Program in Neuroinfectious Diseases

The Program in Neuroinfectious Diseases in the Department of Neurology at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Irving Medical Center is internationally recognized and one of only a handful of specialized programs globally dedicated to clinical care, research, education, and public health activities focused on acute and chronic infections of the nervous system. Led by Dr. Kiran Thakur, Herbert Irving Associate Professor of Neurology, the program seeks to enhance the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of individuals with neuroinfectious diseases.

Neuroinfectious diseases encompass a broad array of communicable infections that can affect the nervous system, including bacterial, viral, and fungal infections. These include acute infections, including many emerging neurological infectious diseases, which are a significant threat to public health, and chronic infections such as HIV. Neurological infections are often challenging to diagnose and treat, and often impact vulnerable populations.

Clinical Care Activities

Clinical care activities in the program include both inpatient and outpatient services. Inpatient, our neuroinfectious disease consult service is focused on the specialized care of patients admitted to the hospital with presumed or definitive neurological infections. Working alongside our infectious disease, neuroimmunology, and hospitalist colleagues, we assist in expert consultation and management dedicated to an individualized patient care approach, often utilizing novel antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory therapies. The consult team is led by Dr. Kiran Thakur and Dr. Kathryn Holroyd and is staffed by neuroinfectious diseases fellows and neurology residents.

We also provide neurological care in the outpatient comprehensive HIV program, as well as in a general neuroinfectious diseases clinic. Our team can also provide virtual consultation to aid clinicians in the assessment and management of complex patients with neuroinfectious diseases.

Some of our recent novel clinical treatment activities have included the use of Pocapavir for enterovirus encephalitis, immunomodulatory therapy for arboviruses, including West Nile virus, and best practices for treating some of the most prevalent viral infections, such as Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) and herpes simplex virus (HSV) encephalitis.

Research Activities

Drs. Thakur and Holroyd co-lead an innovative research program in neuroinfectious diseases that integrates clinical and translational research as well as implementation science:

  • Development and expansion of targeted T-cell therapies for refractory and otherwise incurable viral CNS infections (including PML and CMV encephalitis)
  • Leadership in translational research on HIV-associated cognitive impairment and vascular risk factors in domestic and international settings
  • Implementation science programs improving the diagnosis and treatment of cryptococcal meningitis in New York City and Ethiopia
  • Evaluation of advanced diagnostic tools for neuroinfectious diseases
  • Collaboration with Encephalitis International and international colleagues to develop cognitive, mood, and functional screening tools for long-term survivors of infectious encephalitis
  • Multidisciplinary partnerships across neurology, oncology, infectious diseases, and public health

Public Health Activities

A major goal of our team is to protect and improve the health of individuals and their communities who are most at risk and suffering from neurological infections, both in our local community and globally.

Our team works closely with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the International Neuro-HIV Cure Consortium (INHCC), and Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to prioritize neurological infectious diseases in public policy efforts. We are focused on expanding implementation of best practice guidelines for treatment of globally prevalent neuroinfectious diseases, including tuberculous meningitis, cryptococcal meningitis, and the central nervous complications of HIV infection.

Locally, we are working on projects focused on community engagement in Washington Heights, including brain health lectures and community fairs, research working to identify healthcare access gaps, and infectious encephalitis awareness.

Educational Activities

Our neurology and infectious disease trainees have the unique opportunity to learn about neurological infections through our team’s educational leaders, including senior neuroinfectious disease expert Dr. Carolyn Britton and Director of Neuroinfectious Disease education Dr. Kathryn Holroyd. Our group seeks to foster neuroinfectious disease education longitudinally, from the level of medical student to resident to fellow. We also seek to build a collaborative environment of neuroinfectious diseases education both within and across departments at Columbia.

Please visit our education section to learn more about our current available fellowship opportunities.

Donations

To make a donation, please contact:

Matthew Reals
Senior Director of Development
Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Phone: 646-761-0915
Email:mr3134@cumc.columbia.edu