Infectious Diseases and International Medicine Faculty
Bio
Administrator Info
Name: Becca Johnson
Phone: 612-624-9996
Fax: 612-625-4410
Email: joh07913@umn.edu
Mail: Mayo Memorial Building, MMC 250, 420 Delaware Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455
Summary
Dr. Fontana is an assistant professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases. Her clinical and research interests are focused in the immunocompromised host including solid organ and bone marrow transplant recipients as well as patients with hematologic malignancies. Dr. Fontana also has interests in leadership development and medical education.
Research Summary
- HIV in solid organ transplant
- Bacterial and Fungal infections in transplant recipients and the immunocompromised host
- Preventive care in prevention of infections in the immunocompromised host
Teaching Summary
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Transplant ID Fellowship Program Director
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American Society of Transplant Education Subgroup
Clinical Summary
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Clinical Excellence Honoree 2023, University of Minnesota Physicians
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Infectious Diseases Service Line Medical Director
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Clinical focus in transplant infectious diseases, HIV, and the immunocompromised host
Education
Fellowships, Residencies, and Visiting Engagements
Professional Memberships
Bio
Administrator Info
Name: Becca Johnson
Phone: 612-624-9996
Fax: 612-625-4410
Email: joh07913@umn.edu
Mail: Mayo Memorial Building, MMC 250, 420 Delaware Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455
Summary
Dr. Galdys graduated from the UMN Medical School. She completed a combined residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics followed by a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Dr. Galdys serves as the Assistant Medical Director of Infection Prevention and as Assistant Hospital Epidemiologist. Her research interests include the use of molecular techniques to detect transmission patterns of bacteria in healthcare settings. In addition to her Infection Prevention roles, Dr. Galdys has a clinical practice that consists of caring for general inpatient and outpatient infectious diseases. Her areas of clinical interest include Clostridioides difficile infection and orthopedic infections.
Research Summary
- Molecular epidemiology of healthcare-associated pathogens
- Infection reporting and accountability
- Outbreak Detection Hospital preparedness for emerging pathogens
Clinical Summary
- C. difficile infection
- Orthopedic Infections
Education
Fellowships, Residencies, and Visiting Engagements
Honors and Recognition
Selected Publications
Bio
Administrator Info
Name: Admin
Phone: 612-624-9996
Email: idimdivision@umn.edu
Fax: 612-625-4410
Summary:
Dr. Gulleen is a physician-scientist trained in global health, epidemiology, implementation science, and immunocompromised infectious diseases. She has a particular interest in infections that occur in the oncology and hematopoietic stem cell transplant populations. Her research focuses on defining the microbiology of febrile illness among patients receiving cancer treatment in sub-Saharan Africa, with the goal of developing locally relevant infection management guidelines that will decrease infection-related mortality in this patient population. In addition, she uses implementation science to improve the diagnosis and management of infections and build antimicrobial stewardship programs for patients receiving cancer treatment in resource-limited settings. Dr. Gulleen is the PI of a Center for AIDS Research New Investigator Award investigating gastrointestinal colonization with multi-drug resistant bacteria among patients receiving cancer treatment in Uganda. She is also the PI of a study which uses principles of implementation science to identify and address barriers to rapid delivery of guideline-recommended antibiotics for Ugandan patients with neutropenic fever, funded by Fogarty International.
Dr. Gulleen is passionate about working with local clinicians and researchers to build collaborative, multi-disciplinary global health research programs that directly inform patient care. She has longstanding multidisciplinary clinical and research collaborations with colleagues at the Uganda Cancer Institute in Kampala, Uganda.
Expertise: Transplant Infectious Diseases; Tropical Medicine; Implementation Science; Epidemiology; Global Health
Research Summary
Microbiology, diagnosis, and management of febrile illness among patients with cancer; HIV-related opportunistic infections in oncology populations; Using implementation science to improve infection management in resource-limited settings; Antimicrobial stewardship in the immunocompromised host
Teaching Summary
Global Health; Implementation science; Antibiotic use and antimicrobial stewardship
Clinical Summary
Infectious diseases in the immunocompromised host; Antimicrobial stewardship; Clinical tropical medicine
Bio
Administrator Info
Name: Admin
Phone: 612-624-9996
Fax: 612-625-4410
Email: idimdivision@umn.edu
Mail: Mayo Memorial Building, MMC 250, 420 Delaware Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455
Summary
Dr. Hart performed his dissertation research in the Center for Immunology at the University of Minnesota. Postdoctoral work at the NIH has focused on malaria research. His primary interest is centered on innate immunity, particularly NK cells, in malaria. Using a basic immunology approach, he collaborates with on-going studies in malaria endemic regions of Africa to try to understand protective and pathological mechanisms of this deadly disease.
