Infection Connection Blog
The Pediatric Infection Connection Blog provides information regarding current infectious diseases issues of interest and importance to the community. Visit www.pediatricinfectionconnection.org
This program’s goals are to provide well-rounded training for fellows in clinical pediatric infectious diseases, as well as training in clinical or basic science research. Successful completion of our fully-accredited ACGME and ABP program will provide the individual with the necessary qualifications for a position as a Board-Certified Pediatric Infectious Diseases Specialist.
The Infectious Diseases Division provides the full range of comprehensive inpatient and outpatient consultative services for both immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients. Additionally, our Special Immunology Service provides care to our population of HIV-exposed and infected children. The division is closely aligned with both the Clinical Microbiology and Epidemiology / Infection Control Divisions. All fellows obtain clinical training at Children’s National Medical Center, a 283-bed freestanding children's hospital which provides the full range of referral and primary care to children in the Washington DC metropolitan region, with a culturally diverse and international patient population base. The newly completed East Tower (opened November 2007) provides the most modern and updated clinical facilities, including a 54-bed NICU, 45 bed PICU, the region's only Cardiac ICU, Neuro ICU, Level 1 ER / trauma center including biohazard response facility, and specialized units for Heart and Kidney, Surgical, and Oncology and Transplantation services.
Fellows may pursue a wide variety of opportunities for research training in clinical, basic science, epidemiologic and outcomes research. We currently sponsor joint fellowship training programs with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), and Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). As FDA Medical Officers, fellows gain expertise in regulatory and public health aspects of vaccines (CBER), anti-infective agents and antivirals (CDER). The program also has faculty with international health experience who are available to mentor fellows with international career goals. Fellows wishing to pursue training in basic science research may identify mentors at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as well as Children's Research Institute (CRI) or George Washington University (GWU). Fellows pursuing clinical research may perform research at Children’s National, CRI, including the nation’s only pediatric institution with an NIH-funded Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI). CRI is fully integrated within Children’s National, facilitating close relationships between investigators and clinicians, and research by physician-scientists, including over 20 K-awardees. Fellows may also elect to earn a Master’s Degree in Public Health or enroll in other graduate level coursework from George Washington University.
Diagnostic microbiology using laboratories on site:
Microbiology laboratory
Clinical virus isolation laboratory
Molecular diagnostics
Other – Daily rounds with Director of Microbiology Lab and formal Microbiology Elective
Program provides training in infection control and hospital epidemiology as:
Didactic lectures
Hands on experience
Infection Control Meetings/Membership
Opportunity to fulfill the ABP requirements for scholarly activity is available in the following general areas:
Bacteriology/bacterial infections
Epidemiology and statistics
Infection control/hospital epidemiology
Immunizations/Public health
Mycology/fungal infections: - through affiliated programs
Parasitology/parasitic diseases
Virology/viral diseases
Antimicrobial agents
Research opportunities in the section’s program could be describes as:
Basic (bench)
Molecular
Translational
Epidemiologic
Clinical
International/Public Health
Health Services
HIV, Basic
HIV, Clinical
ACTG Site
Program provides substantial clinical experiences for trainees in special areas/hosts:
HIV
Bone marrow transplantation
Solid organ/transplantation
Travelers/adoptees
Congenital immune deficiencies
Adults: Minimal - related to adults with congenital heart disease/transplant
Documented liaison exists offering opportunities for research experience and the laboratory of investigator(s) who is (are) not faculty of the section.
Program offers the opportunity to obtain a Master’s degree in a field such as Public Health, Education, Clinical Sciences, or Epidemiology (assuming appropriate arrangements are made)
Graduate school courses are available to trainee (assuming appropriate arrangements are made)
Program includes ABP-required core curricula in scholarly activities in didactic lecture course for fellows (includes epidemiology, statistics, research design, and academic careers)
DeBiasi RL, Robinson BA, Brown RD, Long C, and Clarke P. Critical role for death receptor-mediated apoptotic signaling in viral myocarditis. J. Card. Fail. 2010; 16(11):901-10.
Rellosa N, Bloch K, Shane A, DeBiasi RL. Neurologic Manifestations of Pediatric Novel H1N1 Influenza Infection. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. 2010; In press, Aug 31 Epub ahead of publication.
