The Division of Infectious Diseases has gained international recognition for outstanding research in medical mycology and opportunistic infections. In fact, the division has recently been awarded one of three Mycology Research Units sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The unit at The University of Cincinnati is a collaborative effort with investigators from The University of Wisconsin and Washington University in St. Louis. The areas of investigation include: host response and cellular immune responses to Histoplasma capsulatum and Pneumocystis carinii; analysis of molecular genetics and basic biology of P. carinii; and development of drug screening assays for P. carinii and P. carinii genomics. One of the primary features of the division is the strong collaboration between its physician and basic science investigators. There is also a tight interaction between members of the basic science departments within the college of medicine and divisional faculty.

This interdisciplinary approach to research has attracted substantial NIH and Veterans Affairs Medical Center funding, both as investigator-initiated and program project grants. The division has been among the leaders in the department and college of medicine in its level of extramural grant support for over a decade. Current funding from extramural sources exceeds $4 million. The scientific accomplishments of faculty members have been recognized by publication in high quality journals, presentations at national meetings, invited lectures and memberships on study sections and professional organizations.

The infectious diseases research laboratories are housed in the Medical Sciences Building of the college of medicine and in the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. At both locations, the labs of several faculty members are clustered in the same geographic area; this arrangement facilitates collaboration and sharing of resources.

In addition to the mycology research program, there is a clinically based research effort that is centered on HIV and its attendant complications. Physicians within the division treat more than 90 percent of the HIV patients in the Cincinnati metropolitan area and deliver organized, high-quality care. Protocols exist for obtaining and preserving pathologic specimens of interest from HIV patients. These activities have provided a wealth of material for basic and clinical research studies involving human subjects. There is a clinical database that allows for retrospective studies. The division receives Ryan White Title III funding for the care of HIV-infected individuals. Other grant programs include HIV partner testing and prevention efforts funded by the Cincinnati Health Department -- an AIDS Education Training Center -- and studies of human papilloma virus in HIV-infected individuals.

The division has been an NIH-funded AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) for many years, and faculty members have gained national prominence for their leadership roles in designing and conducting multi-center studies. In fact, the AIDS program has been rated in the top one-third in the U.S. The division has joined a consortium of medical centers to conduct pharmaceutically sponsored clinical trials of new antimicrobial drugs for HIV and other infectious diseases. The expertise and infrastructure that have been developed give the division a competitive edge in applying for pharmaceutical or health services research studies.

Current Clinical Trials