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  2. Faculty Development
  3. RAPID | Infectious Diseases
  4. Research Tracks & Mentors

Research Tracks & Mentors

One of the greatest strengths of the UC San Diego site is the involvement of our highly successful research faculty who will serve as mentors for the RAPID program.  UC San Diego is one of the nation's top research institutions, and our research faculty mentors have a variety of expertise in infectious diseases research. 

Potential Research Mentors

A sample of potential research mentors, by researc​h track, from a campus-wide pool for the UC San Diego RAPID program are fo​und in the table ​and links ​below.

If you have any questions, ple​ase email hsfacaffairs@ucsd.edu.

Host-Pathogen Interactions Research Track

 First Name, Last Name, Degree Department Research Interest
Brookie Best, PharmD, MAS Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Clinical Pharmacokinetics, Clinical Pharmacology, Obstetric Pharmacology, Pediatric Pharmacology
Ethan Bier, PhD Biological Sciences Genetics and biology of malaria vectors, bacterial toxin action
Ben Croker, PhD Pediatrics Cell death, neutrophil biology, innate immunity
Laura Crotty Alexander, MD Medicine Effects of Vaping and E-cigarettes on Lung Inflammation
Pieter Dorrestein, PhD ​Pharmacy & Pediatrics Metabolomics of the human microbiome and bacterial pathogens
​Partho Ghosh, PhD Chemistry & Biochemistry Structural biochemistry of bacterial and protozoan pathogenesis 
Pradipta Ghosh, MD Medicine, Cell and Molecular Medicine ​Intracellular trimetric-GTPase system
​Rob Knight, PhD ​Pediatrics & Computer Science Human microbiome and its impacts on health and disease 
Amanda (Mandy) Lewis, PhD Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences The vaginal microbiome; glycans and the microbiome in health and disease
​George Liu, MD, PhD ​Pediatrics Staphylococcal host-pathogen interactions, vaccine development
Gerald Morris, MD, PhD# Pathology​ T lymphocyte function and development in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT)
Victor Nizet, MD*§ Pediatrics & Pharmacy Bacterial pathogenesis, innate immunity, novel ID therapeutics
Bernhard Palsson, PhD Bioengineering & Pediatrics Systems biology of bacterial pathogens and antibiotic resistance
Manuela Raffatellu, MD§ Pediatrics Salmonella host-pathogen interactions, GI mucosal immunity
Emily Troemel, PhD Biological Sciences ​Host-pathogen interactions, Cryptosporidium, Pseudomonas
Elina Zuniga, PhD  Biological Sciences ​Innate and adaptic immunity to viral infections


*Track leader; §executive committee; all are full professors 

HIV Research Track

 First Name, Last Name, Degree Department Research Interest
Constance Benson, MD Medicine HIV clinical trial and design
Victor DeGruttola, ScD Family Medicine & Public Health HIV biostatistics and study design
John Guatelli, MD ​Medicine HIV pathogenesis and restriction factors
Scott Letendre, MD Medicine NeuroAIDS and HCV clinical trials
Susan Little, MD Medicine Primary HIV infection and clinical trial design
David Looney​, MD# Medicine HIV molecular biology and next generation techniques
Natasha Martin, DPhil Medicine HIV and ID epidemic modeling 
Sheld​on Morris, MD Medicine HIV and sexually transmitted infections and clinical trial design
Davey Smith, MD, MAS*§ Medicine HIV cure and molecular epidemiology
Stephen Spector, MD§ Pediatrics Pediatric HIV clinical trials
​Celsa Spina, PhD# Medicine HIV immunology


*Track leader; §​executive committee; #associate professors; others are all full professors 

Global Health & Neglected Infectious Diseases Research Track

 First Name, Last Name, Degree Department Research Interest
Constance Benson, MD Medicine Mycobacteria therapeutics
Kimberly Brouwer, PhD Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health & Human Longevity Science The effect of mobility and marginalization on transmission and diffusion of infectious diseases
Conor Caffrey, PhD Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Drugs and diagnostics for parasitic diseases
Scott Letendre, MD Medicine NeuroAIDS and HCV clinical trials
​Anita Raj, PhD ​Family Medicine & Public Health Gender equity in global health, maternal/fetal health
Sharon Reed, MD§ Medicine Parasitic diseases and therapeutics
Timothy Rodwell, MD, PhD, MPH Medicine Antimicrobial resistance, rapid POC diagnostics for infectious diseases, global policy on treatment and diagnosis of infectious disease
Robert Schooley, MD Medicine Point of care diagnostics
Argentina Servin, MD, MPH Medicine Sexual violence, substance abuse, HIV/STI risk among vulnerable underserved populations
Aleem Siddiqui, PhD Medicine Viral hepatitis pathogenesis
​Jay Silverman, PhD Medicine ​ID epidemiology in vulnerable populations
Davey Smith, MD, MAS§ Medicine Diagnostics for resource limited settings
Jamila Stockman, PhD Medicine ​ID and health disparities
Steffanie Strathdee, PhD Medicine ​ID epidemiology in vulnerable populations 
Elizabeth Winzeler, PhD*§ Medicine ​Malaria pathogenesis


*Track leader; §executive committee; #​associate professors; others are all full professors

Explore Faculty Research

For a comprehensive list of faculty and specific resear​ch, please visit the following programs and departments directly: