The Division of Infectious Diseases consists of basic scientists and pediatricians with special training in infectious diseases of children who provide state of the art inpatient consultations at both Lansing hospitals (Sparrow Hospital and Ingham Regional Medical Center) for children with various proven or suspected infectious diseases as well as conduct research. Many of the consultations involve children with cancer, newborns with immature immune systems, children who are critically ill within the intensive care unit or children who have undiagnosed conditions that appear to be infectious in origin. In addition, division members see patients in regular Pediatric Infectious Disease outpatient clinics that assist Community physicians from the Mid-Michigan Area in care of their patients with proven or suspected infections. Patients with chronic infectious diseases (e.g. HIV) receive their long-term care through the outpatient clinics. Most other patients are seen in consultation or follow-up depending upon the nature of the illness.
The members of the division are sought after educators who participate in undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate medical education in both the College of Human Medicine and the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Michigan State University. All members provide teaching to residents and medical students throughout the year. In addition, members of the division are often invited to give presentations across the state and at national meetings involving infections disease topics in which they are experts.
Division members are also very active in research programs involving the epidemiology and virulence of group A streptococcus, group B streptococcus, perinatal infections, and streptococcus pneumonia infections both within North America as well as internationally. Such research is often conducted in collaboration with colleagues from other departments and colleges at MSU as well as nationally and around the world.