Paolino K, Sande J, Perez E, Loechelt B, Jantausch B, Painter W, Fry T and DeBiasi RL. Eradication of disseminated adenovirus in a BMT recipient with severe graft versus host disease using the novel antiviral agent CMX001. J. Clin. Virol. 2010; In press, Nov 18 Epub ahead of publication
DeBiasi RL and Waterman P, reporting authors with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. MMWR. Tick-borne encephalitis among US travelers to Europe and Asia --- 2000--2009. 2010; Mar 26; 59(11):335-8.
Leyenaar JK, Novosad PM, Ferrer KT, Thahane LK, Mohapi EQ, Schutze GE, Kline MW. Early Clinical Outcomes in Children Enrolled in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection Care and Treatment in Lesotho. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. 2010; 29 (4):340-345.
Kim P, Wu Y, Cooper C, Rochester G, Valappil T, Wang Y, Kornegay C, Nambiar S. Meta-Analysis of a possible signal of increased mortality associated with cefepime use. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. 2010; 51(4):381-389
Sorbello A, Komo S, Valappil T, Nambiar S. Registration Trials of Antibacterial Drugs for the treatment of nosocomial pneumonia. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. 2010; 51(S1):S36–S41.
Neely M, Rakhmanina N. “Pharmacokinetic Optimization of Antiretroviral Therapy in Children and Adolescents”. Clin Pharmacokinet. 2010; In press.
Rakhmanina NY, van den Anker JN. Efavirenz in the therapy of HIV infection. Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol. 2010; 6(1):95-103.
Neely MN, Rakhmanina NY. Comment on: Pharmacokinetics and 48 week efficacy of low-dose lopinavir/ritonavir in HIV-infected children. J Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. 2010; 65(4):808-9.
Rakhmanina NY, van den Anker JN, Soldin SJ, van Schaik RH, Mordwinkin N, Neely MN. Can Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Improve Pharmacotherapy of HIV Infection in Adolescents? Ther Drug Monit. 2010; 32(3):273-281.
Rakhmanina N, van den Anker J. Treating an HIV-infected pediatric patient: an easy task. Antivir Ther. 2010; 15(3):293-6.
Neely M, Rakhmanina N. Pharmacokinetic Optimization of Antiretroviral Therapy in Children and Adolescents. Clin Pharmacokinet in press
Song X, Perencevich E, Campos JM, Short BL, Singh, N. Clinical and Economic Impact of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Colonization or Infection on Neonates in Intensive Care Units. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2010; 31: 177-182
Song X, Cheung S, Klontz K, Short BL, Campos J, Singh N. A Stepwise Approach to Control an Outbreak of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Am J Inf Control. 2010; 38:607-611.
Milstone AM, Song X, Coffin S, Elward A. Identification and Eradication of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Colonization in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Results of a National Survey. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2010;31(1).
Nalini Singh, Co-Author as a member of Healthcare Infection Control Advisory Committee: Guidelines for prevention of Catheter-associated Urinary Tract Infections. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2010; 31: 319-326
Siegel D, Song X, Klontz K, Pastor W, Singh N. Epidemiology of Childhood Tuberculosis: Use and Evaluation of the Pediatric Health Information System to Assess Local and National Incidence. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2011; in press
Hickey P, Cape K, Masouka P, Campos C, Pastor B, Wong E, Singh N. A Local, Regional, and National Assessment of Pediatric Malaria in the United States. Am J Trop Med Hygiene.2011; in press .
Ferrnandez G, Zeichner SL. Cell line-dependent variability in HIV activation employing DNMT inhibitors. Virol J. 2010; 7:266.
FDA-track fellow projects relate to New Drug and Vaccine Application reviews.
Change in epidemiology of health-care associated infections in a neonatal intensive care unit. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2002; 21:839-42.
Porin variation among clinical isolates of Neisseria gonorrheae over a 10-year period, as determined by por variable region typing. J Infect Dis 2003;187:1213-1222
Discordant clearance of Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria in SLPI null mice. Regulation of the tonsil cytokine milieu favors HIV susceptibility. J Leak Boil 2006; 80:1145-55.
Analysis of Vancomycin Associated Drug Rash, Eosinophilia, and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS) Syndrome. 48th Interscience Conference of Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy / 46th Infectious Disease Society of America Meeting; 1828, 2008.
Moraxella catarrhalis Bacteremia in Children. 48th Interscience Conference of Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy / 46th Infectious Disease Society of America Meeting, 2008.
Human Parechovirus-3 Infection: Emerging Pathogen in Neonatal Sepsis. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2009; 28(6):545-547.
