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Department of Pediatrics Annual Report – 2023

Infectious Diseases

Banner graphic for the Department of Pediatrics Annual Report for 2023

The Division of Infectious Diseases reflects the multidisciplinary approach essential to the practice of medicine and medical research. Our faculty are involved in patient care, hospital epidemiology, basic science, clinical research activities, outcomes analysis, clinical trials, and teaching. Division members have diverse and interrelated interests ranging from very basic mechanisms of molecular pathogenesis to the cascades of care required to ensure that adolescents receive appropriate treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). We are actively engaged in medical education with undergraduate, graduate, medical, and postdoctoral students from all of Columbia's health sciences divisions. The division staffs NewYork-Presbyterian’s antibiotic stewardship program, which reviews antibiotic use and positive cultures daily and guides providers on appropriate and safe antibiotic use. Division members have diverse research interests and collaborate widely with other investigators at Columbia, as well as at other institutions.

In 2023:

  • Pediatric Immunocompromised Host Service (PITCH) - A major emerging focus of our infectious diseases program, the Pediatric Immunocompromised Host (PICH) service, headed by Dr. Paul Sue, addresses the challenge of infection in the immunocompromised host, including those with a history of malignancy, primary immunodeficiency, immunomodulatory therapy, or following solid or bone marrow transplantation.  We establish longitudinal care across both the inpatient and outpatient settings, beginning prior to transplant, and following through transplantation and beyond.

Learn More About Our Division

Appointments

  • Irene Frantzis, MD
    • Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at CUMC. Dr. Frantzis participates in clinical ID as well as infection prevention and control.  She heads our antibiotic stewardship program and is researching outcomes analysis using a variety of novel tools.
  • Paul Sue, MD
    • Associate Professor of Pediatrics at CUMC. Dr. Sue heads our rapidly growing PITCH program, which focuses on immunocompromised hosts, including patients with stem cell, solid organ, and mulit-visceral transplants, as well as other forms of immunosuppression.

Honors and Awards

  • Natalie Neu, MD
    • Appointed Associate Director of Clinical Research Resource and as medical director of the CDC-funded NYC STD Prevention Training Center
  • Jason Zucker, MD
    • Received an R21 with pediatric emergency medicine clinician Lauren Chernick: “A Digital Patient Decision Aid to Increase Sexually Transmitted Infection Testing in the Emergency Department: The STIckER Study"
  • Sebastian Riquelme, PhD
    • Received a Department of Pediatrics Innovation Nucleation Fund Award for, “Impact of ketogenic metabolism on bacterial pneumonia,” a project based on an ongoing NIH R35 award

Major Grants

  • Varicella zoster virus identification program. Merck. PI: Anne Gershon, MD.
  • VZV in the enteric nervous system: pathogenesis and consequences. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease. PI: Anne Gershon, MD.
  • NYC Prevention Training Center providing clinical insight for PrEP program implementation. PI: Alwyn Cohall, MD; Medical Director: Natalie Neu, MD, MPH.
  • Project STAY (Program to Assist Youth) Specialized Care Clinic. New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute. C31376GG. Multi PIs: Maria V. Espinal, MPH, and Alwyn Cohall, MD; Medical Director: Natalie Neu, MD, MPH.
  • Project STAY (Program to Assist Youth) Youth Access Program. New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute. C027235B. Multi PIs: Espinal and Alwyn Cohall, MD; Medical Director: Natalie Neu, MD, MPH.
  • National Network of Sexually Transmitted Diseases Clinical Prevention Training Centers (NNPTC). CDC. 1NU62PS924586. PI: Alwyn Cohall, MD. Natalie Neu, MD, MPH; Medical Director: Natalie Neu, MD, MPH.
  • National Network of Sexually Transmitted Diseases Clinical Prevention Training Centers (NNPTC- Supplement). CDC. 1NU62PS924586 CDC. PI: Alwyn Cohall, MD; Medical Director: Natalie Neu, MD, MPH.
  • Clinical and Translational Science Award. NCATS/NIH. PI: Reilly. Associate Director: Natalie Neu, MD, MPH.
  • Innate immune clearance of host-adapted pulmonary pathogens. NIH/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. R35HL135800-07. PI: Alice Prince, MD.
  • CFTR modulator/potentiator therapy and susceptibility to S. aureus infection. Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. PI: Alice Prince, MD.
  • Mechanistic role of membrane pore formation in lung-endothelial barrier failure due to blood-borne pathogens. NIH/NHLBI. PI: Jahar Bhattacharya. Individual: Alice Prince, MD.
  • Impact of nucleotide metabolism on bacterial clearance. National Institute of General Medical Sciences. 1R35GM146776-01. PI: Sebastian Riquelme Colet, PhD.
  • Regulatory T cells influence susceptibility to P. aeruginosa infection. Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. PI: Sebastian Riquelme Colet, PhD.
  • Impact of ketogenic metabolism on bacterial pneumonia. CUIMC/Department of Pediatrics Innovation Nucleation Award. PI: Sebastian Riquelme Colet, PhD.
  • Assessing effectiveness of infection prevention and control in CF. Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Principal Investigator: Marianne Muhlebach, MD; Co-PI: Lisa Saiman, MD, MPH. Continuation of sub-contract anticipated.
  • Burden of Rotavirus. Merck. PI: Lisa Saiman, MD, MPH.
  • Training in pediatric infectious diseases. NIH T32 Training Grant. PIs: Alice Prince, MD, and Lisa Saiman, MD, MPH.
  • Program in Vaccine Education. Pfizer. PI: Lawrence Stanberry, MD, PhD.
  • Understanding the immunometabolic response to Klebsiella pneumonia infection. NIH/NHLBI. 1K99HL157550-01A1. PI: Tania Wong, PhD.
  • A digital patient decision aid to increase sexually transmitted infection testing in the emergency department: The STIckER study. NIH. Co-Principal Investigator: Jason Zucker, MD, MS; Co-PI: Lauren Chernick, MD, MSc.
  • Harnessing Bioinformatics for HIV Prevention: Understanding Persistence in Comprehensive HIV Prevention Services. NIH – NIAID. PI: Jason Zucker, MD, MS.
  • Life after Mpox (LAMP) Study: Clinical, Psychosocial and Behavioral Sequelae of the 2022 Mpox Outbreak in the US. CDC. PI: Jason Zucker, MD, MS.
  • Assessing the Validity, Reliability and Acceptability of Self-Collected Samples For Mpox Virus Testing In The United States. CDC. PI: Jason Zucker, MD, MS.
  • Mpox Viral Persistence. CDC. PI: Jason Zucker, MD, MS.
  • Medical Consultant - CDC’s Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Treatment Guidelines. CDC/NCHHSTP/DSTDP. Jason Zucker, MD, MS.

