Division of Infectious Diseases

microBio (Part 2): The Career of Dr. Mark Rupp

This post is part of a multi-part installment exploring the career and life of Dr. Mark Rupp, outgoing Chief of Infectious Disease at UNMC. If you missed our first post introducing Dr. Rupp and this series, catch up here. Otherwise, read on to learn more about Dr. Rupp’s career in medicine and his impact on UNMC.

I’ve been fortunate to enjoy a long career at UNMC and I have many persons to thank. After completing residency in Internal Medicine, I spent 4 years as an ID Fellow at Virginia Commonwealth University and trained in Dr. Gordon Archer’s lab studying staphylococcal pathogenesis.  I came to UNMC in 1992 to join the new UNMC/Creighton University combined ID Division led by Laurel Preheim.  Prior to 1992, UNMC ID was an ID “one-man show” with J Calvin Davis. The UNMC component of the combined ID Division consisted of Drs. Swindells, Dominguez, Rupp, and Preheim, with Cal Davis leading the University Hospital infection control program.

Dr. Rupp and the Staphylococcal Research Lab

I opened a lab at UNMC primarily directed toward understanding adherence and biofilm formation in coagulase-negative staphylococci. One of the smartest professional decisions I made was the recruitment of Dr. Paul Fey to UNMC ID and the Staphylococcal lab.  Dr. Fey has been tremendously successful and was a cornerstone in the development of the UNMC Center for Staphylococcal Research.

In about 1994, I assumed leadership of the infection control program, and most of my career has been dedicated to better understanding and preventing healthcare-associated infections. In 1998, with the merger between Clarkson Hospital and University Hospital, Dr. Phillip Smith transitioned to the UNMC ID Division Chief position. Phil moved the Division forward and had the foresight to establish the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit. 

A few of my career highlights include my service on the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Board of Directors and being the President of SHEA in 2009 (the year of the H1N1 flu pandemic – just a warmup act for the 2019 COVID-19 pandemic). I founded the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at UNMC in 2004 and turned over the directorship to Dr. Van Schooneveld in 2009, who has helped to build the stewardship program into the nationally recognized program it is today.  I was fortunate to assume leadership of the ID Division in 2011.   

Dr. Rupp receiving the UNMC Distinguished Scientist Award (2013)

In 2014, the ID Division was tested during the West Africa Ebola outbreak, and the Biocontainment Unit, established by Drs. Smith and Angela Hewlett, rose to the occasion with great success and notoriety.  The care of patients with Ebola hemorrhagic fever was the start of the next phase of the UNMC Biosecurity Program and led to the development of the Global Center for Health Security.  The UNMC ID Fellowship kicked off in 2012 and, despite stiff headwinds from national ID training trends, under the leadership of Dr. VanSchooneveld, has been terrifically successful. In part because of our performance during the Ebola outbreak, the CDC supported our development of the Nebraska ICAP and ASAP programs in 2015 (a unique model of cooperation between the CDC, NEHHS, and UNMC to improve infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship throughout the state of Nebraska) which came under the capable leadership of Dr. Salman Ashraf in 2017 and now Dr. Juan Teran.  I served as the Chief of Staff for Nebraska Medicine in 2018 and 2019 and remember thinking as 2019 was winding down that I would enjoy not having quite as many 6:30 or 7:00 AM or 5 PM meetings.  Unfortunately, SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 pandemic had different plans.  Again, the UNMC ID Division stood up and served in an exemplary fashion. 

