect clinical outcomes of persons dually infected with these pathogens and HIV.

OPPORTUNISTIC PATHOGENS WORKING GROUP MEMBERS
NAME TITLE DEPARTMENT RESEARCH AREAS
W. Henry Boom, M.D. Professor and Director, Tuberculosis Research Unit Medicine - Infectious Diseases T-cell biology; immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Donald Anthony, M.D., Ph.D. Asst. Professor Medicine - Rheumatology Immune response to Hepatitis C
Eric Arts, Ph.D. Assoc. Professor Medicine - Infectious Diseases Molecular virology of HIV-TB
David Canaday, M.D. Asst. Professor Medicine - Infectious Diseases Cellular immunology of MTB
Scott Fulton, M.D. Asst. Professor Medicine - Infectious Diseases Cellular immunology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Mahmoud Ghannoum, Ph.D. Assoc. Professor Dermatology Molecular Biology of Candida sp.; Clinical trials of anti-fungals
Barbara Gripshover, M.D. Assoc. Professor Medicine - Infectious Diseases Candida infection in HIV
Clifford Harding, M.D., Ph.D. Professor and Director, MSTP Program Pathology Antigen processing and cellular immunity to MTB
Christina Hirsch, M.D., Ph.D. Asst. Professor Medicine - Infectious Diseases Clinical immunology of tuberculsosis and HIV-TB; biology of apoptosis
Michael Jacobs, M.D., Ph.D. Professor Pathology Clinical microbiology of Strep. pneumoniae
Moses Joloba, MBChB, M.A., Ph.D. Professor, Senior Lecturer and Microbiology Consultant for Tuberculosis Research Unit Pathology/Microbiology Clinical microbiology of Strep. pneumoniae; Mycobacterium tuberculsosis pathogenesis
John L. Johnson, M.D. Assoc. Professor Medicine - Infectious Diseases Tuberculsosis clinical trials
Robert Kalayjian, M.D. Assoc. Professor Medicine - Infectious Diseases CMV and Cryptococcus . neoformans infection and HIV clinical trials
Moses Kamya, MBChB, M. Med. Senior Lecturer Department of Medicine - Makerere University, Uganda Clinical Trials of Cryptococcus neoformans infection
Michael Lederman, M.D. Professor and Director, AIDS Clinical Trials Unit Medicine - Infectious Diseases Human immune response to HIV and HCV; HIV clinical trials
Harriet Mayanja Kizza, MBChB, M. Med., M.A. Senior Lecturer and Chair, Department of Medicine Department of Medicine, Makerere University, Uganda HIV-tuberculosis and CNS complications of HIV
John Schreiber, M.D. Professor Pediatrics - Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital Human immune responses to Strep. pneumoniae
Richard Silver, M.D. Assoc. Professor Medicine - Pulmonary Pulmonary immunology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Zahra Toossi, M.D. Professor Medicine - Infectious Diseases Macrophage biology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and HIV infection
Christopher Whalen, M.D., M.A. Associate Professor and Director, Center for Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases Epidemiology and Biostatistics Epidemiology and clinical trials of tuberculosis and HIV-tuberculosis