My research is based at The Clinical Research Institute, a large academic clinical research organization designed to conduct clinical trials from small local studies to worldwide trials. The focus of my research at present is gram positive bacterial infections: complicated skin and skin structure infections; postoperative wound infections; hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated pneumonia; bacteremia; and endocarditis. Many of these trials are conducted in concert with the pharmaceutical industry in order to register new antibiotics. In addition, at director of infectious diseases at the DCRI I oversee the work of the mycology group, tuberculosis trials, gastroenterology trials, and pulmonary trials. This work also includes work supported by NIH grants including sepsis trials, the Staph Aureus and Staph Epi  Bacteremia Groups, and the International Collaboration of Endocarditis. The team of investigators with whom I work has tremendous collegiality and are amazingly productivity.

As a result of my longstanding interest in tropical medicine we have been able to establish the Hubert-Yeargan Center for Global Health. As a result we are developing a global health residency. And we are expanding our research interests into HIV and tropical medicine. I am presently the Director of the Center and the Gary Hock Distinguished Professor of Global Health.


Staphylococcus infections including S. aureus and coagulase negative staphylococcal infections of all types: skin infections, pneumonia, bacteremia and endocarditis. Other interests include postoperative infections and tropical/travel medicine.