Infectious Disease Fellowship| Houston Methodist Academic Institute

Infectious Disease Fellowship

Advanced Fellowships

Research Training

ID Bootcamp

Advanced Fellowships

Research Training

ID Bootcamp

Why train at Houston Methodist Hospital ID fellowship program?

Welcome to the Houston Methodist Hospital (HMH) Infectious Disease Fellowship Program. The fellowship program is designed to train the next generation of Infectious Diseases clinicians and clinician-Scientists. We have developed an program for trainees that includes world-class clinical experiences, innovative didactics and diverse research experiences that will prepare you for a career in the Infectious Diseases field of your choice. The program will provide a supportive environment for you to train in the heart of the largest medical Center in the World (Texas Medical center) at an institution ranked #1 in Texas.

Clinical Excellence

Houston Methodist Hospital, located in the heart of the Texas Medical Center (TMC), is the flagship hospital of the Houston Methodist system, which contains 8 hospitals and an academic research institute. Excellence in patient care is a leading principle of the system resulting in Houston Methodist being consistently recognized in 11 specialty areas by U.S. News and World Report and ranked as the #1 hospital in Texas and #15 in the country
HMH is Located in the Texas Medical Center (the largest medical center in the world with over 9,200 beds dedicated for patient care). HMH is one of the largest general hospitals in the TMC with more than 940 beds, offering an incredibly diverse clinical experience in infectious diseases.
Rotation Partnerships: Our program has established rotation partnerships with prestigious institutions. Fellows have the opportunity to rotate at MD Anderson Cancer Center, the largest cancer hospital in the country, as well as at Legacy Clinic, a leading center for HIV care in Houston. These rotations enhance the fellows' exposure to diverse patient populations and specialized infectious diseases.
We recognize the importance of global perspectives in infectious diseases. Therefore, we offer opportunities for international electives in tropical and subtropical infectious diseases in South America and Asia.
HMH has been endorsed as Center of Excellence for Antibiotic Stewardship by the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
Houston is the most diverse city in the country providing outstanding patient diversity in terms of pathologies and reflecting the patient population that we serve.
Program 4

Transplant Expertise

HMH is one of the top solid organ transplant centers in the country (#1 in multiorgan transplants, #2 in liver transplants and #7 transplant program in the nation for the year 2022), leveraging a large population of immunocompromised patients. HMH just celebrated performing 10,000 transplants.
Rotations at MD Anderson Cancer Center, the largest cancer hospital in the country with a high volume of hematopoietic stem cell transplants.

ID Subspecialty fellowship tracks

We offer optional ID subspecialty fellowship tracks to further specialize in training:

3rd Year Oncology and Transplant ID track
3rd Year Clinical Investigator and research track
Plans to introduce Critical Care-Infectious Diseases track in the future

Comprehensive educational experience

We prioritize the educational growth of our fellows and provide dedicated educational courses and workshops without clinical service obligations. The fellowship has several multi-day immersive and interactive educational experiences:
- Infectious Disease boot camp course- a one-week intensive course on the fundamentals of ID at the start of fellowship.
- Evidence based medicine course.
- Ultraportable POCUS (Point of care Ultrasound) course
- ID board review course
- Health care epidemiology and infection prevention course
- Antimicrobial Stewardship course
- Gulf Coast Consortium antimicrobial resistance seminars and conference (held in January every year)
Educational conferences weekly, biweekly, or monthly (Journal club, core curriculum, case conference, ID Grand rounds, Houston City Wide conference).
In addition to the general ID service the fellows gain valuable experience through specialized services:

Immunocompromised and transplant ID service at HMH and MD Anderson Cancer Center
Ambulatory block rotation through viral Hepatitis clinic, transplant ID clinic, Tropical medicine clinic, Wound care clinic, Sexually Transmitted Infections clinic.
“Junior attending” block at the end of 2nd year to simulate life as an attending, and training on practice management.
General ID continuity Clinic at Houston Methodist Hospital.

