The Executive Committee

Thomas G. Slama, MD, FIDSA, Current IDSA President 

Thomas G. Slama, MD, FIDSA, is a clinical professor of medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine and an attending physician at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis.   

He previously served as chair of the IDSA Clinical Affairs Committee, organizer of the Fellows Meeting, and member of the Nominations Committee. He received IDSA’s Watanakunakorn Clinician Award in 1999. Dr. Slama has served on the boards of directors for the National Foundation of Infectious Diseases and the Outpatient Intravenous Antibiotic Therapy Association. Dr. Slama graduated from Indiana University School of Medicine and completed his internship and residency at the Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. He completed his fellowship and a master’s degree in medical microbiology at Ohio State University. 

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 David A. Relman, MD, FIDSA, President-Elect 

David A. Relman, MD, FIDSA, is the Thomas C. and Joan M. Merigan Professor in the Departments of Medicine and of Microbiology and Immunology at Stanford University. Dr. Relman also serves as chief of the Infectious Diseases Section at Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System.

He has played an active role in IDSA, serving on the Board of Directors, Annual Meeting Program Committee, Society Awards Committee, Scientific Advisory Committee, Emerging Infections Network, Emerging Infections Committee, and Editor Selection Committee. He is also currently the IDSA representative to the Institute of Medicine Forum for Microbial Threats. Dr. Relman is a member of the American Academy of Microbiology and the Association of American Physicians. He graduated from Harvard Medical School, and completed his internship and residency at Massachusetts General Hospital, and then went on to Stanford University where he completed a clinical and research fellowship in infectious diseases. 

  Barbara Murray, MD, FIDSA, Vice President 

Barbara Murray, MD, FIDSA, is is director of the Division of Infectious Diseases and the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Texas (UT) Medical School at Houston. She also serves as co-director of the Center for the Study of Emerging and Re-Emerging Pathogens at the UT Health Science Center-Houston.

She previously served as IDSA’s Secretary-Treasurer and on numerous committees and task forces. Currently, she serves on the Editorial Board of The Journal of Infectious Diseases and as a member of IDSA’s Antibiotic Availability Task Force.

Dr. Murray’s research interests include the pathogenesis of E. faecium and of E. faecalis,  mechanisms of antibiotic resistance, the molecular epidemiology of antibiotic resistant organisms and diarrheagenic pathogens, and the efficacy of antibiotics against resistant enterococci and staphylococci. She has served in leadership positions in many organizations, including the American Society for Microbiology, the International Society for Infectious Diseases, the American Society for Clinical Investigation, and the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.

Dr. Murray attended medical school at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, did a fellowship in tropical medicine at Louisiana State University, and did her internship, residency and ID fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

 Kathryn M. Edwards, MD, FIDSA, Secretary 

Kathryn M. Edwards, MD, FIDSA, is the Sarah H. Sell professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and directs the Vanderbilt Vaccine Research Program.  Her research interests include evaluating the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of vaccines in adults and children, and measuring the impact of vaccines on the burden of disease in the population. 

Dr. Edwards has served on several IDSA committees, including the Board of Directors, the Joint Research Awards Committee, the Nominations Committee, the Annual Meeting Program Committee, and the Steering Committee of the National Network for Immunization Information. In 2006, she received the IDSA Mentor Award for her exceptional work in guiding the career of infectious disease professionals. 

Dr. Edwards graduated from the University of Iowa College of Medicine and completed her pediatric residency and infectious disease fellowship at the Children’s Memorial Hospital, Northwestern University and her postdoctoral training in Immunology at Rush Medical School.   

Cynthia L. Sears, MD, FIDSA, Treasurer 

Cynthia L. Sears, MD, FIDSA, is professor of medicine and oncology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and attending physician at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She previously was director of the Infectious Diseases Fellowship program at the university.  

She serves as associate editor for Clinical Infectious Diseases and on the Editorial Advisory Board for The Journal of Infectious Diseases. Among other IDSA committees, she has served on the Program and Abstract Selection Committees, the Fellowship and Young Investigator Grants Award Committee, Training Directors Committee, Annual Meeting Program Committee, Rapid Communications Work Group, and the Board of Directors. 

Dr. Sears graduated cum laude from the Thomas Jefferson School of Medicine and completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at The New York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center.  She completed her fellowship in infectious diseases at the University of Virginia Medical Center. 

James M. Hughes, MD, FIDSA, Immediate Past President  

James M. Hughes, MD, FIDSA, is professor of medicine and public health at Emory University, director of the Southeastern Center for Emerging Biologic Threats, and senior scientific advisor for infectious diseases for the International Association of National Public Health Institutes. Prior to joining Emory, Dr. Hughes worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), serving as director of the National Center for Infectious Diseases.

He has been actively involved in IDSA, serving on the Board of Directors, Annual Meeting Program Committee, National and Global Public Health Committee, MRSA Research Working Group, and Global Task Force, and is co-editor of the Emerging Infections Section of Clinical Infectious Diseases. He is a member of the Council of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, a member of the Institute of Medicine (IOM), and vice-chair of the IOM Forum on Microbial Threats. Dr. Hughes graduated from Stanford University, completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at the University of Washington, and his residency in preventive medicine at CDC. He completed his fellowship in infectious diseases at the University of Virginia.

The Board of Directors, 2011-2012

Thomas G. Slama, MD, FIDSA, President
Indiana University School of Medicine
Indianapolis, Indiana

David A. Relman, MD, FIDSA, President-Elect
Stanford University School of Medicine
Palo Alto, California

Barbara Murray, MD, FIDSA, Vice President
University of Texas Health Science Center
Houston, Texas 

Kathryn M. Edwards, MD, FIDSA, Secretary
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Nashville, Tennessee 

Cynthia L. Sears, MD, FIDSA, Treasurer
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore, Maryland

James Hughes, MD, FIDSA, Immediate Past President
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia 

Upton D. Allen, MD, FIDSA
Hospital for Sick Children
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Paul Auwaerter, MD, FIDSA
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Johan S. Bakken, MD, PhD, FIDSA, State & Regional Societies Representative
St. Luke's ID Associates
Duluth, Minnesota

Helen W. Boucher, MD, FIDSA
Tufts Medical Center
Boston, Massachusetts 

Michael L. Butera, MD
Pulmonary Medicine & Infectious Diseases Medical Group
San Diego, California

Carlos del Rio, MD, FIDSA, HIVMA Representative
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Stanley C. Deresinski, MD, FIDSA
Stanford University School of Medicine
Redwood City, California 

Andrew T. Pavia, MD, FIDSA
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

Wesley C. Van Voorhis, MD, PhD, FIDSA
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington

Penelope H. Dennehy, MD, FIDSA, PIDS Liaison
Brown University School of Medicine
Providence, Rhode Island

Steven M. Gordon, MD,  SHEA Liaison
Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Cleveland, Ohio

Mark A. Leasure, Chief Executive Officer
IDSA
Arlington, Virginia