About Us
The Infectious and Immunological Diseases Research Center at the BWH Biomedical Research Institute (BRI) has an extensive faculty dedicated to basic, translational and clinical research in infectious and immunologic diseases. Under the leadership of Drs. Vijay Kuchroo, Dan Kuritzkes, and Arlene Sharpe, the BWH-BRI Infectious and Immunological Diseases Research Center takes an integrated approach to both infectious and immune-mediated diseases necessary to better prevent, diagnose and treat them. Our research encompasses infectious agents, including viruses, bacteria and fungi as well as many aspects of basic immune responses in inflammatory, infectious and autoimmune diseases.
Immune system suppression is critical to inpatients who have had an organ transplant where a critical balance must be achieved; without immunosuppressive drugs, their bodies will recognize the organ as foreign and reject it but with too much suppression their immune systems cease to respond to infections. To overcome this challenge, our researchers are learning how to reprogram the immune system and induce tolerance to donated organs.
Specific and targeted manipulation of the immune system is also critical in diseases involving an overactive immune system, such as arthritis, asthma, Crohn’s disease, lupus, multiple sclerosis and psoriasis and ulcerative colitis. Our researchers are examining the interplay of genetic and environmental factors in the development of these conditions.
Our researchers are working to optimize antiretroviral therapy and continue to pursue methods to prevent AIDS, including vaccine development and better understanding the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Investigators at BWH-BRI are also studying the link between viruses and cancer. Experts estimate that 15 to 20 percent of all cancers are caused by viral infections. For example, the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been linked to several types of lymphoma, including Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and some gastric carcinomas. Similarly, human papillomavirus (HPV) is tightly associated with cervical cancer.
The mission of the BWH-BRI Infectious and Immunological Diseases Research Center is to a) promote excellence in basic and translational clinical science in Infectious and Immunological Diseases; b) enhance informal and formal collaborative opportunities among researchers so as to create an environment conducive to the growth of the research agenda; c) communicate these advances and insights to the larger outside community of scientists, physicians, policy makers, and the general public and to d) enhance philanthropic support for IID research.
Our Departmental Affiliates
The BWH-BRI Infectious and Immunological Diseases Research Center supports transformative interdisciplinary research, engaging the talent and resources of a diverse group of investigators. Research is conducted by physicians and scientists from the departments of Dermatology, Medicine, Neurology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pathology, and Surgery.
Our Investigators
BWH investigators are nationally and internationally recognized for their contributions to advances in infectious and immunological diseases research as recipients of prestigious awards including membership in the National Academy of Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Kuwait Prize for Sciences and the National MS Society/American Academy of Neurology’s 2007 John Dystel Prize for Multiple Sclerosis Research. Researchers in the center have been awarded specialized grants to conduct interdisciplinary research, including a Marshall A. Lichtman Specialized Center of Research (SCOR) grant from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and NIH NIAID MERIT award.
To Learn More
To learn more about the BWH-BRI Infectious and Immunological Diseases Research Center, email bwhresearch@partners.org.
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