IDWeek Abstract Awards

This award recognizes up to four of the best abstracts overall. IDWeek’s Program Committee selected the following recipients based on outstanding scientific research: 

 Nada Fadul, M.D.; University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska – “A Quality Management Project of a Midwestern Academic HIV Clinic Operation during COVID-19: Implementation Strategy and Preliminary Outcomes” 

 Samuel Stampfer, M.D., Ph.D.; Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia – “Enhancing the Immunogenicity of a Novel, Low-Cost Ebola Vaccine” 

 Lisa Akhtar, M.D., Ph.D.; Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois – “HSV-2 Isolates from Neonates with Different Clinical Outcomes Exhibit Different In Vitro and In Vivo Phenotypes” 

 Matthew Goetz, MD; VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System/UCLA, Los Angeles, California – “Antimicrobial Use in the Time of COVID-19 – Data from 84 VA Facilities” 

The IDWeek Award for top abstracts submitted in diagnostics is intended to recognize the best abstract in the category of diagnostics. The IDWeek Program Committee selected the recipients based on outstanding scientific research in the field of diagnostics: 

 Ahmed Babiker, MBBS; Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia – “Metagenomic sequencing to identify alternative infections and co-infections in persons under investigation for COVID-19” 

 Danniel Zamora, MD; University of Washington, Seattle, Washington – “Combinatorial Polyfunctionality Analysis of Antigen-Specific T-cell Subsets (COMPASS) as a Predictor for Clinically Significant CMV Infection in the Letermovir Era” 

 Ana Halperin, MD; Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Madrid, Spain – “Evaluation of the BacT/ALERT® VIRTUO™ in Terms of Time to Detection, Performance, Workflow Efficiency and Impact on Patient Management, Compared to the BACTEC™ FX Automated Blood Culture System” 

The Investigator Awards are intended to recognize the work of investigators in practice for less than 15 years, whose submitted abstracts are accepted for presentation at IDWeek. Selection was based on the quality of the scientific merit of the nominee’s accepted abstract. Each IDWeek sponsoring society has chosen one outstanding abstract from a member in their specialty to highlight: 

HIVMA Awardee: Li Tao, M.D., Ph.D.; Gilead Science, Inc, Foster City, California – “Persistence on F/TDF for HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis: Insights from Real-World Evidence” 

IDSA Awardee: Miwako Kobayashi, M.D., MPH; CDC, Atlanta, Georgia – “Characterization of Group B Streptococcus Strains with Reduced Susceptibility to Beta-Lactam Antibiotics, Active Bacterial Core Surveillance, 1998–2017” 

PIDS Awardee: Jeffrey Pernica, MD, MSc, FRCPC, DTMH; Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada – “Short-course Antimicrobial Therapy for Paediatric Respiratory Infections (SAFER): A Multicentre, Randomized, Controlled, Blinded, Noninferiority Trial” 

SHEA Awardee: Morgan Katz, MD, MHS; Johns Hopkins University, Pikesville, Maryland – “Outcomes from the AHRQ Safety Program for Improving Antibiotic Use across 439 Long-Term Care Facilities” 

The IDWeek International Investigator Awards are intended to recognize and support the work of individuals outside the United States and Canada who are either currently in training or who have been in practice for five years or less, and have an abstract accepted for presentation at IDWeek. 

Tanaya Siripoon, M.D.; Division of Infectious Disease, Ramathibodi Hospital, Bangkok, Krung Thep, Thailand – “Correlation of BK polyomavirus (BKPyV)-specific Immunity and BKPyV Viruria within 6 months after Kidney Transplantation: A Prospective Cohort Study” 

Bongyoung Kim, M.D., Ph.D.; Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seongdong-gu, Seoul-t’ukpyolsi, Republic of Korea – “Change in characteristics of community-onset ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli isolates causing community-acquired acute pyelonephritis in South Korea.” 

Anchal Sharma, M.Sc; PGIMER, Chandigarh, Chandigarh, India – “Improving the diagnosis of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB): experience from north India.” 

Shota Myojin; National Center for Child Health and Development, Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan – “Antibiotic treatment of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli related gastroenteritis and the risk of hemolytic uremic syndrome: a population based matched case-control study in Japan”

Dong Hoon Shin; Seoul National University College of Medicine, Jongno-gu, Seoul-t’ukpyolsi, Republic of Korea – “Short Course of Voriconazole Therapy as a Risk Factor for Relapse of Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis” 

Jongtak Jung, M.D.; Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Bundang-gu, Kyonggi-do, Republic of Korea – “The Reduction of the acquisition rate of carbapenem resistantAcinetobacter baumannii after room privatization in the intensive care unit.”

