Infectious Diseases About Us Contact Us Faculty Research Fellowship Program Clinical Expertise Research Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine Home Research Research: Clinical Departments Medicine: Infectious Diseases > Research Leaders in Discovery Investigation and innovation are central to the mission of the Division of Infectious Diseases. Our faculty are renowned in their fields for advances in clinical, translational and bench research. We have particular research strengths in HIV/AIDS, vector-borne diseases, parasitology, bacterial pathogenesis and healthcare-associated infections. Research Areas HIV/AIDS Basic research led by division chief Donald Forthal, MD is focused on understanding how antibodies interact with cells of the immune system to inhibit HIV. This research, which has led to collaborations with other UC Irvine faculty members as well as scientists across the United States and around the world, is supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the state of California and industry. The division's clinical research on HIV/AIDS is led by Catherine Diamond, MD, MPH and Steven Park, MD, PhD, with primary support from the California Collaborative Treatment Group, a consortium of institutions funded by the California HIV Research Program. Vector-borne Diseases and Host-Pathogen Interactions Alan G. Barbour, MD, primarily studies Lyme disease and relapsing fever. Lyme disease is the most common arthropod-borne disease in the United States and occurs in parts of California, as well as in the Northeast and Midwest. Relapsing fever is another tick-borne disease that is less common but is of particular concern in California, especially in mountainous areas like the Sierra. Dr. Barbour’s lab studies both the animals that carry these diseases in nature and the pathogens themselves. One question driving the research is how the small rodents that carry Lyme disease remain free of illness. Understanding the mechanisms that allow these animals to counter inflammation even when infected may help identify ways to prevent or manage persistent illness and disability after a Lyme disease infection. Parasitology: Elucidating Redox Control in Toxoplasma gondii The research of Rosa M. Andrade, MD, aims to understand how T. gondii controls the antioxidant attack of the host to survive and become latent. This knowledge will allow us to identify new strategies for therapeutic development. Dr. Andrade’s team uses molecular and cellular biology approaches along with in vivo models of acute and chronic toxoplasmosis to achieve our long-term goals. Bacterial Pathogenesis Ming Tan, MD, is researching the pathogenesis of chlamydia infection and represents a significant area of strength within our division. His laboratory explores how chlamydia regulates gene expression to induce disease and investigates the therapeutic potential of antimicrobial peptides. This research is supported by funding from the NIH and the American Heart Association and involves collaborations with researchers at UC Irvine and other institutions. Burden, Risk Factors and Containment of Healthcare-Associated Infections The research of Susan Huang, MD, focuses on the pathogens and infections that arise from healthcare and antibiotic exposures. Her focus on healthcare-associated infections (HAI) involves evaluating the burden, risk factors and effective strategies to detect and prevent multidrug-resistant organisms, outbreaks, and device- and procedure-related infections. Dr. Huang also evaluates ways to improve HAI metrics to assess, track and compare quality of delivered care across healthcare facilities. Dr. Huang’s research spans the continuum of healthcare settings, including hospitals, long-term care settings such as nursing homes and long-term acute care hospitals, and post-discharge home environments.