As one of the leading causes of death in children globally, infectious diseases is a threat to the lifesaving work at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the fight against pediatric cancer and other catastrophic diseases.
The organization announced on Monday, June 12, the launch of an entirely new segment of its operations — the Department of Host-Microbe Interactions — which seeks to understand the fundamental biology behind how infectious agents interact with the human body.
The ultimate aim of the research at the new department is to prevent and more effectively treat infectious diseases.
St. Jude has tabbed Victor Torres, Ph.D., as chair of the Department of Host-Microbe Interactions. He comes to St. Jude from the New York University (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine, where he was the C.V. Starr Professor of Microbiology and director of its Anti-Microbial Resistant Pathogens Program.
St. Jude called Torres an “internationally renowned” microbiologist and immunologist. His research has focused on pathogen bacteria and mammalian host interactions, specifically on multi-drug resistant bacteria.
Torres has prior ties to Tennessee. He received his Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
“Dr. Torres’ expertise and leadership will help St. Jude build a world-class center where we can lead the way in innovation and breakthroughs to change the way infectious diseases are identified and treated, leading to the generation of much-needed therapies,” St. Jude scientific director Dr. J. Paul Taylor, Ph.D., said in a release.
Torres is set to begin at St. Jude in July and is currently recruiting for “world-class investigators” to tackle the goals of the new department, which include research to learn crucial information on infectious diseases’ fundamental biological, chemical, and molecular processes.
The Department of Host-Microbe Interactions will work together with the Department of Infectious Diseases as St. Jude. That department moves research discoveries to the clinical space and on to patients.
“The opportunity to create a new department in a world-class institution doesn’t come around every day,” Torres said. “I’m honored to be able to do it at St. Jude, where research and discovery are at the center of the mission, and where there is already a strong foundation in bacterial and viral respiratory research. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I can’t wait to get started.”
