Universal masking is an effective strategy to flatten the severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) healthcare worker epidemiologic curve.

Dr. Advani is an Associate Professor of Medicine (Tenure Track) at Duke University School of Medicine. She is primarily a physician investigator in the Duke Center for Antimicrobial Stewardship and Infection Prevention. She is currently a Fellow in Implementation Science at HIGH IRI (HIV, Infectious Disease and Global Health Implementation Research) Institute at Washington University, St Louis.

Dr. Advani has over 10-years' experience in healthcare epidemiology research and operations. Her current research focuses on improving the diagnosis of UTIs in older adults, implementation of diagnostic stewardship interventions, and de-prescribing antibiotics for asymptomatic bacteriuria. She was awarded the K12 Urologic Career Development Award, Pepper Center Career Development Award, and SHEA Research Scholar Award to continue her UTI related research. In addition, she is one of the key investigators for CDC Prevention Epicenter Program and CDC SHEPheRD Contract for the Use of Race, Ethnicity, and Social Determinants of Health Data in NHSN Measures to Promote Health Equity.

Dr. Advani currently serves on the SHEA Program Planning Committee, SHEA Research Committee, SHEA Diagnostic Stewardship Task Force,  SHEA Steering Committee for the LEAP Fellowship, and IDSA Antimicrobial Stewardship Workgroup. She is contributing to the upcoming SHEA CAUTI Compendium, SHEA Nursing Home Infection Prevention Guidance, AUGS Bacteriuria Consensus Guidance, and SHEA HAI Research Agenda.

My research focus is on developing methods to prevent infections and improve treatment outcomes in children.

My research focuses on the epidemiology, natural history, and treatment of tuberculosis and nontuberculous mycobacterial infections. I am also interested in the impact of HIV infection on mycobacterial infection and disease, and in examining health disparities as they relate to infectious diseases, particularly in immigrant populations.

During the past 8 years my research interests have changed from a focus on tick-borne disease and endocarditis to a primary focus on healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Specifically, I have been interested in HAIs in community hospitals. Using prospective data collected as part of our surveillance activities in the Duke Infection Control Outreach Network (DICON), I and my colleagues have focused on these specific areas of research:

• The accuracy and reliability of surveillance definitions used to document and trend rates of HAIs
• Outcomes of HAIs (both financial and clinical) with particular emphasis on bloodstream and surgical site infections
• Trends in HAIs due to pathogens resistant to common antimicrobial agents
• Temporal and geographic variations in the occurrence of pathogens such as methicillin-resistant S. aureus, E coli and Klebsiella pneumonia
• The prevention and control of HAIs with particular emphasis on the potential role of the environment in the transmission of HAIs

As the principal investigator on one of the 5 national epicenter grants funded by the Centers for Disease control I, along with my co-investigators from the Duke and University of North Carolina Division of Infectious Disease, are involved in a 5-year prospective study of the potential benefit of enhanced cleaning methods (such as the use of ultraviolet light emitters) in the prevention of HAIs. This study involves 9 hospitals in North Carolina and Virginia and will include a trial of 4 different cleaning methods utilized sequentially but randomly in these study hospitals over a 28-month time period. Additionally the Duke Epicenter is also undertaking prospective trials investigating the utility and reliability of new (streamlined) definitions of ventilator-associated pneumonia.


Key words that characterize my work: surgical site infections and nosocomial infections.