State-of-the-art clinical microbiology and molecular diagnostics laboratory.
- Virtual micro rounds on clinical consult service
- 4-week rotation in microbiology and molecular diagnostics

Research Opportunities

Houston Methodist and the TMC is the home of a robust community of researchers focusing on antimicrobial resistance and immunocompromised patients with a strong NIH grant portfolio encompassing molecular, translational, and clinical aspects.
Clinical and research partnerships with several institutions in the Texas Medical Center. Houston Methodist is part of the Gulf Coast Consortium that includes MD Anderson Cancer Center, UTHealth, Baylor College of Medicine, UTMB, University of Houston, Rice University, Texas A&M and UTMB.
The Texas Medical Center is the home of a one of the first T32 training programs in antimicrobial resistance open to all clinical fellows training in the TMC.
Mentored research training with research opportunities, training grants and scholarships with > $20 million in direct costs of NIH funding for the division. Grants focus on a variety of topics including molecular mechanisms of resistance, microbiome science in immunocompromised and critically ill patients, VRE bacteremia, resistance to novel agents in Gram-negative organisms, genomics and bioinformatic sin infectious diseases, nanotechnology for infectious diseases.
Clinical and research educators and mentors with a national and international reputation and a sustained program for K awards. Houston Methodist also has different mechanisms to support outstanding young trainees who want to become academic investigator through the Clinical Scholars Awards program.
The Academy of Physician Scientists, an initiative of Texas A&M, Houston Methodist, and the TMC, is one of only ten medical schools in the nation to receive a highly prestigious Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF) Physician-Scientist Institutional Award to catalyze highly innovative programs for training physicians for successful academic careers as physician-scientists and available to all fellows.

Our Program Faculty

Cesar A. Arias, MD, MSc, PhD

John F. III and Ann H. Bookout Distinguished Chair for Research Excellence, Research Institute
Professor of Medicine, Academic Institute
Full Member, Research Institute
Co-director, Center for Infectious Diseases Research
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College

ID Interests: Antimicrobial resistance, diagnostic and clinical microbiology, microbiome science, enterococcal infections

Personal Interests: Biking, soccer, theatre, opera, outdoor activities, traveling

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Adarsh Bhimraj, MD, FIDSA

Director, Infectious Diseases Fellowship and Education
Division of Infectious Diseases, Houston Methodist Hospital
Center for Infectious Diseases, Houston Methodist Research Institute

ID Interests: Neurologic infectious diseases, COVID-19 Therapeutics, Clinical reasoning & Evidence based medicine, Medical Education

Personal Interests: Running, backpacking, hiking, traveling and "ID Bug Bowling"

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Eleftherios Mylonakis, MD, PhD, FIDSA

Charles and Anne Duncan Presidential Distinguished Chair, Department of Medicine
Professor of Medicine, Academic Institute
Full Member, Research Institute
Chair, Department of Medicine
Houston Methodist

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Alejandro Granillo, MD

Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, Academic Institute
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College

ID Interests: general infectious diseases, sepsis, central nervous system infections and antimicrobial resistance.

Personal Interests: spending time with his wife and beautiful daughters, visiting the many parks in Houston and discovering new ice cream places.

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Ana V. Salas Vargas, MD

Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, Academic Institute
Houston Methodist

ID Interests: Bone and Joint infections, neuro infections, Non TB mycobacteria, Common Variable immunodeficiency and opportunistic infections, endocarditis, Clostridiodes difficile.

Personal Interests: Indoor cycling on my Peloton, walks with my senior dog (not in Texas Summer time), explore Houston gastronomy, travel.

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Ashley L. Drews, MD, FACP

Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College
Associate Professor of Medicine, Houston Methodist Academic Institute
Adjunct Assistant Professor in Internal Medicine, Texas A&M University
System Epidemiologist, Houston Methodist
Medical Director, Infection Control, Houston Methodist Hospital
Clinical Chief, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital

ID Interests: Infection prevention, COVID-19, bacteremia, bone and joint infections

Personal Interests: Spending time with family, yoga, travel, baking

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Jiejian Lin, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, Academic Institute
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College

ID Interests: Infectious involving immunocomproised hosts, vaccination in solid organ transplant.

