Welcome to the VISPR Program, led by director Natasha Halasa, MD, MPH, Craig Weaver Professor in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, in collaboration with Dr. James Chappell, MD, PhD, Research Professor in Pediatrics.
The Vanderbilt Infection Surveillance & Prevention Research Program was formed in 2024 to conduct clinical and translational research determining the burden of diarrheal and respiratory illnesses in young children and specialized populations and to find ways to reduce their burden (e.g., through vaccines, drugs, etc.). Since 2002, Dr. Halasa has been involved in vaccine trials enrolling children of all ages, including young infants and specialized populations such as children with cancer.
Our Mission:
- To define the burden of acute respiratory and gastroenteritis illnesses in children, locally and internationally.
- To find ways to decrease the burden of illness, mainly through vaccine studies in specialized populations – young children and immunocompromised hosts.
Current Projects:
- Prevention of seasonal flu infections
- Vaccine efficacy studies
- New vaccines surveillance
- Evaluating and testing new vaccine mechanisms
