Group B Streptococcus (GBS) Colonization and Disease among Pregnant Women: A Historical Cohort Study.

Dr. Emmanuel Walter, MD, MPH, Professor of Pediatrics, serves as the Duke Human Vaccine Institute (DHVI) Chief Medical Officer and directs the Duke Vaccine and Trials Unit. In these roles, Dr. Walter provides strategic and operational leadership for clinical research conducted at the Institute.  In addition, he provides oversight of regulatory compliance for DHVI clinical research activities.

Dr. Walter has dedicated his career to advancing research and clinical practice in vaccinology, infectious diseases, and child health. He currently serves as the principal investigator for the Duke Clinical Core of the Collaborative Influenza Vaccine Innovations Centers (CIVICs) funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).  The goal of this work is to evaluate promising next generation influenza vaccine candidates in Phase I and Phase I/II clinical trials and human challenge studies.  He is also the Duke Principal Investigator for the CDC-funded Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment Project which conducts studies to identify risk factors and preventive strategies for adverse events following immunization, particularly in special populations. Lastly, he is the Principal Investigator for the  CDC-funded coordinating center of the influenza and other respiratory virus vaccine effectiveness network.  This work provides national estimates for influenza and other respiratory virus vaccine effectiveness in persons presenting with respiratory illness in the ambulatory setting.

Dr. Walter's focused area of interest include vaccine development, vaccine safety, vaccine effectiveness, vaccine coverage, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.

Dr. Geeta Swamy, MD, is Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, having served as the director of the Duke Perinatal Research Center and Vice Chair for Research and Faculty Development in the Department of ObGyn. She has achieved international acclaim as a clinician researcher and expert in the field of maternal immunization and perinatal infection. As a consultant to the World Health Organization, Dr. Swamy contributes her knowledge to advance international work to evaluate the immunogenicity, safety, and efficacy of vaccines in pregnant women. The American College of ObGyn has grown to be the “collective voice” for women’s health, and Dr. Swamy has been a leader within that organization for the last two decades. She currently serves as the Co-Principal Investigator for the NIH-NIAID Vaccine Treatment and Evaluation (VTEU) and CDC Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment. In addition, she has been a leader at Duke and nationally in promoting a culture of scientific integrity and transparency in research. She has been instrumental in developing and leading the School of Medicine’s research initiatives in administration, regulatory oversight, and compliance. In 2018, she became Vice Dean for Scientific Integrity in the School of Medicine and Associate Vice President for Research for Duke University. In these roles she oversees the Duke Office of Scientific Integrity (DOSI) which houses the Advancing Scientific Integrity, Services, & Training (ASIST) initiative, conflict of interest, clinical quality management, incident response in research, and research misconduct. She also oversees the Duke Office of Research Initiatives, the Duke Health IRB, Office of Research Administration (ORA), and Office of Research Contracts (ORC).