Dr. Rupp and the Clinical Trials Office (CTO) he directed for over a decade

It has been incredibly gratifying to help the UNMC ID Division grow from the 3 UNMC faculty in 1992 to the over 30 faculty, over one dozen specialized APPs, 6 Fellows, and dozens of support staff and clinical researchers that make up the Division today and to witness UNMC ID blossom into a nationally well-recognized Division with excellent training programs, state of the art clinical care, and vibrant clinical research. UNMC ID is known for expertise in immunocompromised host ID that has been developed over the years by Drs. Kalil, Florescu (who tragically died in 2023), Freifeld, and Zimmer; HIV care capably led by Dr. Swindells for many years and more recently by Drs. Fadul and Bares; Orthopedic ID led by Drs. Hewlett and Cortes-Penfield; and Community Practice led by Dr. Starlin.  Many other faculty are involved in our programs in infection prevention, antimicrobial stewardship, OPAT, biocontainment, telehealth, DEI/Advocacy, and other areas.  We are truly fortunate to have so many smart, talented, and hardworking people call UNMC ID their professional home. UNMC ID is a wonderful mix of persons of different ages, genders, ethnic backgrounds, and religious/cultural beliefs – it is a place where people are comfortable and can achieve their full potential.

As I wind down my career in UNMC ID, there are so many to thank for the great opportunities and support I’ve been afforded.  I would also be remiss to not note that any career success I’ve enjoyed has only been possible with the unwavering support of my wife and family.                           

-Dr. Mark E. Rupp

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Announcing ‘microBio’: a blog-ography featuring prominent voices in ID and beyond

We are thrilled to announce a new blog post series on the UNMC ID blog: microBio. microBio is a biographical exploration of the lives and careers of ID physicians and scientists at UNMC segmented into multiple periodic installations. In this series, we will gain a deeper understanding of the professionals and leaders who have worked tirelessly to make UNMC ID better.

Who better to be our inaugural featured physician than Dr. Mark Rupp, outgoing Chief of Infectious Disease here at UNMC. Dr. Rupp has been an incredibly impactful force for good during his tenure at UNMC ID. We recently recognized his continued service in educating the public on ID topics on Rural Health Matters, a television show that features experts discussing various health topics and their impact on farmers, ranchers, and rural Americans. In the same vein, he was also recently awarded the prestigious Bartee Advocacy of Science Award in recognition of his exceptional community engagement as a scientist. Dr. Rupp has also garnered national recognition as well, having previously served as president of the Society for Hospital Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and as a consultant for the FDA, CDC, NIH, and the VA. He has also published well over 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles. As you will see during the series of upcoming microBio posts, these achievements only scratch the surface of the positive changes he oversaw in the Division and University at large. Dr. Rupp plans to stay on as faculty for several more years, and we thank him for his leadership through pandemics, outbreaks, and impressive growth in the Division.

Please tune in to the upcoming 3 microBio posts exploring Dr. Rupp’s career, life, and advice/outlook for the next generation of ID professionals. For now, though, enjoy a sneak peek below, where Dr. Rupp offers how he got interested in medicine and how that interest matured into a passion for ID?

I have had a life-long interest in biology/life science.  My mother related that she thought I would be a doctor when I showed an interest during elementary school in microbiologists and “Microbe Hunters” a book published back in 1926 by the famous bacteriologist Paul De Kruifl (and no, despite common belief, I was not around to work with Dr. De Kruif or read the initial release).  I earned a degree in Chemical Engineering because I’ve always been a “belt and suspenders” kind of person and wanted to have a profession to fall back on if I was not able to get into med school.  While in medical school at Baylor College of Medicine (a few years before Dr. Cortes-Penfield – also a Baylor grad), I thought I wanted to be a surgeon.  I ended up going into Internal Medicine due to the very broad career choices available and eventually came around to ID because “you just got to love them bugs!”    

-Dr. Mark E. Rupp

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Clinical Guidance for Next-Generation Sequencing of Infectious Diseases: Q&A from the Antimicrobial Stewardship Team

photo of Dr. Cichon smiling. her hair is long and blonde, and she is wearing a black blazer with a white blouse

The UNMC/Nebraska Medicine Antimicrobial Stewardship team has developed a new clinical guidance regarding use of infectious disease next generation sequencing diagnostic tests. There is currently no national consensus regarding the use of ID-NGS tests, nor have they been systematically compared to a diagnostic gold standard. The UNMC Antimicrobial Stewardship team reviewed the literature and evaluated UNMC’s most common uses of ID-NGS tests to develop this set of practical guidelines. The guidelines project and this blog post were led by one of our recent graduates, Dr. Cathy Cichon, MD, MPH, during her fellowship.

