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IDCRC Newsletter: August 2026
IDCRC Investigator Spotlight: David I. Bernstein, MD, MA
This month's Investigator Spotlight features David I. Bernstein, MD, MA, professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Read an excerpt below and click the button to read the interview.
How long have you worked with a VTEU?
We were awarded our first contract in 1994, with me serving as the co-PI, and have been a VTEU since that time. I led the Cincinnati site from 1994-2020, when I turned the reins over to Dr. Robert Frenck.
What is a strength or example of the importance of the IDCRC?
The IDCRC is unique in the force it can bring to study new pathogens and evaluate new vaccines. The breadth of the talent, knowledge and experience at the VTEU sites is unmatched. We developed new capabilities and best practices when we were called upon to rapidly study the 2009 H1N1 flu vaccines. More recently, we expanded on these practices manyfold in the effort to develop a COVID-19 vaccine in an astonishingly short time. For me, this is especially amazing given that it took 20 years to license Rotarix™
Save the Date: IDCRC Monthly Update - Bali Pulendran, PhD
IDCRC Monthly Update - Bali Pulendran, PhD
Friday, September 11 | 1 p.m. | Zoom
The IDCRC Leadership Group invites you to attend the upcoming special presentation from Bali Pulendran, PhD. Dr. Pulendran is a professor at the Stanford School of Medicine and the director of the Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection at Stanford University. He is a world leader in understanding the mechanisms by which the innate immune system regulates adaptive immunity and in harnessing such mechanisms in the design of novel vaccines.
NIAID 2026-2030 Strategic Plan
The NIAID 2026-2030 Strategic Plan is now available! This plan outlines the following goals and more:
Research Goals
- Advance foundational research of the immune system, microbial biology, and host-microbe interactions.
- Advance and apply foundational knowledge to develop and evaluate diagnostic and prevention strategies against infectious and immune-mediated diseases.
- Advance and apply foundational knowledge to develop and evaluate treatment and cure strategies for infectious and immune-mediated diseases.
Operational Goals
- Engaging with Communities
- Collecting and Evaluating Evidence to Make Informed Decisions.
- Promoting Research Transparency and Accountability
Capacity Goals
- Advancing the Biomedical Workforce
- Providing Research Tools and Services
- Promoting Data Science and Data Sharing
- Advancing Networks and Multicenter Collaborations
- Supporting Research Facilities and Infrastructure
News
CVD News | University of Maryland School of Medicine CVD announces study to understand immune responses to Lassa fever
The University of Maryland School of Medicine Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health (CVD), has announced the launch of a research study to understand how Lassa fever survivors fight and overcome Lassa virus infection. The study, titled “Identification and Immunologic Characterization of Adult Lassa Fever Survivors in Nigeria”, is a collaboration between CVD, The Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) International Research Center of Excellence (IRCE), and the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) in Bauchi State.
This study will also work with communities to minimize known risk factors and establish a repository of clinical data and biological samples — a valuable long-term scientific resource for the research community. This work will leverage ATBUTH’s and IHVN's existing world-class laboratory infrastructure, including its ISO 15189:2022 accredited laboratory in Jos, Plateau State, and the Institute's regional biorepository facility located on the IHVN campus in Abuja.
WABE | A new vaccine tested in Atlanta could vanquish a major cause of deadly diarrheal disease
Diarrhea has been a headline story in the United States this summer, with thousands of cases of explosive diarrhea traced to Cyclospora from tainted lettuce –- and the first two deaths from the outbreak now confirmed in Michigan. In other parts of the world, diarrhea is a constant — and deadly — threat.
Over 1 million people die from diarrheal illness such as dysentery every year. Nearly half of them are children under age 5. Chad has the highest rate of childhood deaths: roughly 1 in 140 children under 5 die each year. Now a vaccine candidate offers a new hope.
The vaccine is called WRSs2 –- named after the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. It was tested jointly at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the Emory Vaccine Center’s Hope Clinic in Atlanta. The results, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases this summer: It was 89% effective at preventing one of the leading causes of diarrheal deaths, shigellosis.
Let's Talk ID |"Your Patients Trust You, but Do They Believe You?"
Check out this recent Let's Talk ID Podcast episode featuring Buddy Creech, MD, MPH, FPIDS, and Todd Wolynn, MD, MMM, executive director of the Trusted Messenger Program.
Together, they discuss practical communication strategies that help clinicians build trust, navigate difficult conversations, and guide patients toward evidence-based decisions.