Personal Interests: birding and photography, finding solace and inspiration in nature's beauty

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Kevin A. Grimes, MD

Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, Academic Institute
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College

ID Interests: The best antibiotic is the one the patient actually takes

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Masayuki Nigo, MD

Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, Academic Institute
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College

ID Interests: Transplant Infectious Diseases, Big data and Biomedical Informatics in ID

Personal Interests: Spending time with family and Japanese community in Houston

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Max Adelman, MD, MSc

Assistant Professor of Medicine, Academic Institute
Assistant Clinical Member, Research Institute
Department of Medicine
Center for Infectious Diseases Research
Houston Methodist Hospital
Weill Cornell Medical College

ID Interests: Sepsis, bacteremia, fungemia, C diff, critical illness, immunocompromised patients, ultrasound

Personal Interests: Spending time with family, running, biking, exploring local splash pads with my toddlers

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Elizabeth R. Ramos-Salazar, MD

Infectious Diseases
Houston Methodist Academic Medicine Associates

ID Interests: Transplant /immunocompromised ID, sepsis, bloodstream infections, C diff, nosocomial infections

Personal Interests: Activities with families like walking, watching movies, yoga, zumba/dancing, crocheting, baking.

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William R. Miller, MD

Assistant Professor of Medicine, Academic Institute
Assistant Clinical Member, Research Institute
Houston Methodist

ID Interests: Antimicrobial resistance, microbiology, diagnostics, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing

Personal Interests: Spending time with my family and two dogs, cooking, growing vegetables, running, reading, and travelling

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Dierdre B. Axell-House, MD

Assistant Professor of Medicine, Academic Institute
Assistant Clinical Member, Research Institute
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College

ID Interests: Antimicrobial resistance, gram positive bacteria, cardiac device infections, clinical trials, onco/transplant infectious diseases

Personal Interests: Spending time with husband, furniture refinishing, home remodeling, drawing/painting, foodie, playing with my cat

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Rodrigo de Paula Baptista, PhD

Assistant Research Professor of Medicine, Academic Institute
Assistant Research Member, Research Institute
Department of Medicine
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College

ID Interests: ID, molecular microbiology, Genomics, Transcriptomics, parasitology, eukaryotic and procaryotic pathogens, bioinformatics, epidemiology

Personal Interests: Spending time with family, gaming, drumming, DIY home, movies/series

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Diana Panesso, PhD

Associate Research Professor of Medicine, Academic Institute
Associate Research Member, Research Institute
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College

ID interest: Antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus and Enterococcus, Daptomycin resistance in Enterococcus.

Personal interest: Socializing and spending time with loved ones like organizing gatherings and going out with family and friends. Her favorite activity is cooking and experimenting with recipes, hosting dinner parties, or exploring different cuisines to indulge her culinary creativity

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Kavindra V. Singh, PhD

Research Professor of Medicine, Academic Institute
Full Research Member, Research Institute
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College

ID Interests: ID, molecular microbiology, Therapeutics and pre-clinical animal models.

Personal Interests: Movies, Yoga/meditation.

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Truc T. Tran, PharmD

Associate Research Professor of Medicine, Academic Institute
Associate Research Member, Research Institute
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College

ID Interests: Daptomycin resistance in enterococci and streptococci, combination therapy for treatment of infection with multidrug-resistant organisms

Personal Interests: Gardening, stationery

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Eligibility and Application

FAQs

Important Dates

8.21.24 (9 am CT) - Match Opens
9.25.24 (12pm ET) - Ranking Opens
10.31.24 (11:59 pm CT) - Program Application Deadline
12.04.24 (12:00pm ET) -Match Day

Interview Season: August through October

Houston Methodist Hospital participates in theNational Resident Matching Program (NRMP) (NRMP Program Code: 1167146F0). All positions are offered through the NRMP.

Applications must be processed through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). Paper applications are not accepted. All applications are carefully reviewed, and selected applicants are notified electronically through ERAS if an interview is requested.

"Pre-Match" positions are not offered.

