Clinical and training programs
Clinical experience is drawn from patients on general medical, surgical, pediatric and ob/gyn services, including specialized areas such as hemodialysis, oncology, cardiac surgery, neonatology, ophthalmology, renal transplantation, orthopedics andurology. Diagnostic microbiology includes antibiotic assays, anaerobic bacteriology, virology, mycology, mycobacteriology, serology, and parasitology in addition to routine bacteriology. Infection control activities include device-related infections, antibiotic surveillance and laboratory studies.
The infectious diseases fellowship program consists of two pathways for training. One track, designed for two years, has a primary emphasis on training in clinical infectious diseases, diagnostic microbiology, and infection control. This track prepares the fellow for a career in the clinical practice of infectious diseases. The second pathway, which is for at least three years, offers combined clinical and research training. This track prepares the fellow for an academic career and consists of one year of clinical training and the remainder of time in research which is supported by a National Institutes of Health training grant. The program also has a rotating weekly interhospital clinical conference, a monthly lecture series, a biweekly journal club, and weekly clinical conferences on both general infectious disease management and HIV disease which residents are encouraged to attend.
Research
The Division offers research programs in viral pathogenesis and immunology, including AIDS, influenza, dengue, and viral gastroenteritis agents and lymphocyte function in viral diseases. T-cell recognition and roles in infectious diseases, transplantation and tumor immunology is also under active investigation. The Division directs an NIH-funded Program Project entitled Mechanisms of Immunopathology of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever. There is also an ongoing basic research program on the innate immune response to bacterial and fungal pathogens.
Current research funding includes multiple research and training grants from the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development, Thrasher Research Fund, the Massachusetts Health Research Institute, the US Army Medical Research and Development, the Centers for Disease Control, and the Massachusetts Department of Health.