2019 Philly AIDS Walk

Members of the Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine participated in the 2019 Philly AIDS Walk on October 20, 2019. They fundraised $1950 exceeding their goal of $1500.

Nine Abstracts Presented at IDWeek 2018

The following abstracts were presented by infectious diseases fellows and faculty at this year's IDWeek, October 3–7 in San Francisco, California. The first-year fellows were awarded travel grants.

• "Higher 'No Show' Rates Are Associated With Lower Rates of Retention in HIV Care and Viral Suppression"
  A Althoff, M Dwyer, V Chew, E Gracely
• "Active Substance Use Should Not Be a Contraindication for Hepatitis C Treatment in Hepatitis C and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Co-infected Patients"
  Nabil Zeineddine, Dagan Coppock, Zsofia Szep, Tiffany Scott, Taneesa Frank, Anna Kesaris, Edgar Chou, Dong Heun Lee
• "Clinical Outcomes Associated With Various Treatment Options for Infections Caused by Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteroaceae"
  Aiman Bandali, Caytlin Deering, Elizabeth Gancher, Tiffany Bias
• "Impact of Mandatory Infectious Diseases Consultation on the Use of Core Measures and Mortality in Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia (SAB) at an Academic Medical Center"
  Elizabath Gancher, Sara Schultz, Marinela Ingilizova
• "Placental Pathology and Neonatal Outcomes in Pregnancies of Perinatally Versus Non-perinatally HIV Infected Women"
  Nabil Zeineddine, Florence Momplaisir
• "Mandatory Infectious Diseases or Hepatology Consult to Improve HCV Linkage to Care in the Inpatient Setting"
  Marinela Ingilizova, Dagan Coppock, Zsofia Szep, Kevin D’Mello, Taneesa Franks, Tiffany Scott, Anna Kesaris, Edgar Chou, Dong Heun Lee
• "Investigation of the Association Between Neurocognitive Function and Depression in HIV Infection"
  Brigid Mumford, Zsofia Szep
• "Discordance Between FibroSure and FibroScan Results in Hepatitis C and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Co-infected Patients Prior to Treatment for Hepatitis C Virus Infection"
  Melissa Tiyouh, Dong Heun Lee, Tiffany Scott, Tanessa Frank, Anna Kesaris, Edgar Chou, Dagan Coppock
• "Our Experience With M. marinum Cutaneous Infections in Three Patients Receiving Anti TNFα"
  Nabil Zeineddine, Melissa Tiyouh, and Todd Braun, Abington Memorial Hospital

Melissa Tiyouh presenting "Discordance Between FibroSure and FibroScan Results in Hepatitis C and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Co-infected Patients Prior to Treatment for Hepatitis C Virus Infection"

Nabil Zeineddine presenting "Our Experience With M. marinum Cutaneous Infections in Three Patients Receiving Anti TNFα"

25th Anniversary Celebration

The Partnership celebrated its 25th anniversary with "Living Positively," a symposium on aging with HIV, for health professionals and the community, on September 28, 2018, in Behrakis Hall at Drexel University.

Division Serves Meal at Gift of Life House

In December, Drexel Infectious Diseases & HIV Medicine served a warm dinner at Gift of Life Family House. Family House serves as a “home away from home” for transplant patients and their families by providing temporary, affordable lodging to those who travel to Philadelphia for transplant-related care. The event was arranged by Dr. Caytlin Deering (second-year fellow). The group served baked ziti and fruit jello.

Ken George Receives Red Ribbon Award

Ken George (1961–2017) received the 14th Annual Red Ribbon Award on World AIDS Day (December 1, 2017). The award honors people in the fight against HIV/AIDS, and is given in recognition of a policy-maker, a researcher, a provider, a community member, a pioneer and a young person who have made an outstanding contribution through their work. Ken served at the Partnership for 19 years, touching the lives of many people living with HIV infection. The award was accepted on his behalf by Dr. Zsofi Szep (PCCP director) and Ken's partner, Robert Fisher.

Infectious Disease Fellows Present at 2017 ID Week

View Photos

Division of Infectious Disease Co-investigators to Study Anal Dysplasia Among HIV-Infected Individuals

A $25,000 grant for an HIV Cancer Pilot Award from the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center will support a collaborative investigation into the severity of anal dysplasia, which can lead to anal cancer, and its association with inflammation in HIV infection. Read more.

Posters/Presentations Accepted for 2017 ID Week!

We had seven poster presentations and two oral presentations accepted at ID Week in October 2017 in San Diego. All three of our 2nd year ID fellows won a Travel Grant, as well, to sponsor their trip to San Diego!