Linezolid associated neuropathy in children. Ninth Annual St. Jude/PIDS Pediatric Microbial Research Conference; 2010.
Lyme Disease. In Berman’s Pediatric Decision Making (5th Edition). Elsevier. 2010. In press.
Eradication of disseminated adenovirus in a BMT recipient with severe graft versus host disease using the novel antiviral agent CMX001. J. Clin. Virol. 2010
Regional, and National Assessment of Pediatric Malaria in the United States. Am J Trop Med Hygiene.2011; in press .
Neurologic manifestations of pediatric novel H1N1 influenza infection. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2011.
Affiliated hospitals:
Children's National Medical Center (CNMC)
Number of pediatric beds:
284
Fellows accepted each year:
1-2
Training for MD; DO; MD, PhD:
Yes
Funding is ensured for all 3 years:
Yes for FDA Track, Possible for Basic Science Track
Visas accepted:
J1, H1B (for non-FDA track only)
Is completion of pediatric residency training in the U.S. OR Canada a requirement?
Preferred, but not required
Documented liaison exists offering opportunities for research experience and the laboratory of investigator(s) who is (are) not faculty of the section?
YES
Program offers the opportunity to obtain a Master’s degree in other fields?
YES. The program offers the opportunity to obtain a Master’s degree in Public Health, Education, Clinical Sciences, or Epidemiology (assuming appropriate arrangements are made)
Graduate school courses are available to trainee?
YES, assuming appropriate arrangements are made
Program includes ABP-required core curricula in scholarly activities in didactic lecture course for fellows?
YES, includes epidemiology, statistics, research design, and academic careers
Program has an NIH-sponsored training grant?
NO
The Infectious Diseases Service is the primary care provider for HIV-infected children and adolescents?
YES for outpatient
NO for inpatient
Average number of new outpatient consultations per month?
40
Average number of established outpatient follow-up visits per month?
100
Average number of new inpatient consultations per month?
85
Number of trainees completing program in the last 5 years (2006-2010)?
5
Roberta L. DeBiasi, MD, FIDSA, FAAP
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
George Washington University School of Medicine
Director, Fellowship Training Program in Pediatric Infectious Diseases
Children's National Medical Center/Children's Research Institute
111 Michigan Ave NW
Washington, DC 20010
Office: 202-476-6151
Fax: 202-476-3850
Email: rdebiasi@childrensnational.org
Or
Martha Mulugeta
Fellowship Coordinator
Infectious Diseases Division
Children's National Medical Center
111 Michigan Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20010
Tel. 202-476-3671
Fax 202-476-3850
email: mmuluget@childrensnational.org
The program offers the following benefits and training:
Diagnostic microbiology using laboratories on site:
Microbiology laboratory
Clinical virus isolation laboratory
Molecular diagnostics
Other – Daily rounds with Director of Microbiology Lab and formal Microbiology Elective
Program provides training in infection control and hospital epidemiology as:
Didactic lectures
Hands on experience
Infection Control Meetings/Membership
Opportunity to fulfill the ABP requirements for scholarly activity is available in the following general areas:
Bacteriology/bacterial infections
Epidemiology and statistics
Infection control/hospital epidemiology
Immunizations/Public health
Mycology/fungal infections: - through affiliated programs
Parasitology/parasitic diseases
Virology/viral diseases
Antimicrobial agents
Research opportunities in the section’s program could be describes as:
Basic (bench)
Molecular
Translational
Epidemiologic
Clinical
International/Public Health
Health Services
HIV, Basic
HIV, Clinical
ACTG Site
Program provides substantial clinical experiences for trainees in special areas/hosts:
HIV
Bone marrow transplantation
Solid organ/transplantation
Travelers/adoptees
Congenital immune deficiencies
Adults: Minimal - related to adults with congenital heart disease/transplant
Documented liaison exists offering opportunities for research experience and the laboratory of investigator(s) who is (are) not faculty of the section.
Program offers the opportunity to obtain a Master’s degree in a field such as Public Health, Education, Clinical Sciences, or Epidemiology (assuming appropriate arrangements are made)
Graduate school courses are available to trainee (assuming appropriate arrangements are made)
Program includes ABP-required core curricula in scholarly activities in didactic lecture course for fellows (includes epidemiology, statistics, research design, and academic careers)
A detailed summary of all benefits can be found in our Benefits Guide.
