Research is a primary focus under the direction of Julio Ramirez, MD, Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Louisville.  Dr. Ramirez established the international cohort database, the Community-Acquired Pneumonia Organization (CAPO) (www.caposite.com), with Louisville serving as the headquarters.  The database now includes over 5,000 patients from 15 countries.

The Division has federal funding for the Severe Influenza Pneumonia Study (SIPS) which surveys the incidence of influenza and other viruses in Kentucky.  The CDC has awarded a grant to the Division to study hospital epidemiology and multi-drug resistant pathogens.

We are building databases of our 1,200 patient HIV clinic and osteomyelitis service.  We have multiple sponsored clinical trials addressing the subjects of ventilator-associated pneumonia and Clostridium difficile colitis.

Finally, we look forward to being involved with the new Center for Predictive Medicine for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, a 34.6 million Level 3 biosafety lab at UofL.

Areas of Current Research:

• Pneumonia:  Community (CAP), Hospital (HAP/VAP) and Healthcare-acquired (HCAP)
• HIV/AIDS
• Influenza
• Antimicrobial Stewardship
• Multidrug-resistant Organisms (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Acinetobacter, ESBL producers, KPC producers, Psuedomonas aeruginosa)
• Disease Surveillance
• Statistical Process Control