Research

"In November 1956, Dr. C Henry Kempe arrived in Colorado as Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics. With his arrival a new era in pediatrics began. Under his guidance the Department grew rapidly. He attracted a host of brilliant young men [and women] . . . . He was an authority on infectious diseases.“^[1]

By the 1960s the Department already had developed a national and international reputation as a leader in smallpox, respiratory virus, and vaccine research with a series of noteworthy fellows and faculty in infectious diseases including Dr. Vince Fulginiti.

Beginning in 1969, under the leadership of Dr. Kenneth McIntosh, the Pediatric Infectious Diseases fellowship expanded and matured with an additional focus on bacterial diseases, Kawasaki Syndrome, and microbial diagnosis and pathogenesis.

At the same time, the fellowship was expanded to three years to include enough time for adequate training in both clinical and basic science research (now including epidemiology, diagnostic microbiology, vaccinology, infection prevention and control, antimicrobial stewardship, and global health) with the goal to provide sufficient scholarly productivity to prepare for a wide variety of competitive careers in infectious diseases.

Uniquely, fellows have always been encouraged to pursue their own research interests with the Section facilitating access to mentorship in a wide variety of interdepartmental disciplines (medicine, clinical microbiology, basic science microbiology, global health).