BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Academic & Professional Background

• B.S.(Biology) 1977 - Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois
• M.S.(Medical Microbiology) 1979 - University of Missouri, Columbia
• M.D. 1982 - Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois
• Residency (Medicine) 1988 - University of Minnesota
• Fellowship (Infectious Disease) 1988 - New England Medical Center

Current Research Interests

• Antibiotic Resistance and Resistance Transfer in Bacteroides fragilis
• Clinical Trials
• Transposable Elements
• Virulence Factors of Bacteroides fragilis
• Virulence Factors of Coagulase Negative Staphylococci

Selected Publications

Hecht DW. Susceptibility testing of Anaerobes. Clinical Microbiology Newsletter 22:41-44, 2000.

Snydman DR, Jacobus NV, McDermott LA, Supran S, Cuchural GJ, Finegold S, Harrell L, Hecht DW, Iannini P, Jenkins S, Pierson C, Rihs J, Gorback SL. Multicenter study of in vitro susceptibility of the Bacteroides fragilis group, 1995 to 1996, with comparison of resistance trends from 1990 to 1996. Antimicrob Agent Chemother 43:2417-2422, 1999.

Hecht DW, Vedantam G, Osmolski JR. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing in Anaerobes: What now? Anaerobe 5:421-429, 1999.

Vedantam G, Novicki T, Hecht D. Bacteroides fragilis transfer Tn5520: The smallest bacterial mobilizable transposion containing single integrase and mobilization genes that function in Escherichia coli. J Bact 181:2564-2571, 1999.

Kazantsev GB, Hecht DW, Rao RA, Prinz RA. Plasmid labeling confirms bacterial translocation in pancreatitis. Am J Surg 167:201-206, 1994.

Snydman DR, Cuchural GJ, Hecht DW, McDermott L, Iannini PB, Harrell LJ, Cleary TJ, O'Keefe JP, Pierson CL, Rihs JD, Finegold SM. Susceptibility variations in Bacteroides fragilis: A national survey. Infect Dis Clin Practice 3:S34-S43, 1994.

Hecht DW, Osmolski JR, O'Keefe JP. Variation in the susceptibility of Bacteroides fragilis group isolates from six Chicago hospitals. Clin Infect Dis 16:S357-S361, 1993.

Rao RA, Kazatsev GB, Hecht DW, Gattuso P, Prinz RA. Immunostimulation with granulocyte colony stimulating factor to prevent the septic complications of acute pancreatitis. Proc 49th Ann Forum Fundamental Surgical Problems, 1993 Clin Congress, XLIV.

Keshavarzian A, Doria M, Sergie S, Kanofsky J, Hecht DW, Holmes E, Ibrahim C, List T, Gaginella T, Parveen S. Mitomycin C induced colitis in rats - a new animal model. A model of acute colonic inflammation implicating reaction to oxygen species. J Lab Clin Med 120:778-791, 1992.

Hecht DW, Jagielo TJ, Malamy MH. Conjugal transfer of antibiotic resistance factor in Bacteroides: The btgA and btgB genes of plasmid pBFTM10 are required for its transfer from B. fragilis and for its mobilization by the IncPB plasmid R751 in E. coli. J Bacteriology 173:7471-7480, 1991.

Hecht DW, Malamy MH. Tn4399, a conjugal mobilizing transposion of Bacteroides fragilis. J Bacteriol 171:3603-3608, 1989.

Hecht DW, Thompson JS, Malamy MH. Characterization of the termini and transposition products of Tn4399, a conjugal mobilizing transposion of Bacteroides fragilis. Proc Natl Acad Sci 86:5340-5344, 1989.

Cuchural GJ, Tally FP, Jacobus NV, Aldridge K, Cleary T, Finegold SM, Hill G, Iannini P, O'Keefe JP, Pierson C, Crook DW, Russo TA, Hecht DW. Susceptibility of Bacteroides fragilis group in the United States: Analysis by site of isolation. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 32:717-722, 1988

Hecht DW, Snydman DR, Crumpacker CS, DHPG Study Group. Treatment of primary renal transplant associated cytomegalovirus pneumonia with ganciclovir (DHPG). J Infect Dis 157:187-190, 1988.

Hecht DW, Malamy MH, Tally FP. Mechanisms of resistance and resistance transfer in anaerobic bacteria. In: Anaerobic Infections in Humans. Finegold SM, George WL (Eds.), Academic Press, Orlando, FL, Chapter 37, 1988.

Parisi JT, Hecht DW. Plasmid profiles in epidemiologic studies of infection by Staphylococcus epidermidis. J Infect Dis 141:637-643, 1980.

Projects Completed or Active (Selected)

• Analysis of Plasmid Transfer Mechanisms in Bacteroides fragilis
• Anaerobic Susceptibility Testing Survey, 1993

Research Funding Sources

• Merck & Co.
• Pfizer
• VA Merit Review

Research Methods Employed

• DNA Purifications and Electrophoresis
• DNA Hybridization
• DNA Sequencing
• Transposion Mutagenesis
• DNA Vector Construction

Honors

• 1986 - Outstanding Teaching Award, New England Medical Center
• 1987 - Maxwell Finland Young Investigator Award, Boston Infectious Disease Society