Research Summary
Basic human immunology Malaria immunity and pathogenesis Antibody mediated immunity Innate inflammation regulation Human immunology of malaria There is no approved vaccine for malaria, and there are still many fundamental unanswered questions for malaria immunity. The Hart lab believes many of these unanswered questions lie where innate immunity intersects with the adaptive immune system. Using a basic immunology approach, they collaborate with on-going studies in malaria endemic regions of Africa. Current malaria projects center around understanding the mechanism of antibody mediated immunity and innate regulatory mechanisms (or lack thereof) in pathological immune responses. We use human subject samples primarily for our studies, and we are also developing novel mouse models to better understand in vivo dynamics where needed.Dr. Hart is a new Primary Investigator in the MICaB program and is excited to train and mentor the next generation of MICaB graduate students. Rotation spots are currently available for the 2017 incoming class. Please apply via email (hart0792@umn.edu).
Clinical Summary
Vaccine development; Immunotherapy
Education
Bio
Administrator Info
Name: Admin
Phone: 612-624-9996
Fax: 612-625-4410
Email: idimdivision@umn.edu
Mail: Mayo Memorial Building, MMC 250, 420 Delaware Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455
Summary
Alon Herschhorn Ph.D. is an Associate Professor with tenure in the Department of Medicine at the University of Minnesota. Prior to his current faculty appointment, Dr. Herschhorn held a faculty position as Instructor in Microbiology and Immunobiology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, where he developed strong research program on virus entry and fate, with a specific focus on HIV-1. Dr. Herschhorn successfully obtained the prestigious Rothschild and amfAR fellowships as well as external funding, and developed productive collaborations with different research groups in USA and Canada.Dr. Herschhorn is leading a new research group in the Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine that will develop new tools to study, at the molecular and cellular levels, the mechanisms underlying virus-host interactions. His previous work provided new insights into the entry process of HIV-1, the conformational dynamics of the HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins, and the cellular processes that contribute to the fate of viral infection.
Research Summary
My laboratory is working on exciting directions to understand and target HIV-1 host interactions at the molecular and cellular levels. We use interdisciplinary approaches at the interface of synthetic and molecular virology, immunology and cell biology to gain new insights into complex biological processes with the aim of translating these insights into novel therapies and vaccines to treat and prevent viral infections.
Clinical Summary
HIV-1 infection and latency; HIV-1 vaccine and eradication
Education
Bio
Administrator Info
Name: Admin
Phone: 612-624-9996
Fax: 612-625-4410
Email: idimdivision@umn.edu
Mail: Mayo Memorial Building, MMC 250, 420 Delaware Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455
Summary
Dr. Kavalier completed her undergraduate medical education at the University of Illinois in Peoria and Internal Medicine residency at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. She was a member of the Global Health Pathway and traveled to Ethiopia where she practiced medicine and conducted research on hand hygiene and antibiogram development. During her fellowship in Infectious Diseases at the University of Wisconsin, she also completed the Tropical Medicine and Traveler’s Health Course through the University of Minnesota. At the University of Minnesota she will continue to work in global health research and education as well as general infectious diseases.
