Virginia Commonwealth University, Director of Clinical Microbiology

Undergraduate Education

• BS, Wake Forest University

Graduate Education

• PhD, Wake Forest University Health Sciences

Post Graduate Education

• 2008 - 2010 - Medical and Public Health Microbiology Fellowship - Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO

Certifications

• American Board of Medical Microbiology, 2010

Bio

I have been very involved in the implementation and study of new technologies in the clinical microbiology laboratory. Specifically, I have been actively involved in the use of matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for the identification of microorganisms. I have published several reviews, given workshops and numerous lectures on the subject of implementing this technology for clinical use. I have also coordinated a 9-center research collaboration to better understand MALDI-TOF MS performance.

In addition to work with MALDI-TOF MS organism identification, I have research interests which include studying the emergence of Gram-negative antibiotic resistance, improving the diagnosis of pediatric bloodstream infection, and studying the impact and outcomes associated with implementing new technology in the clinical microbiology laboratory.

I have an interest in the development of alternative educational material and am the co-founder of the Medical Microbiology Question of the Day. Along with Dr. Carey-Ann Burnham, I have developed a service that provides medical microbiology-based questions three times a week. The service was originally intended to aid residents and fellows in board preparation but has grown to include thousands of microbiologists, pathologist and infectious disease physicians from all over the world.

Research Expertise

I have two primary areas of interest in research. The first is in better understanding the diagnosis of infectious diseases children. Specifically, I have focused my efforts on improving the diagnosis of blood stream infection as well as urinary tract infection. These are both areas in which much of what we "know" is inferred from the adult literature and there is much to be learned about how diagnosis differs in children.

Second, I am interested in developing methods to understand the true impact of new technology on patient care. Microbiology is experiencing unprecedented technological advances that have improved the way we diagnose infectious diseases. Historically, the clinical microbiology discipline has not effectively shown that these interventions have meaningful impacts on patient care. I am working to develop robust methods that will facilitate these outcome-based analyses.

Clinical Specialties

I have a particular interest in the diagnosis of pediatric infectious diseases and the utilization of MALDI-TOF MS for organism identification.

Teaching Expertise

I have expertise in case-based teaching methods in clinical microbiology as well as in traditional lecturing. In addition, I have great interest in developing alternative educational methods beyond formal lecture-style teaching. In particular, I have an interest in question-and-answer based learning and have co-founded a Medical Microbiology Question of the Day website dedicated to this style of teaching. This free service has been in operation for 6 years and has a membership that exceeds 6,000 learners of all levels, from undergraduate students to faculty. We have members in all 50 states and over 50 countries world-wide.

Keywords & Interest Areas

• Pediatric Blood Stream Infections

• Organism Identification by MALDI-TOF MS

• Molecular Diagnostics of Infection Diseases

• Emerging Mechanisms of Gram-negative Antimicrobial Resistance

• Laboratory Stewardship

Awards & Honors

• 2003-2004 Graduate Fellowship, Wake Forest University Graduate School

• 2004-2006 Ruth L. Kirschtein National Research Service Award, Department of Health and Human Services

• 2005 and 2007 Student Travel Award, Mid-Atlantic Microbial Pathogenesis Meeting

• 2013 and 2014 Outstanding Speaker Award, American Association of Clinical Chemistry

• 2014 Young Investigation Award, Mass Spectrometry: Applications to the Clinical Lab