What is NGS?

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is a culture-free method of analyzing the microbes within a sample. These tests sequence all or part of the microbial DNA or RNA in a patient specimen (such as serum, tissue, or cerebrospinal fluid [CSF]). 

What NGS tests are currently available?

All NGS tests are send-out studies. The most common NGS tests that Nebraska Medicine clinicians order are the Karius Test, University of Washington Broad-Range PCR, and Delve Bio (previously UCSF Center for Next-Gen precision diagnostics) CSF cell-free DNA. 

What are the advantages of NGS testing verses conventional microbiology?

The benefits of NGS testing include the potential detection of obscure or rare pathogens, detection of pathogens that are difficult to grow using conventional methods, or detection of pathogens in patients previously treated with antimicrobials. 

What are the drawbacks of NGS testing verses conventional microbiology?

The limitations of NGS testing include high cost (>$1000), long turnaround times due to shipping requirements, the detection of commensal/non-pathogenic organisms, and lack of antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Additionally, they have not been compared to a diagnostic gold standard and their performance (sensitivity, specificity, etc.) is unknown. 

When are NGS tests useful?

NGS tests have been proposed as a diagnostic tool for a variety of clinical syndromes. While studies are still ongoing, to date the Karius Test has been most useful for culture-negative endovascular infections (i.e. endocarditis or mycotic aneurysm) and the University of Washington Broad-Range PCR has been most useful for biopsies of focal infections (i.e. culture-negative osteomyelitis) where traditional cultures have been negative. They can be considered in other limited circumstances when traditional testing is unrevealing, as detailed in the new guidance document. They are not useful for undifferentiated clinical syndromes (i.e. febrile neutropenia, polyarthritis, etc.). They should only be considered where the result will change care such as if the patient is expected to need >14 days of antibiotics or there is concern that empiric antibiotics will be inadequate. 

Who can order NGS tests?

Due to the complexity of interpretation and cost, these tests can only be ordered by infectious diseases (ID) clinicians. If you think your patient would benefit from an NGS test, please consult the appropriate ID team. 

Where can I find the guidelines?

The guidelines are in the clinical microbiology section of the antimicrobial stewardship website: https://www.unmc.edu/intmed/_documents/id/asp/ngs.pdf

Antimicrobial Stewardship logo with a pill bottle and pill encircled by a polygon outlined in red, and a red rectangular shape to the right with the words Antimicrobial Stewardship written in it

UNMC ID Seeking Applications for Solid Organ Transplant/Oncology ID Faculty

Are you an exceptional infectious diseases physician specialized in the care of immunocompromised patients and dedicated to teaching and making a significant impact within a diverse and collaborative environment? If yes, we invite you to consider joining our world-class team as a Solid Organ Transplant (SOT)/Oncology ID (OncID) faculty member in the Infectious Diseases (ID) Division at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC).

UNMC’s robust solid organ transplant programs perform lung, heart, liver, kidney, pancreas, intestinal and multi-visceral organ transplants and attract patients from across the region and nation. UNMC’s Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center is NCI-designated and provides specialty care to patients with solid tumors and hematologic malignancies, including autologous and allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplants and CAR T cell therapies. As a SOT/OncID faculty member, you will work in collaboration with faculty from the Transplant and Cancer Centers to provide excellent clinical care, foster a stimulating learning environment, and engage in impactful research initiatives. You will also play a crucial role in educating and mentoring future medical professionals while contributing to the advancement and success of UNMC. 

Responsibilities:

  • Deliver exceptional care for solid organ transplant and oncology patients to optimize clinical outcomes.
  • Provide high-quality instruction and mentorship to medical students, residents, and fellows in a positive, inclusive, and dynamic learning environment.
  • Collaborate with faculty colleagues, specialty APPs, and multidisciplinary staff. 
  • Conduct and contribute to clinical and translational research. 

