Children’s National Hospital

TRAINING PROGRAM DIRECTOR: Nada Harik, MD

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR/CO-DIRECTOR: Rana Hamdy, MD, MPH

COORDINATOR:  Ms. Tyesha Williams

CHIEF, INFECTIOUS DISEASES: Roberta DeBiasi, MD, MS

MAJOR FEATURES OF TRAINING PROGRAM:  We are proud of our pediatric infectious diseases training program and its unique training opportunities. Our goals are to: (1) graduate pediatric infectious diseases physicians who are well equipped to become academic faculty and who will have fruitful careers as clinicians, educators, and researchers; (2) ensure that the fellowship’s learning environment is supportive and yet challenging and that our fellows continue to develop habits that foster life-long independent learning; and (3) provide protected time for fellows to devote to their research projects and to pair fellows with mentors who are committed to furthering fellows’ research careers.

Our training program consists of three tracks: two are FDA Tracks affiliated with the United States Food and Drug Administration, and the third is a Traditional Track. Clinical training is identical for all three tracks, with the tracks differing in research training focus. We also offer a 4-year combined internal medicine-pediatric infectious diseases fellowship program in partnership with the NIAID. Research for the Traditional Track can be performed at a variety of sites depending on the fellow’s research interests. For the FDA Tracks, research is performed at the FDA and involves oversight and review of licensed and investigational antimicrobials or vaccines.

Title(s) of Recent Fellows’ Published Research Papers:

1. Bozzella MJ, Soghier L, Harris T, Zell L, Short BL, Song X. Impact of decolonization on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus transmission and infection in a neonatal intensive care unit. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2019 Oct;40(10):1123-1127.
2. Taormina G, Gopinath R, Moore J, Yasinskaya Y, Colangelo P, Reynolds K, Nambiar S. A Regulatory Review Approach for Evaluation of Micafungin for Treatment of Neonatal Candidiasis. Clin Infect Dis. 2021 Jan 18.
3. Vannella KM, Stein S, Connelly M, Swerczek J, Amaro-Carambot E, Coyle EM, Babyak A, Winkler CW, Saturday G, Gai ND, Hammoud DA, Dowd KA, Valencia LP, Ramos-Benitez MJ, Kindrachuk J, Pierson TC, Peterson KE, Brenchley JM, Whitehead SS, Khurana S, Herbert R, Chertow DS. Nonhuman primates exposed to Zika virus in utero are not protected against reinfection at 1 year postpartum. Sci Transl Med. 2020 Oct 28;12(567).
4. Yonts A, Yang S. Clinical Review for original Biologic License Application (BLA) for Jynneos® (Smallpox and Monkeypox vaccine, live, non-replicating). Posted 24  September 2019. https://www.fda.gov/media/131870/download
5. Hefter Y, Wollersheim SK. Clinical Review for Supplemental Biologics License Application for Sanofi Pasteur, Inc. Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent Influenza Virus Vaccine. Posted 4 November 2019. https://www.fda.gov/media/138142/download

AFFILIATED HOSPITALS: Children’s National Hospital

NUMBER OF INPATIENT/OUTPATIENT CONSULTS PER YEAR:  1,600

FELLOWS ACCEPTED EACH YEAR: 3

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? Yes

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

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

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

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. Virology/viral diseases
17. Transplant medicine

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 (assuming appropriate arrangements are made): Yes

Graduate school courses are available to trainee (assuming appropriate arrangements are made): YES