Research Summary
- Hand Hygiene
- Antimicrobial Stewardship and Antibiogram Development
- Rapid Diagnostic Test Development
Teaching Summary
Tropical Medicine and Traveler’s Health; Sexually Transmitted Infections; General Infectious Diseases
Clinical Summary
General Infectious Diseases; Travel-related conditions; Sexually Transmitted Infections
Fellowships, Residencies, and Visiting Engagements
Bio
Administrator Info
Name: Becca Johnson
Phone: 612-624-9996
Fax: 612-625-4410
Email: joh07913@umn.edu
Mail: Mayo Memorial Building, MMC 250, 420 Delaware Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455
Summary
After graduating from the University of Minnesota Medical School in 1988, Dr. Kline completed her Internal Medicine residency at the University of Minnesota Medical Center and its affiliated sites. Following completion of her residency she worked in General Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine for one year at the University of Minnesota Medical Center. She then began her Infectious Disease Fellowship at the University of Minnesota Medical Center and affiliated sites. She also completed her Masters in Public Health during her ID fellowship with an emphasis in Infectious Disease Epidemiology. Dr. Kline then for joined the Internal Medicine faculty in 1994 and is currently a Professor. In addition she has been the Medical Director for Infection Control at the University of Minnesota Medical Center since 1996. She helped establish the Antibiotic Management Team at the University of Minnesota Medical Center in 2007. She currently is the Co-Director of the General Infectious Disease service and the Physician Director of Antimicrobial Management for the ID Division. She also is Co-Director of the HIV Family Clinic in the Delaware Street Clinic. She is the Hospital Epidemiologists for the University of Minnesota Medical Center.
Research Summary
Her research interests include the epidemiology of healthcare associated infections and prevention of these infections. In addition to her work on Infection Control and Antibiotic Decision Support systems Susan Kline is currently conducting a randomized clinical trial, "Effectiveness of Screening and Decolonization of S. aureus in Surgery Outpatients". She recently completed another RCT in 2013, "A Trial for the Safety and Effectiveness of a Novel Antimicrobial-Coated Foley Catheter for Reduction of CAUTI".
Clinical Summary
Her clinical interests include general infectious diseases, TB, tropical infectious diseases and HIV/AIDs, including prevention of perinatal transmission of HIV. She sees patients in the Delaware Street Clinic and does ID consultations in the University of Minnesota Medical Center; Antibiotic Management Team
Education
Fellowships, Residencies, and Visiting Engagements
Bio
Administrator Info
Name: Admin
Phone: 612-624-9996
Fax: 612-625-4410
Email: idimdivision@umn.edu
Mail: Mayo Memorial Building, MMC 250, 420 Delaware Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455
Summary
Dr. Leuck is an infectious diseases physician with a focus on medical education and on finding better treatments for biofilm-related infections including left ventricular assist device (LVAD) infections and prosthetic joint infections. She grew up in Des Moines, Iowa and studied plant science at Brown University prior to attending the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. She then moved to Minneapolis for residency and fellowship training at the University of Minnesota.
Research Summary
Treatment of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) infections Bacteriophage therapy for biofilm-related infections Treatment of COVID-1
Clinical Summary
Infectious Disease
Fellowships, Residencies, and Visiting Engagements
Bio
Administrator Info
Name: Admin
Phone: 612-624-9996
Fax: 612-625-4410
Email: idimdivision@umn.edu
Mail: Microbiology Research Building, 1st floor mail room, MMC 2821, 689 23rd Ave S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455
Summary
My past focus and future professional goals include researching the pathogenesis of depression in HIV-infected persons, the impact of mental health on HIV care engagement, and HIV treatment outcomes in resource-limited settings of sub-Saharan Africa. During my infectious disease fellowship, I was engaged in clinical and translational research at Makerere University in Uganda and am continuing this work into my faculty position.
Research Summary
The pathogenesis of depression in HIV-infected persons The impact of mental health on HIV care engagement HIV treatment outcomes in resource-limited settings of sub-Saharan Africa.
Clinical Summary
Native American Care; General Infectious Diseases; HIV
Education
Fellowships, Residencies, and Visiting Engagements
Bio
Administrator Info
Name: Admin
Phone: 612-624-9996
Fax: 612-625-4410
Email: idimdivision@umn.edu
Mail: Microbiology Research Building, 1st floor mail room, MMC 2821, 689 23rd Ave S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455
Summary
Research in our neurovirology laboratory specifically investigates the role of CNS-infiltrating peripheral immune cells in driving chronic activation of brain-resident glial cells following viral infection. We are currently investigating the role of CD19(-)CD38(+)CD138(+) plasma cells and antiviral antibodies persisting within the CNS during chronic herpesvirus brain infection. We are also applying our viral brain infection models to study experimental immune reconstitution disease of the CNS (CNS-IRD) using T-cell repopulation of lymphopenic hosts (MAIDS animals) harboring HSV brain infection. As well as in the brain, dysregulated chronic immune activation and immune cell infiltration likely promote analogous nerve damage and neurotoxicity within the lumbar spinal cord (LSC) and dorsal root ganglia (DRG). These findings have led us to new studies on the neuropathogenesis of LP-BM5 retrovirus infection (i.e., MAIDS)-induced peripheral neuropathy.
