Negin Nekahi, MD, PhD

Personal Info

I fell in love with science as a sophomore in college when I started in my first research lab. I couldn’t hold a pipette and had no idea how to ask a hypothesis driven question, but I knew I had found a passion. As the year passed and that passion was molded into what it has become today, I find that science- asking a question and answering it all with the goal of helping others is still at the core. My passion for infectious diseases started as a junior in college when I took my first series of virology course and the more, I learned the more I was fascinated. This brought me to my graduate work on the role of Nuclear Factor Kappa B in Human Herpes Virus 8 replication. My post graduate work looked at the role of innate immunity in control vaccinia virus infections. Upon completion of my graduate work and fellowship I transitioned to more translational and outcomes research. I have headed several studies looking at the role of decolonization of S aureus in the ICU and in surgical patients to decrease complications and hospital and surgical site infections. Currently I am a part of several studies evaluating the epidemiology, prevention and treatment of Clostridioides difficile colitis. More recently my work has turned to understanding SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology, prevention, and management of disease. My extensive experience in successfully managed projects, collaborating with other researchers and producing several peer-reviewed abstracts and publications demonstrate my qualifications as a VA investigator. Results from these projects demonstrate my ability and expertise in conducting research, managing and supervising study teams, and engaging in active collaborations.