Affinity Group

Co-chaired by Dr. Pergam and Dr. Liu, the affinity group “Infectious Diseases in the Immunocompromised Host” is a speaking series on a topic of the speaker’s choice, related to immunocompromised hosts. The lectures are typically 30 minutes, followed by a 30 minute Q&A. This speaking series is an informal event, meant to foster novel collaborations, present new research ideas and to enhance understanding within our niche research community.

Infection Prevention and Antimicrobial Stewardship in Cancer Care Mini-Symposium
Fred Hutch & Austin Health Collaboratory | May 16, 2025 | Seattle, WA

On May 16, 2025, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Infectious Disease Sciences Program and Austin Health Australia collaborated to present a mini-symposium highlighting novel developments in research and cancer care related to infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship. The event, complementing the Affinity Group on Infectious Diseases in the Immunocompromised Host and the biennial 5th Symposium on Infectious Diseases in the Immunocompromised Host, brought together international experts in a more intimate setting to drive novel partnerships, disseminate groundbreaking research, and ultimately improve outcomes in cancer care.

The program opened with a welcome from Drs. Catherine Liu and Steve Pergam, followed by seven engaging presentations on topics such as antimicrobial allergies by Prof. Jason Trubiano, antimicrobial resistance management by Dr. Jason Kwong, prophylaxis strategies in transplantation by Dr. Brennan Collis, and emerging infections in patients receiving novel therapies by Dr. Gemma Reynolds. The afternoon session featured discussions on diagnostic stewardship by Dr. Emily Rosen, international clinical trial coordination by Dr. Julian Lindsay, and defining nosocomial invasive aspergillosis by Dr. Paulina Vega, with breakout meetings facilitating cooperative dialogue among participants. The event concluded with a campus tour and a social hour at the White Swan Public House, offering valuable networking opportunities.

The symposium showcased the power of international collaboration and laid the groundwork for future joint initiatives in infectious disease prevention and care for vulnerable patient populations.

The Exception as the Rule -Antimicrobial Resistance and Stewardship in Patients with Leukemia
The Exception as the Rule -Antimicrobial Resistance and Stewardship in Patients with Leukemia Sam Aitken, PharmD (MD Anderson) l August 16, 2019
Multidrug Resistant Bacteria: Common Cause of Neutropenic Fever and Mortality Among Patients with Hematologic Malignancies in Uganda
Multidrug Resistant Bacteria: Common Cause of Neutropenic Fever and Mortality Among Patients with Hematologic Malignancies in Uganda Maggie Lubwama (Uganda Cancer Institute) l June 13, 2019
Machine-Learning Based Sepsis Prediction in Stem Cell Transplant Recipients
Machine-Learning Based Sepsis Prediction in Stem Cell Transplant Recipients Sanjeet Dadwal, MD (City of Hope) l June 7, 2019

Beta Lactam and Other Antibiotic Allergies in Patients Undergoing Solid Organ and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
Beta Lactam and Other Antibiotic Allergies in Patients Undergoing Solid Organ and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Hannah Imlay, MD (University of Washington) l May 15, 2019
Identifying Sepsis in Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Recipients with Diagnostic Criteria, a Look at Current Standards and Future Opportunities
Identifying Sepsis in Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Recipients with Diagnostic Criteria, a Look at Current Standards and Future Opportunities Maggie Lind, PhD Candidate (University of Washington) l April 25, 2019
Impact of fluoroquinolone neutropenic prophylaxis on the antimicrobial susceptibility and epidemiology of invasive Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections
Impact of fluoroquinolone neutropenic prophylaxis on the antimicrobial susceptibility and epidemiology of invasive Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections Morgan Hakki, MD (Oregon Health and Science University) l March 11, 2019

Demystifying the Antibiotic Allergy Evaluation
Demystifying the Antibiotic Allergy Evaluation Lahari Rampur, MD (University of Washington) l October 29, 2018
Viral GI Pathogens in Transplantation
Viral GI Pathogens in Transplantation Dr. Michael Ison (Northwestern) l September 20, 2018
Dirty Doctors and Pestilent Puppies: Modeling Infection Control at the Human Animal Interface
Dirty Doctors and Pestilent Puppies: Modeling Infection Control at the Human Animal Interface Dr. Eric Lofgren (Washington State University) l July 5, 2018

Career Pathways in Infectious Disease
Career Pathways in Infectious Disease Dr. Michael Ison (Northwestern) and Dr. Peter Chin-Hong (UCSF) l June 4, 2018
Integrative Diagnosis of Invasive Fungal Sinusitis: Opportunities for Quality Improvement
Integrative Diagnosis of Invasive Fungal Sinusitis: Opportunities for Quality Improvement Dr. Andrew Bryan (University of Washington) l April 23, 2018
Do Individualized Antibiotic Plans (IAPs) impact outcomes for BMT patients?
Do Individualized Antibiotic Plans (IAPs) impact outcomes for BMT patients? Dr. Scott Weissman (Seattle Children's) | Jan. 23, 2018

New Frontiers in Antibiotic Stewardship
New Frontiers in Antibiotic Stewardship Dr. Erica Stohs, Pergam Group | Dec. 14, 2017
Mucormycosis and Hospital Linens: Insights from an Investigation
Mucormycosis and Hospital Linens: Insights from an Investigation Dr. Hong Nguyen (University of Pittsburg) | Nov. 6, 2017
Influenza Vaccines in the Immunocompromised Host
Influenza Vaccines in the Immunocompromised Host Dr. Natasha Halasa, Vanderbilt l August 25, 2017

Improving Outpatient Care and Reducing Healthcare Resource Utilization in AML
Improving Outpatient Care and Reducing Healthcare Resource Utilization in AML Dr. Anna Halpern | Aug. 7, 2017
The Challenge of Preventing Infectious Disease in HSCT Patients in a Tropical Country
The Challenge of Preventing Infectious Disease in HSCT Patients in a Tropical Country Dr. Silvia Costa, Hospital das Clinicas, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil | June 21, 2017