Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

TRAINING PROGRAM DIRECTOR:  Vikram Anand, MD, PhD

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR/CO-DIRECTOR:  Pia Pannaraj, MD, MPH

COORDINATOR:  Ms. Jean Meadows

CHIEF, INFECTIOUS DISEASES:  Michael Neely, MD, MSc

MAJOR FEATURES OF TRAINING PROGRAM:  Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is a large free-standing children’s hospital. Our three-year program is designed to train fellows for positions in academic infectious diseases and to qualify them for subspecialty boards in pediatric infectious diseases. We provide rigorous clinical and research training. In addition, we welcome those interested in obtaining specialized training in antimicrobial stewardship, infection control, public health and global health. Fellows will be trained for inpatient and outpatient consultations on infections in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised children. Being in an urban hub, we also take care of immigrants and returned travelers from all over the world. There are additional opportunities for clinical infectious disease rotations and research in Latin America, Asia and Africa. The program includes formal training in clinical microbiology (virology, bacteriology, mycology, parasitology, and serology) as well as epidemiology, study design, biostatistics, and grant writing. Research is an integral part of the program in all three years. Fellows may work with mentors in different departments at CHLA and USC depending on their interest. Our research projects have considerable variability and include basic molecular biologic studies, translational studies, and clinical studies with supportive laboratory research. Present areas of research include studies relating to vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases, maternal-infant microbiome, antimicrobial pharmacokinetics, epidemiology of respiratory viruses, bacterial pathogenesis, neonatal infections, infections in immunocompromised hosts, emerging infections (e.g. Ebola, SARS CoV-2), global health, antibacterial stewardship, and infection control strategies.

TITLE(S) OF RECENT FELLOWS’ PUBLISHED PAPERS OF RESEARCH PROJECTS:

1. Shining the light on the pathogenicity of health care providers’ mobile phones: Use of novel ultraviolet C-wave disinfection device.
   Malhotra S, Wlodarczyk J, Kuo C, Ngo C, Glucoft M, Sumulong I, Smit MA, Bender JM.Am J Infect Control. 2020 Nov;48(11):1370-1374. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2020.05.040. Epub 2020 Jun 5.PMID: 32512083
2. An evidence based protocol for managing neonatal middle ear effusions in babies who fail newborn hearing screening.
   Weber BC, Whitlock SM, He K, Kimbrell BS, Derkay CS.Am J Otolaryngol. 2018 Sep-Oct;39(5):609-612. doi: 10.1016/j.amjoto.2018.04.004. Epub 2018 Apr 12.PMID: 29753496
3. Eight- year- old male with primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis
   Vareechon C, Tarro T, Polanco C, Anand V, Pannaraj PS, Dien Bard J.Open Forum Infect Dis. 2019 Jul 29;6(8):ofz349. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofz349. eCollection 2019 Aug.PMID: 31660390
4. Notes from the Field: Fatal Naegleria fowleri Meningoenchephalitis After Swimming in Hot Spring Water – California, 2018
   Vugia DJ, Richardson J, Tarro T, Vareechon C, Pannaraj PS, Traub E, Cope JR, Balter S.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2019 Sep 13;68(36):793-794. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6836a3.PMID: 31513557
5. The Kawasaki Disease Comparative Effectiveness (KIDCARE) trial: A phase III randomized trial of second intravenous immunoglobulin versus infliximab for resistant Kawasaki Disease
   Roberts SC, Jain S, Tremoulet AH, Kim KK, Burns JC; KIDCARE Multicenter Study Group, Anand V, Anderson M, Ang J, Ansusinha E, Arditi M, Ashouri N, Bartlett A, Chatterjee A, DeBiasi R, Dekker C, DeZure C, Didion L, Dominguez S, El Feghaly R, Erdem G, Halasa N, Harahsheh A, Jackson MA, Jaggi P, Jain S, Jone PN, Kaushik N, Kurio G, Lillian A, Lloyd D, Manaloor J, McNelis A, Michalik DE, Newburger J, Newcomer C, Perkins T, Portman M, Romero J, Ronis T, Rowley A, Schneider K, Schuster J, Tejtel SKS, Sharma K, Simonsen K, Szmuszkovicz J, Truong D, Wood J, Yeh S.Contemp Clin Trials. 2019 Apr;79:98-103. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2019.02.008. Epub 2019 Mar 3.PMID: 30840903

NUMBER OF INPATIENT/OUTPATIENT CONSULTS PER YEAR:  1,200

FELLOWS ACCEPTED EACH YEAR: 1

VISAS ACCEPTED: J1, H1B

FUNDING ENSURED FOR ALL 3 YEARS: Yes

IS COMPLETION OF PEDIATRIC RESIDENCY TRAINING IN THE U.S. OR CANADA A REQUIREMENT:  No

Program provides training (didactic lectures, hands or experience, or antimicrobial stewardship meetings/membership) in:

1. 1. Microbiology lab on site
   2. Infection control and hospital epidemiology
   3. Antimicrobial stewardship
   4. Immunocompromised hosts

Opportunities to fulfill the ABP requirements for scholarly activity is available in the following general areas:

1. 1. Antimicrobial agents
   2. Antimicrobial stewardship
   3. Bacteriology/bacterial infections
   4. Bioethics
   5. Clinical trials
   6. Epidemiology and statistics
   7. Global health
   8. HIV
   9. Immunizations
   10. Infection control/hospital epidemiology
   11. Medical education
   12. Mycology/fungal infections
   13. Parasitology/parasitic diseases
   14. Public health
   15. Quality improvement
   16. Transplant medicine
   17. Virology/viral diseases

Opportunities exist for research outside of the ID Division:  Yes

Program offers the opportunity to obtain a Master’s degree in a field such as Public Health, Education, Clinical Sciences or Epidemiology:  Yes