Pediatric Infectious Diseases Research

Dr. Karen Acker is an Assistant Professor in Clinical Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine and Pediatric Hospital Epidemiologist at NYP/ Komansky Children’s Hospital. She received her medical degree from SUNY Downstate Medical Center followed by a residency in pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine. After completing her fellowship in pediatric infectious diseases at Columbia University Medical Center in 2018, she joined the Pediatric Infectious Disease division at Weill Cornell Medicine and has served as a Hospital Epidemiologist since 2019. Her research interests include the epidemiology of infectious outbreaks and healthcare-associated infections, diagnostic stewardship, respiratory viral infections in children, and factors influencing vaccine uptake in children.

For more information, see Dr. Acker’s VIVO page.

Dr. Melanie Dubois is an Assistant Professor in Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Weill Cornell Medicine. Dr. Dubois completed her pediatric residency at The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore and pediatric infectious disease fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital. She additionally completed her Master of Public Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She is a clinician-researcher interested in improving tuberculosis care for pregnant women and children, from infancy to adolescence, both locally in New York City and internationally.

For more information, see Dr. Dubois’ VIVO page.

Dr. Genevieve Fouda is the Brine Family Professor in Cell and Developmental Biology and  Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. She also serves as the Assistant Dean for Faculty Development, focusing on the professional development of basic and translational scientists, and the Associate Vice Chair in Basic Science Research  in Pediatrics  where she promotes wet bench research within the Department. Her research program focuses on understanding differences between the early life and the adult antibody response following natural infection and vaccination. She believes that a better understanding of these differences will guide the design of optimal immune-based interventions targeting pediatric populations. Dr. Fouda is also passionate about the biomedical research community and is committed to the mentoring of talented young scientists. 

For more information, see Dr. Fouda's VIVO page.

Dr. Ria Goswami is an Assistant Professor of Virology in the Department of Pediatrics- Division of Infectious Diseases at Weill Cornell Medicine. Her research program focuses on improving viral infection outcomes by interrogating the complex interplay between early-life viral exposures and the developing pediatric microbiome. Major projects in her group include (i) Achieving pediatric HIV cure through early‑life immune modulation and targeted manipulation of the gut microbiome; (ii) Improving growth outcomes and reducing postnatal CMV susceptibility in preterm infants by modulating maternal CMV‑driven alterations in breast‑milk microbiome; and (iii) Developing microbiome‑modulating therapeutics to prevent severe disease outcomes associated with respiratory viral infections in children. Dr. Goswami is a viral immunologist and translational researcher, and her group utilizes patient samples, human ex vivo systems, and preclinical non-human primate models to dissect complex host-virus-microbiome interactions to ultimately improve pediatric health.

For more information, see Dr. Goswami's VIVO page.

Dr. Jin-Young Han is an Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Weill Cornell Medicine. His research focuses on the clinical outcomes of pediatric infectious diseases, leveraging electronic medical records and large population-based databases to identify patterns that meaningfully inform patient care. His work emphasizes real-world data and measurable outcomes to better understand how infections affect children. A complementary area of focus involves quality-improvement initiatives aimed at reducing unnecessary antibiotic exposure.

For more information, see Dr. Han’s VIVO page.

Dr. Ashley Nelson is an Assistant Professor at Weill Cornell Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics-Division of Infectious Diseases Her lab leads innovative research on early life immunity to viral infections, with the ultimate goal of developing novel therapeutics and prevention strategies. Her research specializes in two interconnected areas: vaccine-elicited immunity in pregnant people and their infants, and the fundamental mechanisms of early life immune responses. Her work has primarily focused on three critical areas in HIV: preventing vertical HIV transmission, uncovering age-specific differences in HIV immunity, and developing pediatric HIV immunization strategies. Her research program has recently expanded to incorporate studies on maternal and pediatric immunity to respiratory viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and RSV.  

For more information, see Dr. Nelson's VIVO page.

Dr. Sallie Permar leads the Permar Lab, whose research focuses on the development of immunologic strategies to eliminate neonatal pathogens – with the ultimate goal of providing every child with a healthy start to life.  The Permar Lab investigates the natural maternal and infant immune responses that contribute to impeding transmission of vertically transmitted viral pathogens, such as HIV, cytomegalovirus (CMV), and Zika, and how these effective immune responses can best targeted by vaccine approaches. The team is engaged in developing and utilizing nonhuman primate models of vertical virus transmission to perform proof of concept studies to determine whether the vaccine approaches that target the naturally protective immune responses are effective. Further, they are focusing on both innate and adaptive immune responses at the maternal-fetal interface, including mucosal surfaces and the immunology of breast milk. 

For more information, visit Permar Lab.

Dr. Christine Salvatore clinical research interest spans between two areas of pediatric infectious diseases: clinical congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) and invasive fungal infections in children, reflecting a commitment to improving outcomes for vulnerable neonatal and pediatric populations. In congenital CMV, her work focuses on early diagnosis, clinical characterization, and longitudinal outcomes of infants affected by cCMV. This includes evaluating screening strategies, refining diagnostic pathways, and assessing the real‑world effectiveness of antiviral therapies. Her research emphasizes multidisciplinary, family‑centered approaches and integrates prenatal, neonatal, and long‑term pediatric perspectives to enhance early detection and developmental outcomes. Through clinical cohorts and translational collaborations, she contributes to advancing evidence‑based management of symptomatic and asymptomatic cCMV infection. In parallel, she serves as an active co-investigator within the International Pediatric Fungal Network (IPFN), a global consortium dedicated to improving the understanding and treatment of pediatric invasive fungal diseases. Her collaboration with the IPFN includes contributing to multinational observational studies and clinical data registries aimed at defining epidemiology, antifungal resistance patterns, therapeutic responses, and risk factors for morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised children. Through these collaborative studies, she helps generate high‑quality evidence that guides antifungal stewardship, informs clinical practice guidelines, and supports the development of safer, more effective treatments for neonates and children with life‑threatening fungal infections.

For more information, see Dr. Salvatore's VIVO page.

Dr. Husam Taher is an Assistant Professor of Virology Research in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Weill Cornell Medical College. His research focuses on advancing the understanding of cytomegalovirus (CMV) biology and pathogenesis to develop innovative prophylactic and therapeutic strategies that prevent CMV infection in vulnerable populations and immunocompromised patients. Trained in virology and viral immunology, he integrates small animal and nonhuman primate models to define correlates of protection and guide the rational design of CMV vaccines and immunotherapies. His work particularly addresses CMV vertical transmission from mother to fetus, as well as CMV-related complications in immunocompromised individuals. He is committed to collaborative science to accelerate the development of next-generation CMV vaccines and immunotherapies, addressing a long-standing unmet need in infectious diseases.

For more information, see Dr. Taher’s VIVO page.