Please note: For the upcoming recruitment cycle, all applicants, including those local to the Greater Houston Area, will be interviewed virtually.

Application Requirements

Complete a common ERAS application form
At least three (3) other letters of recommendation; preferably, one of the letters should be from the program director of your residency program. All letters of recommendation should be current or within the last 2 years.
Official medical school transcript.
Personal statement.
Passing score on all USMLE steps and/or COMLEX
Three years previous internal medicine residency training or in good standing in the third year of residency at the time of the application.
Will consider H-1 and J-1 Visas.

Houston Methodist is committed to improving the health of our patients, employees, and communities around us. As a health care provider, it’s our responsibility to promote a healthier environment for our employees.

Responsibility

Drug and Tobacco Screening- Job seekers will be tested for nicotine and drug usage during the post-offer physical. If a job seeker tests positive for nicotine use, including nicotine gum and patches, the offer will be rescinded, and individuals will be given the opportunity to participate in a free Houston Methodist-provided tobacco cessation program. Job seekers wishing to reapply after testing positive for nicotine may do so 90 days after the date the initial offer was rescinded. If the job seeker tests positive for drug use, the offer will be rescinded. Job seekers wishing to reapply after the drug screening is positive may do so one year after the date the initial offer was rescinded.
Background Check - Prior to employment start date, job seekers must complete a criminal background check.

FAQs

Q: How long does the virtual interview day last?
A: Our typical interview day is from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00p.m. (central time)

Q: Can I change my interview date once I have been scheduled?
A: We would appreciate a 72-hour/3-day advance notice so that we can make the appropriate schedule changes. We cannot guarantee that an alternate interview date will be available.

Q: How do I contact my interviewers/tour guides after the interview day if I’d like to follow up?
A: All correspondence is to be submitted to Michelle Sullins via email at mmsullins@houstonmethodist.org.

Our Fellows

Ramya Pakala, MD

General Infectious Disease Fellow

Ramya is interested in the challenges faced by immunocompromised individuals and their vulnerability to severe and persistent infections that add a layer of complexity to the understanding of infectious diseases.

Ramya enjoys creating oil paintings on canvas and traveling in her free time.

Dawn Adams, MD

General Infectious Disease Fellow

Dawn is interested in clinical and global health and recently expressed an interest in immunocompromised.

Dawn likes to travel to tropical places, sing and dance when no one is looking, saltwater fish with her husband, and spend time with her grandchildren.

Alfonso Hernandez Acosta, MD

Transplant and Oncology Infectious Disease Fellow

Alfonso is interested in fungal infections and infections in lung transplant, BMT and CAR-T!. br />
Alfonso enjoys cooking, reading, learning to play guitar and trying new restaurants in his free time. He loves dogs, sushi and Mexican food.

Schedule

Courses

Weeks on clinical service over the 2 years of general ID Fellowship:

5 months/ year of required inpatient consult service.

Weekly half a day continuity clinic and two 2-week ambulatory blocks of subspecialty clinics in a year.

Other months are protected for research or electives.

Weekend call: Average of 1 weekend or less per month while at Houston Methodist Hospital. The call schedule for away rotations will be based on the specific institutional polices.

Most of the courses listed beside are multi-day immersive educational experiences with seminars complimented by hands on scenario or case based workshops. During these courses the fellows will have no clinical duties other than their weekly continuity clinic, so they can focus on the course work.

Courses

Infectious Diseases Board review

There will be two types of Board Review didactics. A week long course of both recorded and live seminars on ID board relevant topics will be offered at the beginning of the 2nd year. The other board review seminar will be held every few months after that where we will have roundtable discussions of multiple choice questions or other exercises which are relevant to ID boards.

Hospital Epidemiology and Infection control course

The fellows before they beginning the Hospital epidemiology and infection control rotation will take the SHAE primer on health care epidemiology and antimicrobial stewardship course. In the course the fellows learn the basics of healthcare epidemiology, infection control and antimicrobial stewardship. In the course case-based information is presented in a dynamic and interactive learning environment intended to highlight the role of the healthcare epidemiologist. The rotation that follows this is a structured experience where the fellows apply the principles learned into the practice of infection control and hospital epidemiology.

