The Division of Infectious Diseases at Penn State College of Medicine is committed to providing high-quality, patient-centered clinical care, innovating in medical education to ensure future leaders in infectious diseases, conducting high-quality research, and creating an intellectually exciting, diverse, and supportive environment in which to work.

 

Our division provides comprehensive patient care in the inpatient and outpatient setting and via telehealth for patients with complicated infectious diseases, including persons living with HIV. We also offer specialty infectious diseases consults for infections related to cancer or solid organ transplant, and for bone and joint infections. We support a robust Outpatient Parenteral Antibiotic Therapy Program (OPAT) program which allows patients with complex infections to avoid prolonged hospitalization by receiving parenteral antimicrobial therapies at home. In addition, division faculty provide leadership for health system and public health-oriented services including Antimicrobial Stewardship, Hospital Epidemiology and Infection Prevention, Employee Health, and Bio-preparedness initiatives.

 

Division faculty are actively engaged in research supported by federal and non-federal sponsors. Select topics of interest include understanding viral structure and cryoEM reconstruction techniques, diagnostic and therapeutic modalities for vector borne diseases, understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying assembly of retrovirus particles, comprehending the role of substance use disorder in infectious diseases, optimizing the care of individuals living with HIV and HCV, providing research opportunities for patients who have undergone solid organ or bone marrow transplant, developing and directing a comprehensive antimicrobial stewardship program, leading pivotal COVID-19 therapeutics trials, and understanding post COVID-19 sequalae.

 

Division faculty prioritize the engagement of learners at all levels with involvement in medical education, public health graduate programs, student and resident elective rotations, and via an ACGME accredited fellowship program.