We are pleased to welcome our new UNMC ID Division Chief, Dr. David Warren. Dr. Warren succeeds Dr. Mark Rupp, who served as Division Chief since 2011.
Dr. Warren comes to us from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO, where he was the director of the Clinical Research Training Center, director of the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation Program, and Hospital Epidemiologist for Barnes-Jewish Hospital. University leaders including Dean Bradley Britigan, immediate past IM Department Chair Dr. Debra Romberger, and interim Department Chair Dr. Mark Rupp all praise Dr. Warren’s reputation of leadership and excellence in clinical research, education and mentorship, and clinical expertise, which will support and enhance the strong reputation of our division as we move into this new era. He has a keen interest and wealth of experience in mentoring trainees and junior faculty as we grow the next generation of infectious diseases physicians and scholars. Read on to get to know more about Dr. Warren!
Tell us a little about your background.
I was born and raised in Pittsburgh. I was a molecular and cell biology major at Penn State. My original plan was to get a PhD, but after a summer internship at the NIH where, on my first day of work, I had to sacrifice about 100 rats for a gene therapy study, I re-evaluated my goals. I attended the University of Pittsburgh for medical school, before going to Washington University in St. Louis for internal medicine residency and infectious diseases fellowship. I have conducted clinical research in the epidemiology and prevention of healthcare-associated related infections, particularly device- and procedure-related infections. I have a clinical interest in orthopedic infectious diseases. On a personal note, my wife is an internist – we met during residency. I have two children – my daughter, who lives in Pheonix, and my son who is currently a sophomore at the University of Colorado.
Why did you choose UNMC?
I am very excited to join the Infectious Diseases Division. The faculty at UNMC excel in many areas of clinical care and research, including transplant ID, orthopedic ID, the care of individuals living with HIV, infection prevention, antimicrobial stewardship, and biopreparedness, just to name a few. They serve as experts and leaders on national and international committees and panels. But most importantly, there is a spirit of support and camaraderie in the division. I felt it when I was interviewing for my position, and when I met several faculty and fellows at ID Week in October.
What about ID makes you excited?
The field of infectious diseases is never dull. ID specialists think of the whole patient. To us, social history is a critical part of our assessment. We often work with vulnerable individuals, and see firsthand how social determinants of health impact the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. Some of the accomplishments that I have been most proud of have been my work in healthcare epidemiology and the prevention of catheter-associated bloodstream infections. Since infections are often a consequence of system issues, ID specialists are in an ideal position to advocate for changes at a population level.
Tell us something interesting about yourself unrelated to medicine.
I enjoy the outdoors. One of my favorite vacations I have had was when my wife and I were residents and took a two-week trip to Colorado and Utah to go hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park, the Gunnison Wilderness Area, and Arches National Park. I have done winter hikes in the Rocky Mountains. I have taken several weekend bicycle trips on the KATY Trail in Missouri.