University of Tennessee Health Science Center/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

TRAINING PROGRAM DIRECTOR:  Elisabeth E. Adderson, MD, MSc

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR/CO-DIRECTOR:  Bindiya Bagga, MD

COORDINATOR:  Trachia Wilson, MEd

CHIEF, INFECTIOUS DISEASES:  Elaine Tuomanen, MD and Sandra Arnold, MD, MSc

MAJOR FEATURES OF TRAINING PROGRAM: Le Bonheur and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital provide almost all specialist care for children in the Memphis metropolitan and surrounding three-state area. Fellows see a large and diverse patient population in modern and well-equipped inpatient and ambulatory facilities. The program has a unique emphasis on infections in immunocompromised children. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is one of the nation’s largest pediatric oncology and stem cell transplant centers and offers comprehensive care to HIV-infected youth through its Pediatric AIDS Center of Excellence. Le Bonheur and the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center (UTHSC) Transplant Institute host one of the country’s largest solid organ transplant programs, including a new pediatric cardiac transplantation service. Program faculty direct nationally and internationally recognized research programs in respiratory infections, HIV, infections of immunocompromised patients, vaccine and drug development, antimicrobial stewardship, and the microbiome. Unparalleled infrastructure, including research education, molecular, cellular, and tissue resources, biostatistics, data management and analysis, grants and publication assistance, and laboratory services supports fellows’ participation in these efforts. Fellows may participate in advanced degree programs with tuition assistance. Extended protected time for research is offered to highly qualified trainees.

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

1. Hijano DR, Otterson D, Homsi MR, Su Y, Tang L, Kirby J, Caniza MA. Brown Recluse Spider Bites in Patients With Neutropenia: A Single-institution Experience. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2019 Jan;41(1):28-33. doi: 10.1097/MPH.0000000000001253. PMID: 30028826; PMCID: PMC6295234.
2. Flerlage T, Brazelton de Cardenas JN, Garner CD, Hasan NA, Karathia H, Qudeimat A, Maron G, Hayden R. Multiple NDM-5-Expressing Escherichia Coli Isolates From an Immunocompromised Pediatric Host. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2020 Jan 12;7(2):ofaa018. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofaa018. PMID: 32047833; PMCID: PMC7003983.
3. Goggin KP, Gonzalez-Pena V, Inaba Y, Allison KJ, Hong DK, Ahmed AA, Hollemon D, Natarajan S, Mahmud O, Kuenzinger W, Youssef S, Brenner A, Maron G, Choi J, Rubnitz JE, Sun Y, Tang L, Wolf J, Gawad C. Evaluation of Plasma Microbial Cell-Free DNA Sequencing to Predict Bloodstream Infection in Pediatric Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Cancer. JAMA Oncol. 2020 Apr 1;6(4):552-556. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2019.4120. Erratum in: JAMA Oncol. 2020 Feb 27;: PMID: 31855231; PMCID: PMC6990667.
4. Flerlage T, Souquette A, Allen EK, Brahm T, Crawford JC, Tang L, Sun Y, Maron G, Wolf J, Triplett B, Thomas PG. Nasal Wash Cytokines during Respiratory Viral Infection in Pediatric Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell-Transplant Recipients. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2020 Sep;63(3):349-361. doi: 10.1165/rcmb.2020-0014OC. PMID: 32551899; PMCID: PMC7710331.
5. Sharma A, Sitthi-Amorn J, Gavigan P, Wolf J, Agulnik A, Brenner A, Li Y, Johnson LM. Outcomes and Disposition of Oncology Patients With Non-neutropenic Fever and Positive Blood Cultures. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2021 Mar 1;43(2):47-51. doi: 10.1097/MPH.0000000000001878. PMID: 32604334; PMCID: PMC7762736.

GRANT FUNDING RECEIVED FOR FELLOW RESEARCH PROJECTS:

1. Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital Fellow Research Grant (2 fellows)
2. PIDS-St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Fellowship Award in Basic and Translational Science (1 fellow)

AFFILIATED HOSPITALS:

• Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
• St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

NUMBER OF INPATIENT/OUTPATIENT CONSULTS PER YEAR:  3,000

FELLOWS ACCEPTED EACH YEAR: 2

VISAS ACCEPTED: J1; H1B

FUNDING ENSURED FOR ALL 3 YEARS:  Yes

IS COMPLETION OF PEDIATRIC RESIDENCY TRAINING IN THE US OR CANADA A REQUIREMENT: No

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

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

1. Antimicrobial agents
2. Antimicrobial development
3. Antimicrobial stewardship
4. Bacteriology/bacterial infections
5. Clinical trials
6. Epidemiology and statistics
7. Global health
8. Immunizations
9. Infection control/hospital epidemiology
10. Mycology/fungal infections
11. Public health
12. Quality improvement
13. Transplant medicine
14. Vaccine development
15. 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 (assuming appropriate arrangements are made):  Yes