IDCRC Mentee Profile: Sabiha Rabia Hussain, MD

Baylor College of Medicine

Sabiha Rabia Hussain, MD, is a third-year pediatric infectious diseases fellow at Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine. Her research focuses on the nasal microbiota of preterm infants prior to NICU discharge and during acute respiratory viral infections.

Dr. Hussain is a member of the IDCRC's Mentorship Program cohort. This is designed to offer mentoring and development of early-career investigators and fellows in clinical and translational infectious diseases research. Learn more about the program here.

Tell us more about your background and what led you to a career in infectious disease research.

I've always had an interest in respiratory viruses, especially since I started residency during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the start of my fellowship, I was fortunate to find a mentor in Erin Nicholson, MD, MS, to supervise my scholarly activity. She works in clinical respiratory virus research and is one of the co-directors of the Pandemic Threat Technology Center at Baylor College of Medicine.

Can you share more about your research and the goals of your work?

I am exploring the relationship between respiratory cytokines and the nasal microbiome in the premature infant population. Long term, I would like to assess if these relationships have clinical implications regarding future respiratory viral illnesses.

What are you looking forward to most in the IDCRC Mentorship Program?

I love learning from experts in clinical research design and writing. For example, we spoke with an editor from JAMA, and her advice was incredibly helpful!

What do you believe is a strength or example of the importance of the IDCRC?

I think community is so important; it's so helpful to know that others face the same struggles and challenges that I do.

What do you like to do outside of ID research?

I love to cook, explore the outdoors, and spend time with my husband and two-year-old daughter.