Dr. Vance Fowler ‘s interest in infectious disease blossomed in the highland rainforests of Tanzania, where he spent a year studying malaria during medical school as a Rotary Scholar. “What a blast,” recalls Fowler. “From plague outbreaks and river blindness to smallpox scars and rabid dog bites, this year was a crash course in infectious diseases. It also hooked me on clinical research, as I designed and completed my first clinical trial. Although the challenges then were a bit different— I had to learn Swahili to enroll study subjects, and excluded participants for simultaneously visiting their local traditional healer—the satisfaction of completing a clinical trial is still just as rewarding now as then.” Twenty years later, Dr. Fowler is a professor of infectious disease at the Duke University Medical Center, specializing in the treatment of patients with multi-drug resistant bacteria, and in particular methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). As part of Pediatric Trials Network (PTN), he works to identify better ways to treat such multidrug-resistant bacterial infections in children.

MRSA is a “staph” germ that does not respond to the first-line antibiotics that usually cure staph infections. Most staph germs are spread by touch. Doctors, nurses, or hospital visitors may carry staph germs on their bodies that can be passed to susceptible patients. Once the staph germ enters the body, it can spread to bones, joints, the blood, or any organ, such as the lungs, heart, or brain, causing severe infection and even death. The consequences of S. aureus infections are particularly dire when they occur in newborns and premature infants.

The PTN is conducting a trial examining the pharmacokinetics of three drugs (rifampin, clindamycin, and ticarcillin-clavulanate) used to treat term and premature infants with staphylococcal infections, for which Dr. Fowler is playing an active advisory role. He is also advising the PTN on its forthcoming trial on the use of clindamycin to treat MRSA in overweight and obese children and adolescents. “Finding the right dose of these life-saving drugs to use in infants and children can make the difference between complete recovery and devastating neurodevelopmental impairment or death,” he observes. “The work of the PTN is filling a critical knowledge gap in infectious disease treatment.”

A native of North Carolina, Dr. Fowler also manages a family farm. Located on the banks of the Cape Fear River, the “River place” has been in Fowler’s family since 1737. In his off-hours, he enjoys spending time with his family, fishing, and running.

When asked about her research staff in the Kosair Charities Pediatric Clinical Research Unit at the University of Louisville and Kosair Children’s Hospital, Dr. Janice Sullivan is quick to recognize Kelli Brown, the primary coordinator for the POPS study at her site. “She is doing a tremendous job!” effuses Dr. Sullivan.

A research nurse coordinator for pediatric studies, Ms. Brown oversees everything from organizing the overall study and site initiation visit to screening patients for potential trial participation and helping to ensure that the trial protocol is followed to the letter. “She wears many hats in a given day,” notes Dr. Sullivan, “but Kelli never drops the ball and does it all with an easy smile.”

Ms. Brown’s professional interests run the gamut from the basic building blocks of life to the big picture. “Pediatrics and genetics intrigue me,” she explains. “DNA analysis and its potential for tailoring the treatment of disease are tremendous developments in medical practice.” On the other hand, she’s also very interested in exploring the benefits of holistic and alternative medicine for treating the whole person—body, mind, and spirit—as opposed to focusing only on his or her disease. “It’s hard to ignore the relevance of the mind and spirit to the healing process,” she observes.

Recently married last September, Ms. Brown and her husband enjoy hiking, biking, and traveling. In her alone time, she indulges in painting, cooking, and baking. Soon, however, her off hours will be filled with school work, as she has been accepted to the University of Louisville for an MSN program with a concentration in Family Nurse Practitioner.