C. diff Talk: Addressing the burdens of C. diff through research, advocacy and hope

C. diff Talk: Addressing the burdens of C. diff through research, advocacy and hope

When Kathy Bischoff retired, she had plans to live out her dreams to travel and settle down in the Ozark Mountains. That dream quickly turned into a nightmare when she experienced her first diagnosis of Clostridioides difficile.   Despite affecting nearly 500,000 Americans each year, very few patients hear of C. diff before their diagnosis. Bischoff herself faced seven reoccurrences of this life-threatening disease within two-and-a-half years. Now, she is a volunteer for the C Diff Foundation and shares her story to…

ID workforce shortage: Why it’s crucial to support tomorrow’s ID leaders – today

ID workforce shortage: Why it’s crucial to support tomorrow’s ID leaders – today

Infectious diseases claim the lives of 17 million people around the world every year, and that number has risen due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, the average U.S. life expectancy dropped by a year and a half compared to 2019 – the largest decline since World War II. This decrease was even greater among historically marginalized populations.  The events…

COVID-19 stories from the front lines: Vaccine and therapeutics development for diseases with pandemic potential

COVID-19 stories from the front lines: Vaccine and therapeutics development for diseases with pandemic potential

According to Christopher da Costa, MD, PhD, FIDSA, there is very little in medicine that’s quite as exciting as infectious diseases. The unpredictability of an outbreak of a highly contagious infectious disease that could emerge without warning is fascinating – and the COVID-19 pandemic has been no exception.   With more than 20 years of clinical practice experience and over 15 years of experience working predominantly in vaccine and infectious diseases therapeutics clinical development for…

COVID-19 stories from the front lines: Lessons learned from HIV and a diagnosis of COVID-19

COVID-19 stories from the front lines: Lessons learned from HIV and a diagnosis of COVID-19

The first role infectious diseases specialist Michael Saag, MD, FIDSA, played in the COVID-19 pandemic was that of a patient.   He had just arrived home in Alabama after a 20-hour car ride from New York City with his son, Harry, on March 12, 2020, when Harry spiked a fever. Within days, Dr. Saag also developed symptoms, and he and Harry both tested positive…

Molecular Imaging of Bacterial Infections Awarded Grand Prize at 2021 IDea Incubator Competition to Support Innovation for Improving Infectious Diseases Care

Molecular Imaging of Bacterial Infections Awarded Grand Prize at 2021 IDea Incubator Competition to Support Innovation for Improving Infectious Diseases Care

Three finalists presented their potential innovations during IDWeek 2021  Arlington, VA – Sept. 29, 2021 – The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) Foundation, in collaboration with Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS (‘JLABS’), recently awarded more than $17,000 in funding through the 2021 IDea Incubator competition to three finalists for their promising innovations aimed at advancing the field of infectious diseases.  Sanjay Jain, MD, Filipa Mota, PhD, and Alvaro Ordonez, MD, of Johns Hopkins University took home the top grant of $10,000 for their innovation Molecular Imaging of Bacterial Infections. The…

Celebrate ‘The Rise of the ID Hero’: New annual report underscores critical role of ID specialists

Celebrate ‘The Rise of the ID Hero’: New annual report underscores critical role of ID specialists

The COVID-19 pandemic may have put a spotlight on the pervasiveness of infectious diseases, but it also brought into sharp focus the resilience of ID specialists and the critical role they play in reducing the burdens of diseases that affect us all.  As we celebrate the IDSA Foundation’s 20th anniversary this year, we celebrate not…

Vaccines 101: Celebrating Science’s Greatest Superpower

Vaccines 101: Celebrating Science’s Greatest Superpower

With diseases like polio and measles declared eliminated in the U.S. and smallpox eradicated worldwide, it’s hard to believe there was a time when these infections could be easily acquired. Many infections that once caused widespread illness and death are now simply anecdotes of the past, and at the heart of many of these successes are highly effective vaccines.  August is National Immunization Awareness Month, and in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic, there has never…

Mentor and mentee reflect on importance of relationships within the ID community

Mentor and mentee reflect on importance of relationships within the ID community

No matter the stage in a person’s career, one thing remains clear: mentorship can be a critical segue into the field of infectious diseases. That’s why we feel it’s important to pair experienced ID professionals with trainees who are interested in the field of ID through our IDWeek Mentorship Program, which helps foster meaningful relationships for both mentees and mentors.  Mentees benefit by gleaning important insights from leaders in the field, while…

Reaching Underserved Populations through the HIVMA/IDSA Foundation Clinical Fellowship Program

Reaching Underserved Populations through the HIVMA/IDSA Foundation Clinical Fellowship Program

More than 38 million people worldwide were living with HIV in 2019. That same year, the patient demand for HIV care outpaced the number of new specialists entering the field. The need for HIV-trained physicians continues to increase to meet this demand.  With advancements in antiretroviral treatments, individuals living with HIV now have a longer…