Six Infectious Disease Specialists Join Loyola

James L. Cook, MD, has been named division director of infectious diseases and co-director of the Infectious Diseases and Immunology Institute of Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. Cook will also serve as division director of Infectious Disease at Edward J. Hines VA Hospital. Cook was recruited to Loyola, along with five other faculty members, from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC).

"Each of our new physicians brings a unique background, accomplishments and talents that not only complement and enhance our existing strengths, but also create exciting new areas of clinical, educational and research expertise," says David W. Hecht, chair of the Department of Medicine at Stritch. "Under the leadership of Dr. Cook and existing chair, Katherine Knight, PhD, the region's only Infectious Disease Research Institute will continue to grow in prominence.

Cook received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine and he completed a residency in internal medicine and ID fellowship at the University of Utah Health Sciences Center and a postdoctoral research fellowship at the NIH. He was the head of ID at National Jewish Hospital in Denver during the 1990s, prior to joining UIC as head of Infectious Diseases in 1999. He is an expert in the treatment of patients with mycobacterial diseases. He studies adenovirus immunopathogenesis and is funded by the Department of Defense to investigate immunological responses and antimicrobial compound development against biowarfare agents.

Other faculty members joining Loyola are:

Maximo Brito, MD, MPH, is an associate professor who studies HIV prevention in the international health setting. He will lead the ID fellowship program. Brito will have a joint appointment in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology and a clinical appointment at Hines. Brito received his medical degree from the Instituto Tecnologico de Santo Domingo School of Medicine and completed a residency in internal medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital and ID fellowship at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. He received his MPH in epidemiology from the University of Illinois. He was medical director of HIV/AIDS at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh before joining UIC in 2004.

Nina Clark, MD, is an associate professor who will initiate and lead a new transplant infectious diseases program. She created and lead a similar multidisciplinary program at UIC. Clark will continue to lead a Ryan White funded program for HIV patient care. She has research interests in studies of opportunistic infections in transplant patients and HCV infections in liver transplant patients. She received her medical degree from the University of Illinois. Clark was on staff at the University of Michigan after completing her residency and ID fellowship there, and joined UIC in 2003.

Jennifer Layden, MD, PhD, is an assistant professor who will be a member of the transplant infectious diseases program. She has a primary interest in epidemiologic and genetic studies of HCV induced pathogenesis in liver transplant patients. She received her medical degree and PhD in epidemiology from the University of Illinois where she was a resident in internal medicine and ID fellow before joining the UIC faculty in 2010. Layden will have a joint appointment in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology.

Susan Pacheco, MD, is an assistant professor who will co-lead a research program in studies of C. difficile infection and prevention at Hines where she also will be the head of infection control. Pacheco received her medical degree and completed her residency and ID fellowship at Northwestern University, McGaw Medical Center before joining UIC in 2010 as director of infection control.

Gail Reid, MD, is an assistant professor who will be a member of the transplant infectious diseases program. She has a primary research interest in viral infections in stem cell transplant patients. She will have a joint appointment in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology at Stritch and a clinical appointment at Hines. Reid received her medical degree from St. Georges University School of Medicine and completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of Connecticut and ID fellowship at UIC before joining the UIC faculty in 2007.

Loyola University Health System is recognized internationally as a leader in infection control and prevention. Loyola is one of a few select hospitals who invest in universal screening of all inpatients for MRSA. Loyola was one of the first institutions to require its staff to have mandatory flu shots as a condition of employment. Loyola was the only academic hospital to participate in a national C. difficile study and performs the most accurate testing for the bacteria.