The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the nation’s leading infectious diseases professional organization, has selected Carlos del Rio, MD, FIDSA, as its new president beginning Oct. 24.
Described by IDSA as being “deeply committed to resident and fellow education, diversity, equity and inclusion,” del Rio will work with the board of directors, alongside other newly elected representatives, to advance the society’s strategic priorities focused on promoting excellence in patient care, education, research, public health and prevention relating to infectious diseases. IDSA is made up of more than 12,000 practicing physicians, academic scientists and researchers, infectious disease specialists and hospital epidemiologists.
“As we face new infectious diseases challenges, from COVID to monkeypox, the role and value of physicians and scientists specializing in infectious disease only grows,” says del Rio. “It is an honor to represent ID experts who have been on the front lines during unprecedented outbreaks and continue to work to prevent future threats.”
IDSA and its members play a critical role in some of the most important topics in medicine today — such as offering guidance and care for COVID-19, tackling the growing threat posed by antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and addressing emerging outbreaks such as Ebola virus disease and monkeypox.
In his new role, del Rio will provide leadership across the organization to advocate for policy and regulatory solutions to address AMR, increase recognition of the value of ID specialists and foster the next generation of physicians and scientists in the field.
Del Rio is a professor of medicine at Emory School of Medicine, professor of global health and epidemiology at the Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, and executive associate dean of Emory at Grady Health System. He is also co-principal investigator and co-director of the Emory Center for AIDS Research and co-principal investigator of the Emory-CDC HIV Clinical Trials Unit and Emory Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Unit.
IDSA honors Emory leaders in infectious diseases during IDWeek 2022
In addition to selecting del Rio as its next president, IDSA is announcing awards and a new position for three other Emory physicians during IDWeek 2022, an annual meeting of infectious disease professionals from around the world.
Nadine Rouphael, MD, FIDSA, is this year’s recipient of the Oswald Avery Award for Early Achievement, which recognizes outstanding achievement in infectious diseases by a member of IDSA who is 45 years or younger.
Rouphael is a professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Emory University School of Medicine and senior physician at Emory Healthcare. She has made key contributions to research on the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 and on vaccines for influenza.
Robin Dretler, MD, FIDSA, has received the Watanakunakorn Clinician Award for his outstanding achievement in the clinical practice of infectious diseases.
Dretler works as an infectious diseases specialist and chair of the Professional Practice Evaluation Committee at Emory Decatur Hospital. Since starting his career, he has grown a significant infectious diseases practice in Atlanta, contributed to policies to improve the quality of hospital care and conducted research that has led to new treatments for HIV, hepatitis C virus and other infectious diseases.
Additionally, Colleen Kelley, MD, MPH, has been elected to serve as the vice chair of IDSA’s HIV Medicine Association.
Kelley is an associate professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine. She also serves as co-principal investigator and co-director for prevention sciences of the Emory Center for AIDS Research and program director at the Emory University Training Program in HIV Translational Research to End the Epidemic.