Research

The Division of Infectious Diseases conducts cutting-edge clinical and laboratory research that seeks to translate novel scientific findings into new approaches for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of infectious disease. The division has played an important role in advances that have shed light on HIV and has impacted the clinical care for patients with HIV/AIDS. Building on that tradition, the division seeks to allow the gains made in genomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics research to improve the quality of healthcare to reach all populations, particularly those who bear the greatest burden of infectious diseases.

T32 Training Grant

Funded by a National Institutes of Health (NIH) T32 Training Grant, the Infectious Disease Education and Science Training Grant trains MD and MD/PhD fellows in translational research.

Areas of Research

HIV/AIDS Research
HIV/AIDS is the largest research focus within the division.
Transplant Infectious Diseases Research
The Transplant & Immunocompromised Host Infectious Diseases research program focuses on epidemiologic and interventional studies to reduce the impact of infectious complications, with a focus on viral pathogens.
Bacterial Pathogenesis & Antibiotic Resistance Research
The bacterial pathogenesis and antibiotic resistance research program aims to uncover mechanisms whereby common hospital-acquired bacterial pathogens establish and maintain disease in human hosts and resist antibiotics.

Research Centers and Programs

The division has 17 NIH-funded investigators, as well as an additional faculty member funded by other grant mechanisms . It receives more than $10 million in annual biomedical research grants from the NIH to support its work. Research initiatives cut across scientific disciplines and institutions.

Antimicrobial and Diagnostic Stewardship Program
(Northwestern Medicine)
Sarah H. Sutton, MD, Antimicrobial Stewardship Medical Director
Teresa Zembower, MD, Microbiology Laboratory Associate Director
Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution
(Robert J. Havey, MD Institute for Global Health)
Egon A. Ozer, MD, PhD, Director
Center for Global Communicable and Emerging Infectious Diseases
(Robert J. Havey, MD Institute for Global Health)
Claudia Hawkins, MD, MPH, Director
Emerging & Re-Emerging Pathogens Program (EREPP)
Judd F. Hultquist, PhD, Director
Potocsnak Center for Aging & HIV
(Potocsnak Longevity Institute)
Frank J. Palella, MD, Director

Institutes

The Robert J. Havey, MD Institute for Global Health
Read more about the programs and initiatives at the Robert J. Havey, MD Institute for Global Health.

The Robert J. Havey, MD Institute for Global Health

The Robert J. Havey, MD Institute for Global Health strives to promote health equity issues on Northwestern University campuses and build upon the knowledge base in the field of global health through translational research and interdisciplinary education initiatives, both domestically and abroad.

Under the leadership of Robert Murphy, MD, the institute brings together leading faculty and students from across the Northwestern University campuses to collaborate on research, educational and service initiatives that address critical global health problems, create sustainable partnerships with leading health organizations across the globe and train the next generation of global health leaders and scholars. The Havey Institute for Global Health currently partners with academic institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and community organizations in over 30 countries.

Programs

The institute supports activities that provide opportunities for faculty and students to engage in academic programs, innovative research and experiential learning related to global health. Several of our Infectious Disease faculty are involved in the following programs:

Educational and training programs for medical students
Two-year Global Health Clinical Scholars Program: Provides residents with training and clinical care delivery in resource-limited settings worldwide.
Post-Graduate Fellowship in Global Heath
Global Health Seminars
Annual Global Health Case Competition
Master of Science in Global Health
Global Health Days

Global Health Research

The institute has an active research program in collaboration with partners from Nigeria, Tanzania, Mali and South Africa. This program supports innovative studies and research training programs in HIV and HIV-related co-morbidities, including neurologic diseases, malignancies and viral hepatitis B and C co-infection; non-communicable diseases such as heart disease and liver disease; mycobacterial diseases; and point-of-care diagnostics. A number of funding sources are available for fellows who wish to pursue global health research, such as the Post-Graduate Fellowship in Global Health and the catalyzer grants.

The institute currently has several NIH-Fogarty-funded research training programs, which have trained over 60 international scientists and researchers to date. Find out more about research training programs at the institute's Center for Global Communicable & Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Learn more about the Havey Institute for Global Health's research activities related to infectious diseases.

Potocsnak Longevity Institute
Read more about the programs and initiatives at the Potocsnak Longevity Institute

Through the Potocsnak Longevity Institute, scientists across disciplines are studying populations that seem resistant to some of the negative consequences of aging in an attempt to figure out exactly what makes them different.

The science behind HIV and aging is a cornerstone of research within the Potocsnak Center for Aging & HIV at the Potocsnak Longevity Institute. This science can teach us all about the fundamental biology of aging.

Learn more about the Potocsnak Center for Aging & HIV >

Learn more about the Potocsnak Longevity Institute >

Labs

Learn more about the work conducted by labs within the Division of Infectious Diseases and its affiliated centers, divisions, and programs.

The Hultquist Lab

Enhancing approaches for disease modeling to better understand the host-pathogen relationship.

Visit the Hultquist Lab Site

The Hauser Lab

Investigating the pathogenesis of multidrug resistant bacteria.

Visit the Hauser Lab Site

The Lorenzo-Redondo Lab

In-depth understanding of viral evolution and virus-host interaction to develop better prevention and cure strategies against viral pathogens.

Learn more

The Bachta Lab

Exploring pathogenesis and antimicrobial resistance in healthcare-associated bacterial pathogens.

Visit the Bachta Lab Site

The Martinelli Lab

Developing novel prevention and cure strategies for viral infections such as HIV.

Learn More

The Ozer Lab

Applying microbial genomics approaches to study diverse pathogens.