Lara A. Danziger-Isakov, MD, MPH

My Biography & Research

Biography

Children are remarkably resilient, and I find it gratifying to help them live to their full potential despite life-threatening illness. The unanswered questions these patients present drive my research interests — and, as a result, my research is constantly evolving.

I focus on better understanding the infection risk in immunocompromised patients. My research includes discovering new methods to quickly diagnose infection and evaluating the most appropriate treatment options specific to a pathogen. I also study the noninfectious complications and the consequences of infections related to a patient’s underlying illness.

I specialize in treating infections for a variety of patient populations, including those who have received solid organ transplants and hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT), immunocompromised patients and patients undergoing treatment for various cancers. Many of the infections I study are viral or fungal in nature.

My research focuses on understanding the impact of host-pathogen interactions. I have been the protocol chair for three clinical trials supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). These trials evaluated how the immune system responds to infection and, later, how that impacts graft survival in pediatric transplantation. They also examined the impact of B-cell induction and the barriers to treatment adherence. In the Studies in Pediatric Liver Transplantation (SPLIT) study, I act as principle investigator for the evaluation of cytomegalovirus (CMV) prophylaxis.

I also research infectious disease epidemiology and risk factors, as well as immunization safety and efficacy in immunocompromised pediatric patients. This includes my role as principle investigator for an ongoing multicenter study of live viral vaccination after solid organ transplantation.

As a result of my work, I received the 2012 American Society of Transplantation Clinical Science Career Development Award. I have served as a board member, secretary, annual meeting program chair and, most recently, president-elect for the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation.

I am the past chair for the Infectious Disease Community of Practice (IDCOP) for the American Society of Transplantation. And from 2018-2020, I worked as the deputy editor of the American Journal of Transplantation.

Clinical Interests

Pediatric infectious disease; infections in transplantation; infections in immunocompromised hosts

Research Interests

Infections in transplantation; infections in immunocompromised hosts

Academic Affiliation

Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

Divisions

Infectious Diseases, Lung Transplant, Infectious Diseases

My Locations

Burnet Campus

Burnet Campus

3333 Burnet Ave.

Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3039

513-636-4200

Directions From

My Education

MD: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 1997.

MPH: Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, 2004.

Residency: Pediatrics, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, 1997-2000.

Fellowship: Pediatric Infectious Diseases, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Washington Univeristy, St. Louis, MO, 2000-2003.

Certification: Pediatrics, 2000; Pediatric Infectious Diseases, 2003.

My Publications

Review of the impact of donor characteristics on pediatric heart transplant outcomes. Conway, J; Ballweg, JA; Fenton, M; Kindel, S; Chrisant, M; Weintraub, RG; Danziger-Isakov, L; Kirk, R; Meira, O; Davies, RR; et al. Pediatric Transplantation. 2020; 24:e13680-e13680.

Evaluation of a change in cytomegalovirus prevention strategy following pediatric solid organ transplantation. Pangonis, S; Paulsen, G; Andersen, H; Flores, F; Miethke, A; Peters, A; Kocoshis, S; Lazear, D; Garr, B; Schecter, M; et al. Transplant Infectious Disease. 2020; 22.

Pure red cell aplasia with isolated human herpes virus 6 infection of bone marrow in postcardiac transplant patient. Todd, K; Paulsen, G; Danziger-Isakov, L; Tarango, C. Pediatric Blood and Cancer. 2020; 67.

ISHLT consensus statement on donor organ acceptability and management in pediatric heart transplantation. Kirk, R; Dipchand, AI; Davies, RR; Miera, O; Chapman, G; Conway, J; Denfield, S; Gossett, JG; Johnson, J; McCulloch, M; et al. Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. 2020; 39:331-341.

AST ID Community of Practice. Vaccination of solid organ transplant candidates and recipients: Guidelines from the American society of transplantation infectious diseases community of practice (vol 33, e13563, 2019). Danziger-Isakov, L; Kumar, D. Clinical Transplantation. 2020; 34.

Paediatric ganciclovir dosing in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: Is standard dosing good enough?. Murphy, M; Chamberlain, A; Tang, P; Turpin, B; Danziger-Isakov, L. Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics. 2020; 45:218-220.

Variability of Pneumocystis jirovecii prophylaxis use among pediatric solid organ transplant providers. Paulsen, G; Michaels, MG; Danziger-Isakov, L; Dipchand, AI; Green, M; McCulloch, M. Pediatric Transplantation. 2020; 24.

Absence of evidence that respiratory viral infections influence pediatric lung transplantation outcomes: Results of the CTOTC-03 study. Sweet, SC; Chin, H; Conrad, C; Hayes, D; Heeger, PS; Faro, A; Goldfarb, S; Melicoff-Portillo, E; Mohanakumar, T; Odim, J; et al. American Journal of Transplantation. 2019; 19:3284-3298.

Live vaccines after pediatric solid organ transplant: Proceedings of a consensus meeting, 2018. Suresh, S; Upton, J; Green, M; Pham-Huy, A; Posfay-Barbe, KM; Michaels, MG; Top, KA; Avitzur, Y; Burton, C; Chong, PP; et al. Pediatric Transplantation. 2019; 23.

Perspectives on Scedosporium species and Lomentospora prolificans in lung transplantation: Results of an international practice survey from ESCMID fungal infection study group and study group for infections in compromised hosts, and European Confederation of Medical Mycology. Rammaert, B; Puyade, M; Cornely, OA; Seidel, D; Grossi, P; Husain, S; Picard, C; Lass-Floerl, C; Manuel, O; Le Pavec, J; et al. Transplant Infectious Disease. 2019; 21.