Transplant Oncology Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Unit (ID-CRU)

The ID-CRU was founded in 2012 and has conducted over 60 studies, including both industry-sponsored and investigator-initiated clinical trials, epidemiologic studies, biospecimen collection studies, and chart review studies. The primary patient population that the ID-CRU serves includes the immunocompromised host, including renal and liver transplant patients, stem cell transplant patients, and those with other immunologic deficiencies. In addition, the ID-CRU has strong relationships with many services across Weill Cornell Medicine, due to the collaborative and cross-disciplinary nature of these studies. The ID-CRU continues to grow in staff and scope, and has performed as a top-enrolling site in many clinical trials. The ID-CRU was also a leader in COVID-19 studies at Weill Cornell Medicine, and has the capacity to provide regulatory and research staff support to other Divisions and Departments.

Facilities

The ID-CRU has laboratory space equipped for basic molecular, microbiological, and immunologic studies. The laboratory contains freezers for study specimens (4°C, –20°C, and –80°C), an incubator, and a centrifuge. Staff offices are located on the Infectious Diseases floor at 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY, as well as in the hospital at 525 E 68th Street, New York, NY. The ID-CRU also has access to the Transplantation-Oncology Infectious Diseases Program Laboratory, which is Directed by Thomas Walsh, MD. This laboratory is a translational animal research lab that has multi-departmental collaborations with Departments of Medicine, Pediatrics, Microbiology and Immunology, and Neurosurgery.

Current Study Areas

• COVID-19 infections
• Respiratory viral pathogens
• Cytomegalovirus
• HIV-positive transplant population
• Fungal treatment
• Bacterial treatment

Physicians

The ID-CRU is directed by Catherine B. Small, M.D., an infectious diseases specialist and provider who has been actively engaged in clinical trials research for over 40 years and has participated in over 80 clinical research trials. The ID-CRU is composed of 6 additional board-certified transplantation-oncology infectious diseases physicians as well as other members of the Infectious Diseases Division, including: