Jennifer Whitaker, MD, MSc, named Enteric Infections Group (EWG) Co-Chair
Congratulations to Jennifer Whitaker, MD, MSc, on being named the next Enteric Infections EWG co-chair. She assumes this role as Mark Mulligan, MD (NYU Langone Health) has stepped down due to his retirement. She joins Wilbur H. Chen, MD, MS, (University of Maryland), to co-chair this group.
Dr. Whitaker is an associate professor of Molecular Virology and Microbiology and Medicine, section of Infectious Diseases at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), and has been an investigator within the BCM VTEU since 2019. She has experience leading phase 1-4 vaccine clinical trials and conducting epidemiologic studies. She practices HIV medicine, general infectious diseases, co-directs a Vaccinology course with Sasirekha Ramani, PhD, at the BCM Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and is the microbiology thread director for the medical student curriculum at BCM.
What are you excited about in your new role as Enteric EWG co-chair?
I have been a member of the Enteric EWG since 2020, initially serving as an early-career member through the IDCRC mentoring program. I have learned so much from the EWG chairs and team members over the years. I am excited to see the completion of studies that were prioritized for implementation. I enjoy collaborating with colleagues across multiple institutions and look forward to working with the EWG co-chair, Wilbur Chen, MD, MS.
What is the importance of the IDCRC?
The IDCRC network is important because of the collaborations it creates with the VTEUs, NIAID, and other partners to conduct high-quality research and clinical trials that address public health needs, including evaluation of new vaccines, vaccine strategies, development of controlled human infection challenge models, and treatments for infectious diseases. In my opinion, the IDCRC network has been instrumental in training, mentoring, and creating leadership opportunities for early-career scientists and physician-scientists in the fields of vaccinology and infectious diseases.