Selected Publications

  • Tomlinson KL, Chen YS, Junker A, Urso A, Wong T, Ahn D, Hofstaedter CE, Baskota SU, Ernst RK, Prince A, Riquelme SA. Ketogenesis promotes tolerance to Pseudomonas aeruginosa pulmonary infection. Cell Metabolism. 2023 Oct 3;35(10):1767-1781.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2023.09.001.
  • Sherman, G, Lamb, GS, Sharma, T, Lloyd, EC, Nagel, J, Dandam, NN, Oliveira CR, Hassan SS, Anosike, BI, Lee, P, Vora, SB, Patel, K., Sue, PK, Rubbab, B., Yarbrough AN, Ganapathi L., Nakamura, MM. Monoclonal Antibody Use for Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Pediatric Patients: A Multicenter Retrospective Study. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2023;12(3):152-155. PMID: 36928172
  • Zucker J, Nagendra G, Burstein G, Neu N. Mitigating the Impact of COVID-19 on Adolescent and Young Adult Sexual Health Care. Pediatrics. 2023 Apr 1;151(Suppl 1):e2022057267E. doi: 10.1542/peds.2022-057267E.
  • Johnson CL, Neu N, Saiman L. Antimicrobial use and opportunities for antimicrobial stewardship in pediatric postacute and long-term care settings. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2023 Sep;44(9):1515-1517. doi: 10.1017/ice.2022.287.
  • Feldman E, Shah SS, Ahn D. Low Diagnostic Utility of Frequent Serial Tracheal Aspirate Cultures in the PICU. Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2023 Aug 1;24(8):681-689. doi: 10.1097/PCC.0000000000003259.
  • Saiman L, Coffin SE, Kociolek LK, Zerr DM, Milstone AM, Aldrich ML, Vargas CY, Zapata G, Zalot MA, Reyna ME, Adler A, Voskertchian A, Egbert ER, Alba L, Gollerkeri S, Ruggieri M, Finelli L, Choi Y. Healthcare-Associated Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Children's Hospitals. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2023 May 31;12(5):265-272. doi: 10.1093/jpids/piad030.
  • McLaren SH, Mishra N, Hijiya N, Ng J, Guo C, Whittier S, Mariani E, Glaser L, Frantzis I, Vindas MT, Leu CS, Dayan PS. High-throughput Sequencing to Identify Bacteremia in Children with Cancer. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2023 Aug 1;42(8):695-697. doi: 10.1097/INF.0000000000003948.
  • Paul AA, Gentzler E, Solowey K, Manickam S, Frantzis I, Alba L, Messina M, Brachio SS, Saiman L. Epidemiology, risk factors, and applicability of CDC definitions for healthcare-associated bloodstream infections at a level IV neonatal ICU. J Perinatol. 2023 Sep;43(9):1152-1157. doi: 10.1038/s41372-023-01728-y.
  • Tarun S, Abebe W, Mahida M, Saiman L, James W, LaRussa P, Stanberry LR. Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention Resources for Infectious Diseases in Sub-Saharan African Hospitals Caring for Children. Glob Pediatr Health. 2023 Nov 14;10:2333794X231210661. doi: 10.1177/2333794X231210661.
  • Tomlinson KL, Riquelme SA, Baskota SU, Drikic M, Monk IR, Stinear TP, Lewis IA, Prince AS. Staphylococcus aureus stimulates neutrophil itaconate production that suppresses the oxidative burst. Cell Rep. 2023 Feb 28;42(2):112064. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112064.

Highlights

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Natalie Neu, MD, a pediatric infectious disease expert at Columbia Pediatrics, offered her perspective on the rise of syphilis cases in babies.

USA Today

Webinar: The Latest in Pediatric Respiratory Illnesses: COVID-19, RSV and Flu

The Latest in Pediatric Respiratory Illnesses: COVID-19, RSV and Flu

Columbia University Children's Health experts discuss respiratory illnesses in kids, protections and treatments currently available, how these can be administered most effectively, and more.