Your Health: Infectious Diseases featuring Wilbur Chen, MD, MS
University of Maryland School of Medicine VTEU investigator Wilbur Chen, MD, recently appeared on Maryland Public Television’s Direct Connection to share insights on some of today’s most important infectious disease topics. From cyclospora and the newly approved mRNA flu vaccine to the latest COVID-19 research, Dr. Chen helped viewers better understand the evolving public health landscape.
Infectious IDeas | "Building a Legacy of Health Equity with Kathleen M. Neuzil, MD, MPH"
In this episode of the Infectious IDeas podcast, NFID CEO Rebecca Alvania, PhD, MA, MPH, and NFID Medical Director Robert H. Hopkins, Jr., MD, welcome Kathleen M. Neuzil, MD, MPH.
Together, these two have a lively discussion on global immunization policy, disease surveillance, and the effort to eradicate polio. Dr. Neuzil reflects on the people who shaped her career, advances in vaccine science, the funding and communication challenges facing public health today, and why health equity must be central to any eradication effort.
Job Postings
Newly Posted! Infectious Diseases Research Job Openings
Events
Save the Date: NFID Awards Gala
National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) Annual Gala
Tuesday, October 20 | 6:30 p.m. | Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream (Washington, D.C.)
You're invited to join the NFID's Annual Gala, celebrating excellence in public health. This event will bring together partners, colleagues, and supporters dedicated to advancing healthier lives for all through evidence-based prevention and treatment.
During this event, the following individuals will be honored for their significant and lasting contributions to public health.
- Richard J. Hatchett, MD, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Humanitarian Award
- Shabir A. Madhi, MMed, PhD, Maxwell Finland Award for Scientific Achievement
- Kathleen M. Neuzil, MD, MPH, John P. Utz Leadership Award
All tickets include a donation to support NFID’s work in providing trusted, evidence-based information to empower individuals to make good decisions about their health and protect communities from preventable diseases.
Register today for IDWeek 2026
IDWeek 2026
Wednesday, October 21-Saturday, October 24, 2026 | Hybrid: Walter E. Washington Convention Center or virtual
Register today for IDWeek 2026! Whether you attend in person in Washington, D.C., or virtually, save your spot to celebrate the latest breakthroughs in ID alongside thousands of your colleagues.
Funding Opportunities
2026 Deadline:
The Harrington Prize for Innovation in Medicine
Nomination Submission Deadline: Monday, September 14
NIAID Clinical Trial Implementation Cooperative Agreement (U01 Clinical Trial Required)
Deadline: Monday, October 5, 2026
NIH Common Fund PRIMED-AI Funding Opportunities *NEW*
Deadline: October 2026
NIAID Clinical Trial Implementation Cooperative Agreement (U01 Clinical Trial Required) *NEW*
Deadline: November 5, 2026
2027 Deadline:
Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Research to Stimulate Development of Diagnostics, Therapeutics, and Vaccines for Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV)
Deadline: Wednesday, April 6, 2027
Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (Parent K08 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Deadline: Saturday, May 8, 2027
Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Systems Modeling of Infection and Immunity Across Biological Scales
Deadline: Wednesday, September 8, 2027
NIH Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings (Parent R13 Clinical Trial Not Allowed
Deadline: Wednesday, September 8, 2027
Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Advancing Research Needed to Develop a Universal Influenza Vaccine
Deadline: Sunday, November 17, 2027
Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Accelerating Malaria Vaccine and Monoclonal Antibody Discovery
Deadline: Sunday, November 17, 2027
IDCRC Studies
Fully Enrolled Studies in Follow-up
- A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase 1 Trial to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability, Immunogenicity, and Efficacy of Sanaria(R) PfSPZ-LARC2 Vaccine, a Late-Arresting, Replication-Competent, Genetically Attenuated Plasmodium Falciparum Vaccine by Controlled Human Malaria Infection in Malaria-Naïve Healthy Adults Conditions (DMID 23-0010)
- Efficacy Study of IM Administered CssBA+dmLT Against Moderate-severe Diarrhea in Human Infection Model With ETEC Strain B7A in Healthy Adults (DMID 23-0006)
- A Prospective, Randomized, Open-label Phase 4 Study of the Immunology and Safety of Maternal RSV Vaccination (ABRYSVOTM), Infant Nirsevimab (BEYFORTUSTM) Immunization, or Both Products During the First Year of Life (PROMISE) (DMID 24-0003)
Communication Resources
Please submit IDCRC news to idcrc@emory.edu for inclusion in the monthly newsletter and IDCRC.org.
