Vanderbilt TB Center News

Dr. Dooley’s TB research receives MERIT Award from the NIH

Kelly Dooley, MD, PhD, MPH, Addison B. Scoville Jr. Professor of Medicine and director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, has received a MERIT Award (Method to Extend Research in Time Award) from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

VTC to lead a $2.3 million study on subclinical TB

The Vanderbilt TB Center will lead a two-year, $2.3 million project funded by CRDF Global, to conduct research on the prevalence and incidence of subclinical tuberculosis(TB) in close contacts and evaluate novel biomarkers and diagnostic tests for subclinical TB. The true prevalence and incidence of subclinical TB in close TB contacts is unclear, and the optimal diagnostic method for subclinical TB is unknown.

NIH Awards UM1 Funding to Establish PReDicTR Consortium

Rada Savic, PhD and colleagues Eric Nuermberger, MD (JHU), Kelly Dooley, MD, PhD, MPH (Vanderbilt), and Dirk Schnappinger, PhD (WCM) have been awarded a five-year $30.8M, UM1 cooperative agreement award from NIAID/NIH to establish a consortium of tuberculosis preclinical and clinical experts to research the most effective treatment options for future clinical testing, called the Preclinical Design and Clinical Translation of TB Regimens (PReDicTR) Consortium. PReDicTR will establish a mu

VTC Hosts LTBI R01 Meeting

The Vanderbilt Tuberculosis Center recently hosted a meeting of researchers involved in our LTBI R01 project “Immunogenetic predictors of active and incipient TB in HIV-negative and -positive close TB contacts” (NIH R01AI147765). The event, which took place between March 21st and 22nd, and included presentations about ongoing research and data findings, working group sessions, and breakout meetings.

RePORT-Brazil Investigators at CROI 2024

The 2024 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Denver was attended by investigators from RePORT-Brazil, including presentations on recent findings and articles. Poster Presentations:Dr. Gustavo Amorim, PhD - "Estimating Optimal Anti-TB Drug Concentrations in a Prospective, Observational Cohort in Brazil"Dr. Felipe Ridolfi, PhD, MD - “Pharmacogenetic Associations With HIV-1 Virologic Suppression Among Patients with TB/HIV in Brazil”

RePORT-Brazil in the Spotlight - CID Article

A recently publication in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases is catching attention. The Xpert® MTB/RIF cycle threshold value predicts M. tuberculosis transmission to close contacts in a Brazilian prospective multicenter cohort  was published by the RePORT-Brazil consortium, with authorship being led by the team at the Fundação de Medicina Tropical in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.  

TBTC Launches CRUSH-TB trial

CDC’s Tuberculosis Trials Consortium (TBTC) has recently launched the CRUSH-TB trial, which aims to identify new combinations of drugs to shorten treatment of active TB disease. Kelly Dooley, MD, PhD, MPH, Director, Division of Infectious Diseases, is a Protocol Chair for this new study. Read more from CDC’s TB Notes newsletter:

TB Center welcomes 1st Cohort of RePORT-Brazil Advanced Career Training (ReACT) Fellows

The Regional Prospective Observational Research in Tuberculosis - Brazil (RePORT-Brazil) network is pleased to announce its 1st Cohort of Fellows for the RePORT-Brazil Advanced Career Training (ReACT) program. Strategic Aim 3 of the recently renewed RePORT-Brazil Phase 2 grant (NIH U01AI172064-01), focuses on the development of a fellowship program for the advancement of early-career Brazilian scientists. The program provides funding for pilot projects in TB research, mentorship, and access to data and specimens collected throughout Phase 1 of the project.