Transplant Infectious Disease & Compromised Host Fellowship


Contact Information
Massachussets General Hospital
Transplant Center
55 Fruit Street, WH510A
Boston,
MA
02114
Fellowship Director: Jay A. Fishman, MD
Explore This Fellowship
About the Transplant Infectious Disease and Compromised Host Fellowship Program
The Transplant Infectious Disease and Compromised Host Fellowship Program at Massachusetts General Hospital trains fellows to become experts in transplant infectious disease management of patients with immunocompromised systems. This program is designed for fellows who have completed their first clinical training year in infectious diseases and want to grow their skills in caring for immunocompromised patients who are preparing to undergo transplant surgery for solid organs, bone marrow and stem cells. A full-time research track is also available for fellows who intend to commit to additional training for at least one to two years.
As part of this fellowship, infectious disease management fellows:
- Participate in at least one advanced clinical year focused on the care of immunocompromised patients
- Receive exposure to diverse immune deficits, chemotherapy and immunotherapies
- May arrange to participate in clinical trials and translational research that target improved treatment and outcomes for these susceptible patient populations
Learning Objectives
By the end of their training, fellows will become experts in:
- Multidisciplinary approaches to complex patients with organ failure, malignancy and immunosuppression
- The pre- and post-transplantation assessment of critically ill patients
- The timeline of infection after transplantation
- Managing patients experiencing side effects from immunomodulator therapies (CAR-T, checkpoint inhibitors)
- Deploying diagnostic techniques in clinical management including clinical microbiology and molecular diagnostic tools and diagnostic radiology
- Developing individualized prophylactic (prevention) strategies including immunizations and prophylaxis
- Mitigating side effects of antimicrobial antibiotic therapies
- Enhancing lifestyle safety for patients after transplant (e.g., travel medicine and personal hygiene)
- Important aspects of basic science relevant to transplant immunology and infectious disease including ongoing translational research programs in tolerance induction, organ perfusion, xenotransplantation, and novel immunosuppression strategies
Curriculum
Year one (after general infectious disease fellowship)
The fellows in this program are responsible for the clinical care of complex immunocompromised patients, the education of junior residents and fellows, and the presentation of the biomedical literature in related fields at weekly journal clubs and clinical rounds. The fellows will also develop and complete a research study under the guidance of a Mass General mentor.
Second year (optional)
Additional years of training are available in clinical or basic research as a way for fellows to improve their skills as investigators. These opportunities depend on the availability of research funding and acceptance by a mentor for that experience. The Mass General Transplant Center offers a training grant for pre- and postdoctoral basic research fellows in basic immunology by an internal application process that may fund two-to-three years of research support.
Other options may include:
- Developing a clinical research project in outcomes research in collaboration with the program faculty at the Harvard School of Public Health’s Program in Clinical Effectiveness
- Assisting in the design and performance of a bench research project in transplantation immunology and infectious disease with the Transplant Infectious Disease Program faculty or the transplantation research faculty at Mass General and Harvard Medical School
Team Structure and Clinical Responsibilities
The Transplant Infectious Disease and Immunocompromised inpatient service is led by one attending physician, one first-year infectious disease fellow and one to two second-year fellows. This team conducts urgent pre-transplant evaluations and directs the care of new patients with infectious disease syndromes. The fellows and attending round with the organ transplant team every morning. Second-year fellows will also participate in the outpatient care of transplant recipients.
Leaders in Infectious Disease Research
Mass General transplant infectious disease management specialists lead the advancement of antimicrobial and immunosuppressive protocols in both clinical care and clinical trials. The team holds multiple National Institutes of Health (NIH)-supported awards to investigate fundamental mechanisms of transplant immunology and associated translational studies.
They collaborate with basic and clinical research scientists to study:
- The biology of B and T cells
- Organ repair and regeneration
- Bone marrow transplantation
- Xenotransplantation
- Pre-clinical models of tolerance induction for clinical use
Explore relevant research labs
Requirements and Timeline
This program is open to those trainees who have successfully completed:
- One year in an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-certified infectious disease fellowship program or equivalent
- Training in internal medicine
Applications should be submitted by the September 1 that precedes the year of the desired start date.
How to Apply
To apply, applicants should submit:
- A CV
- A brief statement of career goals
- At least two letters of recommendation
Submit applications to:
Jay A. Fishman, MD
Director, Transplant Infectious Disease and Compromised Host Fellowship Program
Associate Director, Mass General Transplant Center
Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Massachusetts General Hospital
Transplant Center
55 Fruit Street, WH510A
Boston MA, 02114
Meet Our Team
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- Infectious Diseases
- Department of Medicine
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- Associate Director, Mass General Transplant Center
- Director, Transplant Infectious Diseases and Compromised Host Program
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- Director of Hematology/Oncology Infectious Diseases
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- Associate Physician in Medicine
- Director, Viral Hepatitis Clinic (Infectious Diseases)
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- Clinical Director, Transplant and Immunocompromised Host Infectious Diseases
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- Medical Director, Antimicrobial Stewardship Program
- Instructor of Medicine Harvard Medical School
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- Infectious Diseases
- Department of Medicine
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- Infectious Diseases
- Department of Medicine
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- Department of Pathology
- Infectious Diseases
- Department of Medicine
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- Infectious Diseases
- Department of Medicine
High-Volume Center
Our surgeons perform more kidney transplants than other New England institutions and achieve some of the best transplant results nationwide.