Jennifer Chow, M.D., M.S.

I focus on the prevention, early detection and management of infections in immunocompromised persons with an emphasis on the complex relationship between host iron metabolism and infections in orthotopic liver transplant (OLT) recipients. Infection is a common and potentially lethal complication of OLT. Iron is a universal nutrient for nearly all pathogens. Our studies test the central hypothesis is that hosts who are less able to appropriately regulate serum iron levels are at greater risk for infectious complications after OLT. Therefore, increased levels of serum iron markers will be associated with an increased risk of invasive infections among OLT patients after adjusting for other clinical factors. These analyses could have a significant positive impact on the understanding of iron metabolism after OLT and the role of iron as a modifiable risk factor for infection in OLT recipients.