• "Evaluating Outcomes of Mother-Infant Pairs Using Dolutegravir for Treatment of HIV During Pregnancy"
  Sibliss K, Kirby O, Nkwihoreze H, Aaron E, Alleyne G, Momplaisir F
  October 4-8, 2017, IDSA Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA (Accepted as a poster)
• "Factors Associated with Elevated HIV RNA Levels in HIV-Infected Individuals"
  Degener T, Allen S, Wilson A, Baranoski AS
  October 4-8, 2017, IDSA Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA (Accepted as a poster)
• "Assessing the Acceptability of a Community-Based Intervention to Improve the Continuum of Care of Postpartum Women Living with HIV"
  Akinde Y, Nkwihoreze H, Aaron E, Groves A.K., Alleyne G, Momplaisir F
  October 4-8, 2017, IDSA Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA (Accepted as a poster)
• "How can we do better? Experience of Hepatitis C Testing for Baby Boomers (1945-1965) in six primary care clinics"
  Bluen B, Kesaris A, Coppock D, Boyle S, Chou E, Lee D
  October 2017, 2017 ID week, San Diego, CA (Accepted as a poster)
• "Quality Assessment of Cytomegalovirus PCR Testing at an Academic Tertiary Referral Hospital"
  Bluen B, Krevolin K, Epstein S, Gancher E, Lee D
  October 4-8, 2017, IDSA Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA (Accepted as a poster)
• "Barriers to Hepatitis C Treatment in HIV co-infected Patients in the Era of new Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapy"
  Deering CA, Coppock D, Boyle S, Szep Z, Franks T, Scott T, Kesaris AC , Chou E, Lee D
  October 4-8, 2017, IDSA Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA (Accepted as a poster)
• "How to Save a Failing Fellowship: Drexel Infectious Disease Improvement in ACGME Fellow Survey Results"
  Schultz SK, Momplaisir F, Althoff A, Szep Z, Lee DH
  October 4-8, 2017, IDSA Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA (Accepted as a poster)
• "Impact of a shorter duration of antimicrobial prophylaxis in orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) patients"
  Bandali A, Bias TE, Lee D, Malat G
  October 4-8, 2017, IDSA Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA (Accepted as a poster)
• "The Emperor's New Clothes: Prospective Observational Evaluation of the Association between the Day 2 Vancomycin Exposure and Failure Rates among Adult Hospitalized Patients with MRSA Bloodstream Infections (PROVIDE)"
  Lodise TP, Jr., Rosenkranz SL, Finnemeyer M, Huvane J, Pereira A, Sims M, Zervos MJ, Creech CB, Patel PC, Keefer M, Riska P, Silveira FP, Scheetz M, Wunderink RG, Rodriguez M, Schrank J, Bleasdale SC, Schultz S, Barron M, Stapleton A, Chambers H, Fowler V, Jr., Holland TL
  October 4-8, 2017, IDSA Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA (Accepted as an oral presentation)
• "American Society of Transplantation Infectious Diseases Community of Practice: A Multicenter Study on Clinical Outcomes of Infections after 200 days of Liver Transplantation among Recipients 65 years and older"
  Malinis M, Ngo T, Garcia-Diaz J, Taimur S, Mueller N, Eid A, Vergadis P, Pursell K, Bhaskaran A, La Hoz R, Acevedo AB, Lee D, Pouch S, Avery R, Baddley J
  October 4-8, 2017, IDSA Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA (Accepted as an oral presentation)

2017 CURE Awardees

Elias El Haddad, PhD, professor of medicine, is a co-investigator for "Advancement of First-in-Class Macrocyclic HIV-1 Inactivators for Therapeutics and Cure," which received a 2017 CURE grant. See all 2017 CURE awardees.

Couples' HIV Testing and Counseling Study

The Drexel Women's Care Center has launched a two-year pilot study of couples' HIV testing and counseling in a prenatal care setting. Partnering with Emory University and the CDC, the Women's Care Center is currently enrolling prenatal patients and their partners in a study examining feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of a couples' HIV testing and counseling intervention. Eligible participants receive rapid HIV testing together with their partners and meet with a certified counselor to develop a relationship agreement, or couples-based risk reduction plan. Enrollment is ongoing.

Eligible participants include women initiating prenatal care at the Women's Care Center and their sexual partner(s). Study participation involves no cost to patients. A modest incentive is offered, as participants are expected to complete a one-session intervention as well as questionnaires at baseline and six-week follow-up.

For additional information, contact Emily Finley at emily.finley@drexelmed.edu or 267.507.6623.

Top Docs 2016

Congratulations to Todd Braun, MD, who was named a "Top Doctor" in Philadelphia magazine's annual list of the region's best physicians. For a list of all College of Medicine faculty physicians named in 2016: "Faculty Physicians Named 'Top Docs' by Philadelphia Magazine"

Collaborating for Culturally-Competent Care

Drexel professors give valuable insight into the pivotal collaborative work they are performing in the ongoing battle against HIV/AIDS. Download Report [PDF]

 
 Back to Top