Professor of Medicine Chief, Section of Infectious Diseases Vice-Chair for Faculty Affairs, Department of Medicine
800 S.L. Young Blvd AAT 7300 Oklahoma City, OK 73104
405-271-6122
I am currently Chief of Infectious Diseases at OU Health and a Regents’ Professor in the OU College of Medicine. Additionally, I hold the Laureate Chair in Molecular Medicine, and am the Vice Chair for Faculty Affairs in the Dept. of Internal Medicine. I have a long-standing interest in infection and inflammation of the central nervous system (CNS), and the downstream consequences of these processes on cognitive function. This work has incorporated in vitro models as well as experimental Listeria monocytogenes infection of mice to identify mechanisms for CNS invasion by this bacterial pathogen, and how inflammatory processes in the brain are triggered by innate immune responses in peripheral organs. We are expanding the scope of these activities to analyze brain responses that are found in aged hosts. A key goal is to develop novel forms of host-directed therapies that will to modulate harmful inflammatory processes during CNS infection. Clinical research activities include ongoing projects with a neurosciences group at Christian Medical College in Vellore, India focused on developing novel, imaging-free, diagnostic tools for neurocysticercosis.
I am board-certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases and have been the Chief of the Section of Infectious Diseases at the University of Oklahoma HSC since 2008. My clinical practice focuses on inpatient and outpatient infectious diseases, including treatment of patients with HIV/AIDS, as well as education and providing mentorship to the next generation of physicians and infectious disease specialists.
Infectious Diseases
1987 Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine London, UK
1984 Doctor of Medicine University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, KS
1980 Bachelor of Science (Cum Laude) Biology Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL
Infection and inflammation of the brain, Listeria Monocytogenes infections, neurocysticercosis, monocyte biology, host defenses
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1fgHueqKd_X5J/bibliography/public/
RECENT MEDIA APPEARANCES:
July 2022| KWTV Monkeypox https://www.news9.com/story/62e1545062c98f072467ccfb/wellness-wednesday:-monkeypox
July 2022 | KOKH Monkeypox https://www.streamslist.com/Player?ClipId=,S,202207,4AD513CB-5E0A-48A7-88B4-30557B8A9743&ReqServer=NDS5%5CNDS5&QueryName=OU%20Health&Offset=87&rai=91629e00-4f88-11d7-80a6-00b0d020616e&ran=MetroMonitor&roi=91629e00-4f88-11d7-80a6-00b0d020616e&Ron=MetroMonitor&run=&rut=0&E=12glr7JfH7If2lIl(7Hq27ie(7wf(h&Time=12gf(74f2Vvq(7ee(74f(74q(hvq(7
April 2022 | OETA Infectious Diseases https://www.streamslist.com/Player?ClipId=,S,202204,33113025-9FAA-41F7-8979-2767B932DA33&ReqServer=NDS5%5CNDS5&QueryName=Manual%20Query&Offset=1907&rai=91629e00-4f88-11d7-80a6-00b0d020616e&ran=MetroMonitor&roi=91629e00-4f88-11d7-80a6-00b0d020616e&ron=MetroMonitor&run=&rut=0&E=12gc(W4ccW47r74Y2VwY(2_72WIirj&Time=12gf(74f2lvq2V4f(74f(744iVvq(74frj&Related=PV_1&pbp=N
Feb 2022 | KOCO COVID-19 Pandemic & BA2 https://www.streamslist.com/Player?ClipId=,S,202202,45FA9E8E-0C2A-4774-BBF7-9494EECD8FDD&ReqServer=NDS5%5CNDS5&QueryName=OU%20Health&Offset=610&rai=91629e00-4f88-11d7-80a6-00b0d020616e&ran=MetroMonitor&roi=91629e00-4f88-11d7-80a6-00b0d020616e&ron=MetroMonitor&run=&rut=0&E=12gq(7JY(V4Yr744q7wl(7eD274fHh&Time=12gf(74f(74q2V70(74f(74frj4q2Vvf(h&Related=PV_11&pbp=Y
Sep 2021 | KOTV Health Experts Compare Polio and COVID Vaccines https://www.newson6.com/story/613f3cde8286bc0bfeb2cda4/health-experts-compare-the-polio-and-covid-vaccines
Dec 2020 | KFOR OU Health’s Chief of Infectious Diseases addresses questions, concerns regarding Covid-19 vaccine https://kfor.com/digital-first/ou-healths-chief-of-infectious-diseases-addresses-questions-concerns-regarding-covid-19-vaccine/