Desired Characteristics: 

  • Advanced degree in a relevant field (MD, DO, MBBS, or equivalent).
  • Board certified or board eligible in Infectious Diseases.
  • Proven ability to teach and mentor medical students, residents, or fellows.
  • Strong communication skills, with proficiency in conveying complex information effectively.
  • Demonstrated research experience and a track record of scholarly publications.
  • Capability to work collaboratively in a team-oriented setting.

To learn more about UNMC ID: https://www.unmc.edu/intmed/divisions/id/index.html.

We look forward to your application and the opportunity to explore how your expertise and excellence can contribute to our vibrant academic community. If you are interested in this opportunity, please apply at https://unmc.peopleadmin.com/postings/86084. 

UNMC ID Recognizes National Immunization Awareness Month

As we close out August 2024, we want to take a moment as a Division to recognize National Immunization Awareness Month. Held every August, this observance gives healthcare professionals and the public a chance to highlight the incredible importance of vaccination and to encourage conversations with providers to ensure that all are up to date on their vaccinations.

From the yearly flu vaccine to those targeted at serious pathogens of different stages of life, like the Pneumococcal οr Varicella (chickenpox) vaccines, staying up to date on these critical medical interventions is one of the best things we can do to protect ourselves from serious diseases.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American College of Physicians (ACP) have great resources to facilitate the goal of increased vaccine compliance, which are linked below. These resources can answer vaccine-related questions or help providers identify and offer appropriate vaccinations.

With the 2025 flu season nearly upon us, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and CDC have also updated their vaccination recommendations for the prevention of COVID-19, RSV, and influenza, among others. Additionally, the FDA has just approved updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccines targeting the currently circulating Omicron variant KP.2 strain of SARS-CoV-2. For more information about these changes and the upcoming respiratory virus season, attend the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) webinar later this week (August 29th @ 12pm CST; register here).

More Helpful Links:

  • APC Adult Immunization Center, which provides patient and provider education material on vaccines as well as up-to-date information on vaccine schedules and new formulations
  • CDC National Immunization Awareness Month Hub, which provides practical tips for talking to patients about vaccinations, as well as resources for patients to identify if and which vaccines they or their children may be missing

Thinking about training with UNMC ID? Fellows share why they chose UNMC

Fellowship application season is well underway, and our fellowship directors can’t wait to review applications. We have recently posted about the benefits of a UNMC ID fellowship (see here) and how to thrive in interviews (link here). But today, we wanted to highlight the words of fellows as they explain why they wanted to train at UNMC.

Interestingly, I ended up coming to UNMC because they have a phenomenal Emergency Medicine Residency! My significant other enjoyed his away rotation in UNMC’s ED so much we ended up couples matching into their IM and ED residencies. Initially, I thought I would pursue Rheumatology, but I abruptly changed my mind after a phenomenal ID rotation during my intern year. I subsequently rotated on ID two more times during residency and enjoyed working with the UNMC ID family so much I wanted to stay for fellowship.

–Dr. Casey Zelus (Left, with a bagel she baked herself that is as big as her face!)

After researching the program for infectious diseases fellowship, I was especially struck at how both comprehensive and well-organized the training program appeared to be. Having dedicated clinical experiences in orthopedics, oncology, and transplant, for example, caught my eye.  After my interview day, I learned that the program’s strong points were largely the result of dedicated program leadership and faculty.  There is a sincere interest at UNMC in helping me become the clinician I hope to be.   

Image of ID fellow Dr. Bryan Walker wearing a red shirt and blue jacket and dark blue jeans and sunglasses leaning against a brick wall

– Dr. Bryan Walker

I chose UNMC for Internal Medicine residency in part because of the strong Infectious Diseases fellowship program. During residency, I was able to form strong mentorship bonds that truly made leaving the program incredibly hard. Working with the incredible faculty throughout my three years made staying at UNMC the right decision for my career. My interest in ID is antimicrobial stewardship. Our stewardship team is one of the best in the country (maybe I’m biased?), and I look forward to training under them throughout my fellowship. Furthermore, having access to the biocontainment unit and leaders in the field of emerging pathogens is an experience I don’t know I would be able to get anywhere else. Our training here is well balanced between general ID, immunocompromised services, and antimicrobial stewardship, so I know that when I come out of fellowship, I will be prepared for whatever position I decide to take.

