Early experience with universal preprocedural testing for SARS-CoV-2 in a relatively low-prevalence area.

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

HIV infection, Transplant-related infectious diseases, general infectious diseases, Biological and Emergency Preparedness for hospital systems, influenza and respiratory viral pathogens

This is my 21st year as a member of the Orthopedics, Plastics and Regional Division, Duke Department of Anesthesiology. For the past two years, I have served as the Vice Chair for Clinical Operations and the Anesthesia Medical Director. I am recognized as an expert worldwide in the field of Regional Anesthesia especially in the use of regional ultrasound techniques and often sought out to participate as a lecturer in various teaching/training activities to my colleagues both in the United States and abroad. This led to my past appointment as a member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) committee.

As the Vice Chair, on a daily basis, I am responsible for the leadership of all anesthesiology faculty members and the clinical operations of all DUHS perioperative sites.  

Since 2001, I have served as a member on IRB committee reviewing both departmental and institutional human investigational research studies offering recommendations to protocols and consent form submissions.

I have been involved in numerous visiting professorships, grand round lectures and resident grand round lectures both at Duke and other institutions throughout the country. I have participated in many anesthesia workshops and conferences to include but not limited to: the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) annual meetings and the North & South Carolina Anesthesia Society. I have served as the medical director of the successful CME conference, Emerging Technologies in the OR held in Orlando, Florida for the last 6 years and the co-medical director of the successful CME conferences: Ultrasound Guided Regional Anesthesia Preceptorship (now in its eighth year) and the Pre-ASA Regional Anesthesia Ultrasound conference workshop for over 6 years.

As the primary investigator for over 18 industrial trials, I supervised and managed a group of physician and research nurses in several research studies with the major emphasis of work being devoted to liposomal epidural extended morphine. I was the first in our field to research the use of this medication in the management of postoperative pain in joint replacement surgery. I obtained academic recognition in my role in these studies with multiple publications and lectures. As a result of this research, extended release epidural morphine was successfully introduced into our clinical practice at Duke.

Other research areas, which have resulted in over 20 publications and 27 abstracts, include the investigation of oral opioids in the management of pain, blood replacement products, non-invasive cardiac output monitoring and regional anesthesia. I was the lead author in three anesthesiology book chapters of Anesthesiology on the subject of regional anesthesia.

Thomas N. Denny, MSc, M.Phil, is the Chief Operating Officer of the Duke Human Vaccine Institute (DHVI), Associate Dean for Duke Research and Discovery @RTP, and a Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center. He is also an Affiliate Member of the Duke Global Health Institute. Previously, he served on the Health Sector Advisory Council of the Duke University Fuquay School of Business. Prior to joining Duke, he was an Associate Professor of Pathology, Laboratory Medicine and Pediatrics, Associate Professor of Preventive Medicine and Community Health and Assistant Dean for Research in Health Policy at the New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey. He has served on numerous committees for the NIH over the last two decades and currently is the principal investigator of an NIH portfolio in excess of 65 million dollars. Mr. Denny was a 2002-2003 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellow at the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (IOM). As a fellow, he served on the US Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee with legislation/policy responsibilities in global AIDS, bioterrorism, clinical trials/human subject protection and vaccine related-issues.

As the Chief Operating Officer of the DHVI, Mr. Denny has senior oversight of the DHVI research portfolio and the units/teams that support the DHVI mission. He has extensive international experience and previously was a consultant to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) project to oversee the development of an HIV and Public Health Center of Excellence laboratory network in Guyana. In September 2004, the IOM appointed him as a consultant to their Board on Global Health Committee studying the options for overseas placement of U.S. health professionals and the development of an assessment plan for activities related to the 2003 PEPFAR legislative act. In the 1980s, Mr. Denny helped establish a small laboratory in the Republic of Kalmykia (former Soviet Union) to improve the care of children with HIV/AIDS and served as a Board Member of the Children of Chernobyl Relief Fund Foundation. In 2005, Mr. Denny was named a consulting medical/scientific officer to the WHO Global AIDS Program in Geneva. He has also served as program reviewers for the governments of the Netherlands and South Africa as well as an advisor to several U.S. biotech companies. He currently serves as the Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board for Grid Biosciences.

