About the Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Unit (ID CRU)

The Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Unit (ID CRU) was founded in the fall of 2020 to facilitate cutting-edge clinical research within the Division of Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital.

The goals of the ID CRU are (1) to support investigators in the coordination and conduct of clinical trials within scientifically relevant areas of infectious diseases and (2) to provide training to infectious diseases fellows and faculty in clinical trials methodology, implementation, analysis, and interpretation.

Being embedded within the ID division at MGH, the ID CRU is uniquely positioned to take advantage of a wealth of clinical expertise and access to diverse patient populations. Indeed, the MGH Division of Infectious Diseases is the largest ID division in Massachusetts and ranks among the largest ID divisions in the US. The division currently has ~90 faculty and associated faculty members who, in addition to providing clinical care, conduct cutting-edge research. Members of the ID division have close to 50,000 patient contacts per year, including inpatient and outpatient consultations and follow-up visits.

The outpatient clinic typically includes a busy Travel Advice and Immunization Clinic with over 10,000 administered vaccines per year. There are also over 3,000 visits per year to the MGH Sexual Health Clinic. The MGH ID Associates practice provides care for ~1,400 people living with HIV. The division’s research spans preventive immunization strategies against viral infections and gastrointestinal pathogens, bacterial resistance to antimicrobial agents, novel classes of antimicrobial agents, and infections related to transplantation and other immunocompromising disorders, to mention only a few areas of investigational interest.