About PIDS

C. Buddy Creech, MD, MPH is Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, and Director of the Vanderbilt Vaccine Research Program at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Dr. Creech is Principal Investigator of the NIH-funded Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Unit and co-PI for the CDC-funded Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment Project. His work focuses on the evaluation of new vaccines and therapeutics targeting a number of pathogens, including S. aureus, influenza, RSV, C. difficile, and pertussis. Dr. Creech serves as President for PIDS and he also represents PIDS on the IDSA Training Programs Committee, and is the PIDS liaison to the Council of Pediatric Subspecialties.

Kristina Bryant, MD is Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Louisville, Director of the Kosair Charities Fellowship in Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiologist at Norton Children’s Hospital. The majority of her professional activity is devoted to clinical service, education of fellows and residents, and oversight of infection control and hospital epidemiology at Norton Children’s Hospital. Dr. Bryant’s research interests include vaccine clinical trials and prevention of healthcare-acquired infections. She has been a member of PIDS since 2000. Dr. Bryant has served on the PIDS Training Programs Committee since 2004, with stints as chair and co-chair. Also since 2008, she has served as the moderator or co-moderator of the annual Pediatric Fellows’ Day Program held during IDWeek. She completed a two-year term as PIDS President in 2021 and currently serves as the PIDS Past President and current President for the PIDS Foundation.

William J. Steinbach, MD, is the Samuel L. Katz Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics, Professor in Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Vice Chair of Research, and Chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Duke University.  He also serves as the Research Co-Director for the Duke Transplant Center, and Medical Director of the Duke Children’s Clinical Research Unit overseeing 813 pediatric studies. Dr. Steinbach has an extensive background of service to professional committees, including the American Academy of Pediatrics Red Book committee, and multiple PIDS committees over the past 15 years: Programs and Meetings, Research Affairs, Membership, and the IDWeek Planning Committee.  In 2018, he developed a new Division Chief working group for PIDS to more systematically link pediatric infectious diseases leaders, define workforce issues in the field and develop appropriate compensation strategies. Additionally, he is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a recent elect to the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the Association of American Physicians.

Deb Palazzi, MD, MEd is Professor of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. She is the Medical Director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at Texas Children’s Hospital and participates in national antimicrobial stewardship educational and research activities. Dr. Palazzi is Director of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program as well as Co-director of Fellows’ College in the Department of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. She has been on the PIDS Board since 2016 and now serves as PIDS Secretary-Treasurer. She is a member of the PIDS Committee on Antimicrobial Stewardship, PIDS Education Committee, as well as the PIDS Liaison to the Infectious Diseases Society of America Education Committee. Dr. Palazzi has been an Associate Editor of the Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society since 2016.