Mr. Denny has authored and co-authored more than 200 peer-reviewed papers and serves on the editorial board of Communications in Cytometry and Journal of Clinical Virology. He holds an M.Sc in Molecular and Biomedical Immunology from the University of East London and a degree in Medical Law (M.Phil) from the Institute of Law and Ethics in Medicine, School of Law, University of Glasgow. In 1991, he completed a course of study in Strategic Management at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. In 1993, he completed the Program for Advanced Training in Biomedical Research Management at Harvard School of Public Health. In December 2005, he was inducted as a Fellow into the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, the oldest medical society in the US.

While living in New Jersey, Mr. Denny was active in his community, gaining additional experience from two publicly elected positions. In 2000, Mr. Denny was selected by the New Jersey League of Municipalities to Chair the New Jersey Community Mental Health Citizens’ Advisory Board and Mental Health Planning Council as a gubernatorial appointment.

The overall objective of my research is to characterize the mechanisms by which mineral homeostasis is achieved and skeletal integrity maintained in vertebrate species. This knowledge can then be applied to specific diseases to pinpoint pathogenic mechanisms and develop therapeutic strategies. Current areas of emphasis include:

· Regulation of vitamin D metabolism during pregnancy and lactation.
Using new assays for renal vitamin D hvdroxylase activities, "free" 1,25-
dihydroxyvitamin D and metabolic turnover of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, we are investigating the regulation of this vitamin D hormone during pregnancy
and lactation. Results from these studies will supplement our existing data
on the mechanisms governing day-to-day regulation of vitamin D
metabolism and may yield insight into these processes during periods of special demand.

· Development of an animal model of human primary hyperparathyroidism.
Studies are ongoing to produce and fully characterize a murine model of human primary hyperparathyroidism (HPT). When rice-grain sized slivers of human parathyroid adenoma explants are inserted into gluteal pockets of athymic nude mice, persistent hypercalcemia and hypophosphatemia (>6 months duration) develop within several days in a percentage of the animals. Moreover, biosynthesis of 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D, a key hormone whose activation is modulated by parathyroid hormone (PTH), is also chronically stimulated. This model will allow: 1) study of the relationships between HPT and other conditions commonly associated with the disorder (e.g. hypertension, peptic ulcer disease, renal stones); 2) the regulation of vitamin D metabolism in HPT; 3) the natural history of bone disease in HPT; and 4) new nonsurgical techniques to localize and treat HPT.

Special areas of expertise include skeletal and mineral homeostasis, biometry, continuous quality improvement and clinical laboratory administration.

Key Words: calcium, phosphorus, Vitamin D, hyperparathyroidism, lactation, endocrinology

I am active in translational research involving gastrointestinal/hepatobiliary pathology [specifically transplant related pathology (GVHD and rejection) and carcinogenesis of the pancreas] and bone and soft tissue malignancies [imaging techniques for intraoperative margin assessment].

Dr. Datto is an AP/CP/MGP board certified pathologist who specializes in molecular pathology. He is the Associate Vice President for Duke University Health System Clinical Laboratories, the Vice Chair for Clinical Pathology and Medical Director for Duke University Health System Clinical Laboratories.  

In these roles, he is responsible for maintaining the standards of the College of American Pathologists and CLIA/CMS within all Clinical Laboratories at Duke.  Specifically, Dr. Datto oversees clinical testing and reporting, develops quality management systems and proficiency testing programs, provides consultation with ordering physicians, ensures educational programs, develops strategic plans that are in line with the needs of our patient population, physicians and health system leadership, coordinates research and development, ensures adequate and appropriately trained personnel, and provides profession interpretation for molecular diagnostic testing including the wide range of PCR, quantitative PCR, sequencing and FISH based tests for inherited genetic diseases, hematologic malignancies, solid tumors and infectious diseases.

Dr. Datto also serves as the chair of the Accreditation Committee (AC) for the College of American Pathologists (CAP).  The CAP is the largest accreditor of hospital based laboratories in the US and serves as a ‘deemed entity’ by the Center for Medicare Services. In his role of chair of the AC, Dr. Datto oversees the committee that makes clinical accreditation decisions for approximately 7,000 clinical domestic and international laboratories.

Finally, Dr. Datto has an active academic program developing data system to aggregate, normalize and utilize high complexity and high volume laboratory data.  Dr. Datto and his team have developed the Molecular Registry of Tumors (Mr.T); a software solution that supports clinical trials matching, engagement with the AACR GENIE Project and the Molecular Tumor Board for Duke University Health System.  The ultimate goal of this work is to ensure that the vast amount of laboratory data generated on our Duke patients can be put to use, driving better patient care, research and education.