CCEB Seminar-Neel Rajnikant Gandhi, MD

"Role of Transmission in Drug Resistant Tuberculosis"Neel Rajnikant Gandhi, MDAssociate ProfessorRollins School of Public Health, Emory University   Neel R. Gandhi, M.D is Associate Professor in the Departments of Epidemiology, Global Health and Infectious Diseases at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health and Emory School of Medicine. Dr. Gandhi has been engaged in clinical research in Tuberculosis and HIV co-infection since 1998.  Since 2002, Dr Gandhi has led a research team focused on epidemiology and clinical research studies to improve care for TB patients co-infected with HIV, including those with MDR and XDR TB. His research group has demonstrated that transmission of drug-resistant TB strains, in healthcare and community settings, is major factor in driving the rapid expansion of the epidemic. They have also shown that MDR TB treatment outcomes, among HIV co-infected individuals, can be improved to rates similar to those without HIV, if antiretroviral therapy is given concurrently. His group is now investigating the risk of developing resistance to bedaquiline, as well as drug-drug interactions with antiretroviral therapy, among pre-XDR and XDR TB patients.