Research Summary
Our research laboratory studies the pathogenesis of viral brain infection in mice. We work in the field of neurovirology; which is at the interface of virology, immunology, and neuroscience. We are a biomedical research laboratory, working on modeling disease processes. We currently have two projects funded through individual R01 grants from the National Institutes of Health. In the first project, funded through NINDS, we are investigating whether recall immune responses from virus-specific, brain-resident memory T cells (bTRM) activate brain-resident glia and induce production of neurotoxic mediators. Our goal is to determine whether adaptive recall responses to viral Ag trigger tissue-wide innate immune responses from reactive glia and promote inflammation-induced synaptic damage, neurotoxicity, and long-term neurocognitive impairment. In our second project, which is funded through the NIMH, we are trying to determine whether glial cells are viable cellular targets for immunotherapy. Microglia are the main reservoir for HIV-1 within the brain and potential exists for negative immune checkpoint blockade immunotherapies to purge viral reservoirs. There is currently a great deal of research interest in using checkpoint inhibitors to purge HIV in “cure” strategies. The vast majority of these trials target the PD-1: PD-L1 pathway. In this project, we are investigating cytolytic responses of CD8+ T lymphocytes against primary microglia loaded with viral peptide epitopes to determine whether immune checkpoint blockade targeting this pathway may be beneficial in clearing viral brain reservoirs.
Education
Fellowships, Residencies, and Visiting Engagements
Bio
Administrator Info
Name: Admin
Phone: 612-624-9996
Fax: 612-625-4410
Email: idimdivision@umn.edu
Mail: Mayo Memorial Building, MMC 250, 420 Delaware Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455
Summary
After graduating from Damascus University, Faculty of Medicine in 1998, Dr. Obeid completed his Internal Medicine training in 2003 and Infectious Diseases training in 2007 at Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan. Dr. Obeid practiced Internal Medicine at William Beaumont Hospital and Infectious Diseases at St. John Hospital and Medical Center where he attended on inpatient consultation rounds and supervised Infectious Diseases fellows, Internal Medicine residents, and medical students. He also was an Assistant Professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Dr. Obeid served as the consultant of latent and active TB cases for the Macomb County Health Department in Michigan. His research activities focused on infections in immunocompromised patients, which lead Dr. Obeid to pursue a one year special Fellowship training in the field of Transplant Infectious Diseases at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. After his graduation from this special training in 2014 he joined the Infectious Diseases Division at the University of Minnesota as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Obeid's research interests are focused on therapies and outcomes in immunocompromised patients especially solid organ and bone marrow transplant recipients.
Research Summary
Clinical research and research related to outcomes in immuno-compromised patients
Clinical Summary
Solid Organ Transplant; Infectious Disease; Nosocomial Infections; Infections in Immunocompromised patients; Bone Marrow Transplant Infectious Diseases; Fever of Unknown Origin
Education
Fellowships, Residencies, and Visiting Engagements
Professional Memberships
Selected Publications
Bio
Administrator Info
Name: Admin
Phone: 612-624-9996
Fax: 612-625-4410
Email: idimdivision@umn.edu
Mail: Mayo Memorial Building, MMC 250, 420 Delaware Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455
Summary
Dr. Matthew Pullen completed both his medical education and residency at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, Tennessee, followed by an infectious diseases and international medicine fellowship at the University of Minnesota. Prior to fellowship, his primary areas of research were novel sequencing techniques and group A streptococcus. During fellowship, his research has primarily focused on tuberculosis, cryptococcal meningitis, and COVID-19. He was awarded an NIH Fogarty Global Health Fellowship, allowing him to spend a year working on tuberculosis whole genome sequencing projects in Uganda, as well as performing clinical duties as a consultant and providing medical education lectures.
Research Summary
- Data science
- Epidemiology
- Biodefense
Clinical Summary
COVID-19; Tuberculosis; Cryptococcal meningitis