IDCRC Profile: Monica Farley, MD

The IDCRC LG would like to congratulate Monica Farley, MD, on her upcoming retirement from Emory University. Dr. Farley currently serves as the IDCRC Leadership Group (LG) Leadership Operations Center (LOC) co-director alongside Jodie Dionne, MD, MSPH. 

Dr. Farley’s contributions to the IDCRC are exemplary, having served as LOC co-director since the Leadership Group's inception in 2019. In this capacity, she has worked tirelessly to establish many of the LG groups we know today, including the Expert Working Groups (EWGs) and Key Function Committees (KFCs), in addition to working closely with LG leadership and DMID to establish a successful portfolio of clinical research studies for the network. She has also been a key player on many study teams, most notably DMID 20-0024 Mening Mali, and DMID 23-0004 PROMISE.

"Dr. Farley has been an instrumental part of the IDCRC team since day one. Her excellence in terms of leadership, strategic planning, and support for IDCRC scientific efforts and team members is unsurpassed. Monica will be missed by leadership, faculty, and staff who have been fortunate to work with her over the years. We wish her all the best in her retirement," shares Jodie Dionne, MD, MSPH. 

The IDCRC thanks her for her many contributions to infectious disease research and to the IDCRC network over the years.

READ FULL RETIREMENT ANNOUNCEMENT

Briefly describe your background in vaccine research.

I have always been interested in and worked with vaccine-preventable (or potentially preventable) diseases. From my early days in the laboratory working with Haemophilus influenzae pathogenesis to later studying the epidemiology of invasive bacterial infections with the Emerging Infections Program, I have been driven by the importance of disease prevention, for which vaccines are our most powerful tools. My work as a member of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) with the FDA and an Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Working Group with the CDC showed me the massive effort that goes into assuring that vaccines are safe, effective, and recommended for those who will benefit most.    

Please describe the importance of the VTEUs/ IDCRC work.

The VTEUs are an essential part of the massive effort in vaccine development, providing high-quality and unbiased studies of exciting new products from phase 1 and beyond. There is no better example than the role the VTEUs and the IDCRC played from the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.  They worked tirelessly to get critical vaccine trials off the ground at record speed and to bring forth thoughtful and impactful new concepts as the pandemic progressed. I am honored to have had the opportunity to work with this exceptionally talented network of investigators. 

What are your plans for the future?

I will remain on several boards that will allow me to continue to emphasize the importance of vaccines and build the pipeline of physician investigators for the future. I look forward to volunteer work, much travel, and spending a lot of time with my wonderful family, including my four young grandsons!