– Dr. Mackenzie Keintz

UNMC has a rich tradition of being a center of clinical and scholarly excellence while promoting education through mentorship and fostering initiative and collaboration. The Medical Center is also committed to providing empathetic, evidence-based, and patient-centered care while serving a diverse and often medically underrepresented population. I look forward to experiencing this collegial and supportive atmosphere during fellowship training. The HEAL track also represents an amazing opportunity to further advance my knowledge and skills in medical education and leadership!

– Dr. Nabil Al-Kourainy

(1)  The infectious disease training here is highly regarded, and I wanted to train at a location where I could learn from all branches of ID – from emerging infectious diseases (check this out) to antimicrobial stewardship to transplant ID…even pediatrics ID!

(2)  I have family here in Omaha, and Omaha is much closer to my family in Colorado. It’s great to be close to your support system!

(3)  Omaha itself is a great city! There is so much to eat, do, and see here. The affordable cost of living adds to the attraction.

– Dr. Catherine Cichon and her dog Loki

Before the COVID pandemic began, I had visited UNMC and Omaha for internal medicine residency interviews, and I was considerably impressed by the medical facilities, the strength of the educational program, and the tranquility of the city. One of the faculty that I had interviewed with for residency interviews was Dr. Mark Rupp, the chief of the ID division, and I had promised him that regardless of where I ended up for residency, I would apply to UNMC for ID fellowship. So when I matched to UNMC for ID fellowship, I knew I had matched to the right place!

– Dr. Timothy Jang

UNMC ID Research: Where to find us at the NIDS Meeting

The Nebraska Infectious Diseases Society (NIDS) annual meeting is this Friday, August 23rd. If you still need to register, check out our previous posts on the meeting and the keynote address for more information.

One of the most anticipated events held during the meeting is the poster session, which continues to grow each year and features fascinating cases and novel research, most of which is led by trainees, residents, and fellows. This year, the top abstracts in each category will also be presented orally. A huge congratulations to our top abstract winners: John Glassmann, who will present Data-driven strategies towards case management utilizing Tableau dashboard reporting and automation from the research category, and Sarah Uhm & Kari Havyer, who will present their clinical vignette Extrapulmonary Osteoarticular and CNS Tuberculosis: A Case Report. In addition to these talks, dozens of other fascinating projects will be presented as part of the poster session. Read on below for a digest of presenters to help plan your day.

Research Category:

Poster #Project TitlePresenting Author
2A Quality Improvement Project to Improve Utilization of Sputum Cultures in Hospitalized Patients with PneumoniaJennifer Zimmerman
17Inconsistent Participant Demographic Reporting in Published Antibiotic Clinical Trials Targeting Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative OrganismsDr. Evangeline Green
22Medicaid Insurance Expansion and its Association with HIV Outcomes in Nebraska, USA: An Observational Prospective Cohort StudyEmmanuel Essam
23Urine testing in the emergency department: an analysis of the frequency of inappropriate testing and an economic analysisAlex Larson
24A retrospective review of health disparities in achieving sustained virologic response in chronic Hepatitis C infection: A single center experienceEileen Leach
28Evaluating the Effects of Hepatitis C Treatment With Direct-Acting Antivirals on Glycemic Control in Patients With Diabetes MellitusRicky Rana
29Association Between Adherence Barriers and Pharmacy Refill History in People with HIV after Medicaid Expansion in Nebraska: An observational retrospective cohort study.Elizabeth Amato-Hanner
30Data-driven strategies towards case management utilizing Tableau dashboard reporting and automationJohn Glassman
33Duration of Daptomycin and Ceftaroline Dual Therapy in Salvage Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) Bacteremia Prior to Monotherapy De-escalationDr. Josh Lechner

Clinical Vignettes Category:

Poster #Project TitlePresenting Author
3A Fungal Tracheitis and Epiglottitis with Bacterial Superinfection in an Immunocompromised Teenager: A Long Road to Confirmation  Haley DeWitt
4Disseminated Mycobacterium Bovis with Prosthetic Joint InfectionMadeline Helm
5A Picture Worth a Thousand Words: Incidentally Diagnosed Neurocysticercosis and Barriers to its Treatment  Dr. Emily Dyer
7A rare case of idiopathic granulomatous mastitis with Corynebacterium kroppenstedtii infection in the setting of pregnancy and erythema nodosumLauren Ziegenbein
8Syphilis-Related Glomerulopathy: A Rare Presentation of a Common DiseaseShalmali Mirajkar
9Veillonella parvula Bacteremia in a Diabetic Patient with Osteomyelitis and Soft Tissue Infection Linked to OnychophagiaEmily Ehsan
10The Diagnostic Dilemma of an Atypical Bacterial Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Infection in an Immunocompetent ChildDr. Christian Clodfelder
11Disseminated Mycobacterium bovis with severe thrombocytopenia during treatment: A diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmaLauren Crockett
12Not quite Bacillus. Not quite an Aneurysm. Navigating diagnostic challenges of a rare pseudoaneurysm infection.Jacob Owens
13Extrapulmonary Osteoarticular and CNS Tuberculosis: A Case ReportSarah Uhm &, Kari Havyer
14A Case of Severe Mucositis Following Mycoplasma InfectionDr. Abby Wolfe
15Blastomyces dermatitidis Cervical Spine Osteomyelitis and Paraspinal Abscess in NebraskaEllie Staab
16Cutaneous Mycobacterium abscessus infection in an immunocompetent teenage femaleMatthew Muellner
194 weeks of dyspnea in immunocompromised woman; presenting symptom of disseminated Histoplasmosis CapsulatumDr. Cristina Torres
20Breakthrough osteomyelitis with opportunistic canine oral flora in an immunocompromised patientRyan Chapman
21Mycolicibacterium smegmatis: a rare cause of sternal osteomyelitisJose Ortega
25Fusobacterium nucleatum mimicking lung cancer: A case report  Sarah Maki
26Rare Case of Ignatzschineria larvae Bacteremia in a Myiatic Wound Infection: A Case ReportDr. Nicholas Mielke
31Unrecognized Complications: The Uncommon Occurrence of PJP Pneumonia in lung cancer on DurvalumabDr. Narmada Lavu

New Fellow Friday: Welcome, Dr. Nicole Hunter!

We are excited to welcome Dr. Nicole Hunter to our Infectious Diseases Fellowship program! Dr. Hunter joins us following the completion of residency in Rochester, New York. Read on to get to know Nicole!

Where did you go to residency?

I completed my residency training with Rochester Regional Health in Rochester, NY. Rochester is located in upstate New York, just north of the Finger Lakes. I had a great experience in my residency program. I took on several leadership roles, including House Staff Association Vice President in my second year and Associate Chief Resident in my third year. Interestingly, my co-fellow Calvin and I both trained in Rochester (but didn’t know each other)!

Tell us about the position you are starting.

I am starting at UNMC as an Infectious Diseases Fellow and candidate of the Health Educators and Leadership (HEAL) track. 

Why did you choose to come work at UNMC?

The Infectious Diseases fellowship program is what drew me to UNMC. The program is well-known within the ID community, and I found myself frequently coming across UNMC educators in the literature as well as in Febrile podcast episodes and within my ID Digital Institute training this year. My impression was that this program values education and would provide unparalleled training opportunities to prepare me for my future in ID. The HEAL track also presented an opportunity to advance my skills in medical education and leadership. On a more personal note, my husband and I couples matched for fellowship. As he loved his interview with the Gastroenterology and Hepatology department, we knew this would be a great fit for the two of us, and we are grateful for the opportunity to continue our training at the same institution.

What makes you excited about working in ID?

In 2012, I was hospitalized in the ICU with septic shock and antibiotics saved my life. Taking this journey full circle and becoming an Infectious Diseases physician has been my motivation for many years. I find ID to be one of the most stimulating IM specialties, requiring a deep understanding of microbiology, immunology, and epidemiology. Patient cases range from common illnesses to rare and emerging pathogens, which keeps the work dynamic and exciting. There is a large collaborative culture as ID physicians have to work with a multitude of other healthcare professionals. One of my favorite collaborations is with medical microbiology. Following medical school, I achieved a Master of Science in Translational Medical Research, where I completed my bench side thesis work in the microbiology department. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the lab and liked the way it complemented my clinical experience and understanding. 

Tell us something about yourself that is unrelated to medicine.

I am Canadian, which means yes, I played hockey, yes, I worked at Tim Hortons, and yes, I say “sorry” a lot! My close-knit family is incredibly important to me, and I make it a priority to get home as often as possible. That being said, I travel quite a bit. I lived in Europe for eight years: Poland for six and Germany for two. The experience of living in another country and stepping outside of my comfort zone has taught me valuable life skills and lessons that have shaped the person I am today. Other than traveling, my hobbies include sports (volleyball, boxing), scuba diving, and reading non-medical books when I have the time, especially historical fiction. 

Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis to be Keynote Speaker at Upcoming NIDS Conference

Last week, we shared that registration for the Nebraska Infectious Diseases Society’s (NIDS) annual meeting was officially open. In case you missed it, this great conference will be held on Friday, August 23rd, at the Thompson Alumni Center on UNO’s main campus (6705 Dodge St. Omaha, NE 68182). This is always a fantastic opportunity to engage with fellow professionals and experts in the ID field and share your work in their anticipated annual poster session.

Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, keynote speaker for the upcoming NIDS meeting

This year, the keynote address will be delivered by Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, an internationally recognized infectious diseases physician and an expert on public health and health equity as well as Director of Health for the City of St. Louis. Additionally, Dr. Hlatshwayo Davis is heavily involved in the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), where she serves on the IDSA Board of Directors, is an Associate Editor for Disparities and Competent Care for IDSA, and is the Executive Producer and Co-host for IDSA’s “Let’s Talk” podcast. This is a highly anticipated event; Dr. Jonathan Ryder commented, “Having heard Dr. Mati Hlatshawayo Davis speak at other conferences, she is an engaging, charismatic, and passionate speaker with a wealth of expertise in the sphere of public health. I’m excited to hear her perspective on how, as an infectious diseases community, we can better engage in public health, as well as hear updates from the Infectious Diseases Society of America, where she serves as a member of the board.”

No doubt, Dr. Hlatshwayo Davis will deliver a fantastic keynote address to complement what will be a valuable and insightful meeting. Don’t miss out, register now to secure your spot! Details below:

Registration: Sign up and check out the agenda here

Time/Date: Friday, August 23 · 8am – 5pm

Location: Thompson Alumni Center, 6705 Dodge Street Omaha, NE 68182

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New Fellow Friday: Welcome, Dr. Emily Dyer!

We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Emily Dyer to our Infectious Diseases Fellowship program! Dr. Dyer joins us following the completion of residency at Creighton University. Read on to learn more!

Tell us about the position you are starting.

I am excited to be starting my fellowship in Infectious Diseases at UNMC! As a fellow, I will have the opportunity to learn about many different aspects of infectious diseases in both clinical practice and research.  

Why did you choose to come work at UNMC?

Working at UNMC gives me the opportunity to work alongside world-class physicians and serve my local community at the same time. I have spent most of my life in Omaha and I am happy to be close to my family as well. UNMC’s ID department is truly exceptional, and I am so proud to be part of it! 

What makes you excited about working in ID?

To me, ID is the most interesting and exciting field in medicine! I love working through complex cases that require critical thinking and broad medical knowledge. It is a privilege to learn so much about our patients and their lives. ID also provides a unique opportunity to care for underserved and marginalized patients who are often disproportionately impacted by infectious diseases. I admire so many amazing ID physicians who are great leaders in our hospitals and community and I’m excited to be able to learn from them.   

Tell us something about yourself that is unrelated to medicine.

I love everything about the natural world- animals, plants (and microbes!) I enjoy spending time outside and learning about creatures I encounter, as well as spending time at home with my two cats. 

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