Cynthia Sears, MD, FIDSA, Named IDSA President

Four Members Join Board of Directors to Continue to Elevate Field of Infectious Diseases

ARLINGTON, Va. – Oct. 3, 2018 – The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) is pleased to announce Cynthia Sears, MD, FIDSA, as the Society’s new president. Dr. Sears will be joined by dedicated, experienced board members as well as newly elected representatives who will advance IDSA’s commitment to improving the health of all people, communities, and society.

“Whether it is HIV, HCV, or the microbiome, no field of medicine has been more transformative or exciting as infectious diseases,” said Dr. Sears. “The greatest advances in health have come from the field of ID, and we must continue to be prepared to address the unforeseen clinical, scientific, and public health challenges that lie ahead. In order to ensure the future of the specialty, it is crucial that we foster the next generation of infectious diseases specialists.”

Dr. Sears will lead the Society’s work to promote its strategic priorities including:

Attracting the best and brightest to the field of infectious diseases
Promoting leadership that leads to improvements in antibiotic resistance and stewardship
Producing useful, timely and relevant guidelines for care of patients with infections
Stimulating ID and HIV research and its clinical translation
Advocating funding for prevention and public health programs in ID and HIV
Recognizing the value of the infectious diseases (ID) physician

As Professor of Medicine and Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health and Attending Physician at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Dr. Sears continues to engage in a broad range of activities that continue to renew her love for the field of infectious diseases. As a physician-scientist, she has enjoyed both conducting research and caring for patients throughout her 30-year career.

Having served IDSA in numerous volunteer capacities throughout her career, Dr. Sears has gained a special appreciation for the Society’s contributions through federal advocacy, improving services for members of IDSA, and educating the public about the value of infectious diseases specialists. As president, she looks forward to continuing to further the Society’s strategic priorities with a special emphasis on supporting young clinicians and researchers and recruiting the next generation of physician-scientists into the field of infectious diseases.

New IDSA Board Members

Dr. Sears is pleased to be working with newly elected IDSA Board members including:

Barbara D. Alexander, MD, FIDSA – Alexander is dedicated to finding new ways to recruit new doctors into the field by sharing the passion she sees among colleagues for solving the stimulating challenges facing the world today including the dwindling antimicrobial pipeline and threats of outbreaks around the globe. She is Professor of Medicine and Pathology, and serves as Director of Transplant Infectious Disease Services, Head of Clinical Mycology Laboratory, and Director of Microbiology and Transplant Infectious Diseases Fellowship Programs at Duke University School of Medicine. Her research interests include clinical and translational research related to infectious complications of solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Dr. Alexander will serve as the board’s Vice President as part of the Executive Committee.
Jeffrey Duchin, MD, FIDSA – Serving as Health Officer and Chief of the Communicable Disease & Immunization Section for Public Health - Seattle & King County and Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Washington, Dr. Duchin’s career resides at the intersection of public health, academia, and patient care. In addition to promoting the Society’s strategic priorities while serving on the boards, he is committed to promoting the critical importance of infectious diseases professionals in both population health and patient care on the local, national and global levels; advocating for the need for federal investments in ID-related research and disease prevention programs; and supporting HIV, TB and HCV elimination in the US.
Ann MacIntyre, DO, MHS, FIDSA – Dr. MacIntyre serves as Clinical Associate Professor at Nova Southeastern University, Medical Director of the Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program and of Antimicrobial Stewardship for Palmetto General Hospital, and as Attending Physician at Mercy Hospital and Palmetto General Hospital. Seeing the value of the ID physician at every level including individual, health system, and public health both domestically and internationally, Dr. MacIntyre believes that infectious diseases is a specialty without borders. She is particularly interested in promoting the value of the ID specialty through antimicrobial stewardship and healthcare quality. Dr. MacIntyre looks forward to embracing and representing the diversity of the IDSA membership while serving on the board of directors.
Jeanne Marrazzo MD, MPH, FIDSA – Professor of Medicine and Director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at University of Alabama, Birmingham, Dr. Marrazzo has long been devoted to volunteering in the field. In addition to serving on IDSA’s Education Committee, she recently served as Chair of the ABIM Council & ID Specialty Board and is the Immediate Past President of the International Society for STD Research. She looks forward to bringing her experience in academic leadership, research, patient care and mentorship to what she believes are the most pressing issues facing the field: ensuring a healthy pipeline of infectious diseases specialists; articulating ID needs and recommendations in an increasingly challenging funding and policy landscape; pursuing the commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion among the Society’s leadership and the ID workforce; responding to urgent infectious diseases-related events; and inspiring the next generation of ID leaders.

In addition to Drs. Sears and Alexander, the IDSA Executive Committee includes: President-Elect Thomas M. File, Jr., MD, MSc, FIDSA, Summa Health, Akron; Past President Paul Auwaerter, MD, MBA, FIDSA, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Treasurer Helen Boucher, MD, FIDSA, Tufts Medical Center, Boston and Secretary Larry Pickering, MD, FIDSA, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta.

Members continuing their service on the Board include:

Angela Caliendo, MD, PhD, FIDSA, Brown University, Providence, R.I.
Victoria Fraser, MD, FIDSA, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Mo.
Dan McQuillen, MD, FIDSA, Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, Burlington, Mass.
Igho Ofotokun, MD, Msc, FIDSA, (HIVMA Representative) Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Ga.
Susan J. Rehm, MD, FIDSA, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Oh.

About the Infectious Diseases Society of America

The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) is an organization of physicians, scientists, and other health care professionals dedicated to promoting health through excellence in infectious diseases research, education, prevention, and patient care. The Society, which has more than 11,000 members, was founded in 1963 and is based in Arlington, VA. For more information, see www.idsociety.org.