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Maternal and Pediatric Infectious Disease Branch (MPIDB)

HIV infection under microscope

Overview/Mission

MPIDB supports domestic and international research, as well as research training and career development programs related to the epidemiology, diagnosis, clinical manifestations, pathogenesis, transmission, treatment, and prevention of HIV and its complications in infants, children, adolescents, and pregnant women. As the HIV epidemic has evolved and other infectious diseases have emerged in the United States and globally, the branch has ensured that its funded research reflects these changes and addresses important opportunities and gaps as they arise, including HIV-associated co-infections such as tuberculosis (TB), hepatitis, and malaria.

To meet the needs and ongoing challenges of other significant infectious diseases, MPIDB coordinates research on the epidemiology, natural history, pathogenesis, transmission, treatment, and prevention of congenital infections, such as Zika virus and cytomegalovirus (CMV); emerging infectious diseases; and vaccine-preventable disease in infants, children, adolescents, and women.

Congruent with the branch's mission, MPIDB supports several research programs and networks to improve health outcomes among populations of interest. Two major priorities for branch-funded clinical research networks are: HIV (and TB) therapeutics in infants, children, adolescents, and pregnant women; and epidemiologic research in individuals living with HIV or at risk for HIV, including infants, children, adolescents, and young adults who were exposed to HIV in utero.

  • Adolescent HIV Acquisition and Disease: Focuses on understanding HIV transmission dynamics, the course of disease, and its management in youth, including those who acquire HIV perinatally
  • Youth with Perinatally Acquired HIV: Examines the long-term effects of HIV and its treatment on the growth and development, sexual maturation, organ function, and socialization of adolescents and young adults with perinatally acquired HIV, both domestically and internationally
  • Epidemiology and Natural History of HIV and HIV-Related Co-Infections in Infants, Children, and Adolescents: Investigates optimizing linkage to care, monitoring of therapy, adherence and durability of therapy, development of drug resistance, short- and long-term outcomes, epidemiology, treatment, and prevention of important co-infections, and other issues
  • Epidemiology and Natural History of HIV and HIV-Related Co-Infections in Women: Focuses on gender-specific manifestations of HIV, including natural history, impact of therapy, transmission, and interactions with hormones
  • HIV and Other Infections in Pregnancy and the Prevention of Perinatal Transmission: Aims to prevent and eliminate perinatal transmission and includes studies during pregnancy, effects of in utero drug exposures on the fetus, long-term follow-up, and evaluation of long-term adverse consequences of exposure
  • Non-HIV Infectious Disease Research: Addresses research gaps in children and pregnant women related to many HIV-associated co-infections
  • Therapeutic Research in HIV and Related Comorbidities: Evaluates new and improved therapies for treatment of HIV and its associated complications in pregnant women, infants, children, and adolescents
  • Prevention and Treatment through a Comprehensive Care Continuum for HIV-affected Adolescents in Resource Constrained Settings (PATC3H): Works on an international scale to prevent and treat HIV among adolescents and young adults 
  • Centers for AIDS Research: Provides administrative and shared support to synergistically enhance and coordinate high-quality AIDS research projects
  • International epidemiologic Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA): Collects and analyzes maternal and pediatric HIV/AIDS data from seven international regional data centers: four in Africa and one each in the Asia-Pacific region, the Central/South America/Caribbean region, and North America
  • International Maternal, Pediatric, Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials Network: Evaluates potential therapies for HIV and its related co-infections (e.g., TB) in infants, children, and adolescents and during pregnancy, including clinical trials of HIV/AIDS interventions for prevention of perinatal transmission
  • NICHD Domestic & International Pediatric & Maternal HIV & other High-Priority Infectious Diseases Clinical Studies Network: Conducts trials related to preventing and treating HIV and its complications in newborns, infants, children, and adolescents and during pregnancy
  • Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study: Examines long-term safety of fetal and infant exposure to antiretroviral therapy and effects of perinatally acquired HIV in adolescents and young adults
  • Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study/Women’s Interagency HIV Study Combined Cohort Study: Investigates ways to understand and reduce the impact of chronic health conditions that affect people with HIV in the United States

  • Sonia Lee, Ph.D., Branch Chief
    Main Research Areas: Adolescent HIV; neurodevelopment and assessment; behavioral science, including HIV acquisition and HIV exposure in infants, children, and adolescents; programs and networks
  • Denise Russo, Ph.D., Deputy Branch Chief
    Main Research Areas: HIV in women; infant immunity
  • Ayanna Brummell, Staff Assistant
  • Samantha Calabrese, MPH, Program Officer
    Main Research Areas: Portfolio analysis methodology; epidemiology; Zika
  • Tara DeYampert, M.D., Program Officer
    Main Research Areas; Conditions, treatments, and innovations in maternal and gynecological health
  • Allahna Esber, Ph.D., Program Officer
    Main Research Areas: HIV in women and adolescents; epidemiology; cohort studies; vaccines; HIV coinfections
  • Maria Hill, Extramural Staff Assistant
  • Sai Majji, Ph.D., Program Officer
    Main Research Areas: Immune development in early life; effects of chronic and acute maternal infections (e.g., HIV, TB, malaria, CMV); immune-prophylactics and therapeutics in pregnant and non-pregnant women and pediatrics; regulatory affairs; clinical trial monitoring and data sharing and management
  • Jack Moye, M.D., Medical Officer
    Main Research Areas: Laboratory quality assurance; biospecimen repository management; virology and immunology research; epidemiologic cohort studies and clinical trials
  • Franklin Yates, M.D., Medical Officer
    Main Research Areas:  Adolescent HIV prevention and treatment; adult and pediatric infectious diseases; emerging infectious diseases; viral hepatitis prevention and treatment in children and pregnant women

Highlights