Antimicrobial Stewardship course

The fellows before they beginning the Antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) rotation will take the IDSA CORE antimicrobial stewardship course which is designed to provide ID fellows with a foundation in antimicrobial stewardship, regardless of their ultimate career plans. In addition they have the option of taking the advanced course which is intended to provide ID fellows with the knowledge and skills to become leaders in antimicrobial stewardship. The antimicrobial stewardship rotation that follows this is a structured experience where the fellows apply the principles learned into practice, under the guidance of ASP staff.

POCUS (Point of care ultrasound) course

This is probably one of the first ID fellowship programs to offer a course in POCUS, which is rapidly emerging as an important bedside diagnostic tool. This course will be offered in collaboration with the internal medicine residency program and pulmonary disease critical care fellowship program. The goal of our Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) is to teach fellows the basics of POCUS skills relevant to Infectious Diseases. This includes image acquisition, interpretation and the clinical integration. During the 2-year fellowship, every fellow will complete two hands-on scanning sessions covering the basics of ultrasound. In addition fellows will have to complete pre-course work and quizzes.

Clinical and Translational research

Fellows will have the opportunity to experience clinical and translational research from the bench to the bedside. Early in the first year fellows will be paired with a faculty mentor to conceptualize and carry out research projects to advance their career goals. The Office of Academic Affairs at Houston Methodist offers seminars and training opportunities for developing skills in research, grantsmanship, and scientific communication to facilitate building a strong research foundation for interested fellows.

Evidence based medicine course

These courses will teach critical skills need to make evidence based clinical decisions in the context of patient care (Ask a focused clinical question, Acquire evidence, Appraise quality of evidence and Apply it to the specific patient care problem). The fellow or fellows will attend a week long course which will have seminars complimented by problem based exercises After finishing the course the fellows will work with a designated faculty member to present at journal club where they will briefly present a commonly encountered case followed by a discussion of the relevant clinical questions, appropriate literature search, critical appraisal and application to the clinical problem.

Gulf Coast Consortium antimicrobial resistance conference

The annual Texas Medical Center Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance and Stewardship is hosted in partnership with the Gulf Coast Consortia, a multi-institution collaboration between healthcare centers and universities in the Houston, Texas area. Fellows will have the opportunity to attend lectures, present their research, and interact with leaders in antibiotic resistance and antimicrobial stewardship from around the world at this three day event. A series of panel sessions highlights different career options in both research and clinical arenas, and a chance to meet other trainees with an interest in infectious diseases.

Didactics and Conferences

Rotations and Block Schedule

In addition to the dedicated courses mentioned in earlier sections, there will be a weekly core curriculum conference, which is a series of seminars that rotate every two years so that each fellow will be exposed to important topics in infectious diseases necessary for the practice of infectious diseases. The series of seminars will be reviewed every year by the Program Evaluation Committee, so the topics are contemporary and capture emerging topics. There will also be other conferences periodically throughout the year.

Journal Club (weekly)

Clinical Case Conference (weekly)

Citywide ID conference (weekly)

ID grand rounds (weekly, every other month)

Antimicrobial Resistance Conference (monthly)

Clinicopathological conference (weekly, every other month)

Antimicrobial Stewardship Conference (every other month)

ID fellow Research in progress conference ( every three months starting in January)

Tropical Medicine Case Conference (once a quarter)

Rotations and Block Schedule

Get In Touch

Upcoming Academic Events

Grand rounds, tumor boards, regularly scheduled series and case presentations are offered in multiple clinical disciplines and Houston Methodist locations.

View More Events

NIH Research Performance Progress Reports

Dorothy Lewis, PhD, and Israel Ramirez, MS

Dec 03 @ 11AM

See Details

Institutional Review Board Seminar

Houston Methodist Research Institute

Bevin Lopez, MS, CEP, CCRP

Dec 04 @ 12PM

See Details

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Grand Rounds conducted in 2023

These educational events are held according to varying schedules by departments and divisions within the Houston Methodist Academic Institute

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