Each sponsoring society has chosen one outstanding abstract from a member in their specialty. These abstracts are recognized as the top submissions from international investigators. Following are the awardees for IDWeek 2020: 

HIVMA Awardee: Lorena Guerrero-Torres; Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion Salvador Zubiran, Tlalpan, Distrito Federal, Mexico – “Impact of Training Residents to Improve HIV Screening in a Teaching Hospital in Mexico City” 

IDSA Awardee: Nick de Jonge, M.D.; Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands – “Short versus Extended Antibiotic Treatment with a Carbapenem for High-risk Febrile Neutropenia in Hematology Patients with Fever of Unknown Origin: a Randomized Multicenter Noninferiority Trial.” 

PIDS Awardee: Dolores Freire, M.D.; University of Alberta, Guayaquil, Guayas, Ecuador – “Clinical and laboratory features of fatal dengue fever in children: a case-control study” 

SHEA Awardee: Hiroshi Ito, M.D.; University of Tsukuba Hospital, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan – “Incidence and risk factors for inappropriate use of non-culture based fungal assays: Implication for diagnostic stewardship” 

The Guerrant International Awards are awarded to excellent submissions from low- and lower-middle income countries (based on the World Bank’s definition). 

 Fatma Hammami; Infectious Diseases Department, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, University of Sfax, Tunisia, Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia – “A Comparative Analysis Of Lymph Node Tuberculosis Between Children And Adults” 

Adekunlle Sanyaolu, Ph.D.; Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria – “COVID 19 Pandemicity: a global situation report as of June 9, 2020” 

The Kass Awards were established to honor the achievements of Edward H. Kass, a past IDSA president and leader in infectious diseases research. These are awarded to medical students, residents, or house officers who have demonstrated excellence in research in infectious diseases and allied fields. 

 Lauren Dea, PharmD; VA San Diego, La Jolla, California – “The Use of Area Under the Curve to Determine Therapeutic Vancomycin Dosing in Skin and Soft Tissue Infections” 

 Michael Prodanuk, M.D.; Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada – “Pediatric Urinary Tract Infections: A Choosing Wisely Initiative to Advance Antimicrobial Stewardshipand Diagnostic Accuracy in the Emergency Department” 

 Darshali Vyas, M.D.; Massachusetts General Hospital, Cambridge, Massachusetts – “Multidisciplinary Drug Use Endocarditis Team (DUET): Results From an Academic Center Cohort” 

 Melissa Klein, B.S.; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina – “Risk Factors for Vertical Transmission of T. cruzi Infection in an Endemic Setting” 

 Cem Atillasoy, B.S.; Yale School of Medicine, Haverford, Pennsylvania – “On the Edge of Tomorrow: Expedited Regulatory Pathways for Anti-Infective Therapies” 

 Jonathan Hyak, M.D., MPH; The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Grandview, Ohio – “Clinical Prediction of Bacteremia and the Need for Early Antibiotic Therapy in Solid Tumor Cancer Patients” 

 Zachary Hostetler, M.D., Ph.D.; Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York – “Patient Satisfaction Remains Unchanged Following Implementation of an Antibiotic Stewardship Intervention in Primary Care” 

 Brady Page, M.D., MPH&TM; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts – “Clinical Correlates of CDC’s Hospital-Onset Adult Sepsis Event Surveillance Definition and Association with Reportable Healthcare-Associated Infections” 

 Alisse Hannaford, M.D.; Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Phildelphia, Pennsylvania – “Improving Implementation of HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis: Lessons Learned from Young Women in Rural South Africa” 

 Robert Williams; Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island – “Who does not show up for followup in an HIV PrEP Clinic?” 

Each IDWeek partnering society has chosen one outstanding abstract from a member in their specialty. These abstracts are recognized as the top submissions from trainees. 

HIVMA Awardee: Julia Darnell, PharmD; UCSD, La Jolla, California – “Impact of Switching to an Antiretroviral Regimen Containing Tenofovir Alafenamide on Weight Gain and Development of Metabolic Side Effects.” 

IDSA Awardee:CourtneyLuterbach, Ph.D., M.S.;University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina – “Intra- and Inter-hospital Epidemiology of Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniaein US hospitals”

PIDS Awardee:KristinaBajema, M.D., MSc;Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia – “Impact of Pneumococcal Conjugative Vaccine on Antibiotic Resistant Invasive Pneumococcal Disease in the United States”

SHEA Awardee: Olivia Kates, M.D.; University of Washington, Seattle, Washington – “Association of Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) with Antimicrobial Use at End of Life in Cancer Patients: An Antimicrobial Stewardship Opportunity” 

In addition to the above awards to trainees, IDWeek Trainee Awards are awarded to trainees who submitted excellent research. The 2020 IDWeek recipients are listed below:  

View the full listing of the IDWeek 2020 Trainee Awardees.