Our Dr. James P. Nataro was honored in Chile this week for his work battling infectious diseases in Latin America. ALAM 2018, the 24th Latin American Congress of Microbiogy, held a special symposium in his honor. It’s a well-deserved recognition, considering his many years of work on serious bacterial infections such as E. coli and Shigella.
Shigella and E. coli — Dr. Nataro’s primary focuses — are serious problems in the developing world. In addition to being potentially deadly, they are major causes of stunted growth, and that stunting helps keep people trapped in poverty. Dr. Nataro has worked to change that. His research has shed light on these diseases, how they spread and how we might stop them. He has developed several vaccine candidates, and he directed the microbiology component of the Global Multicenter Enteric Study that helped us understand moderate-to-severe diarrhea in children in developing countries.
That’s not to mention his clinical work and leadership role here at UVA and the UVA Children’s Hospital. Dr. Nataro has been chairman of our Department of Pediatrics since 2010. As such, he’s basically our pediatrician-in-chief. I’m not sure how he finds enough hours in the day, but I’m glad he does.
Congratulations, Dr. Nataro!