Transplant Infectious Diseases Research Group

• Phase III CMV vaccine RCT in liver transplant candidates (UNMC among top national enrolling sites)
• UNMC Principal Investigator: Sias Scherger, MD

• Observational and outcome-driven research on Severe Acute Respiratory Infection in immunocompromised adults (NIH-funded network study)
• UNMC Principal Investigator: Carlos Gomez, MD 

• Phase III, open-label, RCT comparing IV brincidofovir vs. cidofovir for adenovirus infection in allo-HSCT
• UNMC Principal Investigator: Carlos Gomez, MD 

• Pritelivir vs SOC  for acyclovir-resistant HSV (UNMC ranked top five enrollment site worldwide)
• UNMC Principal Investigator: Anum Abbas, MD

• Phase 2b RSV vaccine safety and revaccination in lung/kidney transplant recipients
• UNMC Principal Investigator: Anum Abbas, MD

• First-in-class randomized basket trial of plasma mcfDNA mNGS in high-risk Hem-malignancy patients in the outpatient setting
• UNMC Principal Investigator: Carlos Gomez, MD 

• Phase III placebo-controlled RCT of C. diff vaccine in adults age 65 or older
• UNMC Principal Investigator: Carlos Gomez, MD

• A Phase III Randomized Placebo-Controlled Study to Examine the Efficacy and Safety of DAS 181 for the Treatment of Lower Respiratory Tract Parainfluenza Infection in Immunocompromised Subjects
• UNMC Principal Investigator: Anum Abbas, MD

• International multicenter registry of RSV outcomes in immunocompromised adults (MD Anderson sponsor site)
• UNMC Principal Investigators: Anum Abbas, MD, and Carlos Gomez, MD

• Prospective mNGS registry in SOT recipients (Baylor, sponsor site)

• UNMC Principal Investigators: Carlos Gomez, MD, and Anum Abbas, MD

• Diagnostic role of mNGS for cardiovascular infections (Baylor, sponsor site)

• UNMC Principal Investigators: Carlos Gomez, MD, and Anum Abbas, MD

• Multicenter collaboration on epidemiology, outcomes and therapy of nocardiosis in SOT (Cleveland Clinic, sponsor site)
• UNMC Principal Investigators: Anum Abbas, MD, and Carlos Gomez, MD

• The TID Research Group is led by a team of dedicated faculty investigators with complementary expertise spanning transplant ID, oncology ID, antiviral therapeutics, advanced diagnostics, critical care, and vaccine science. 

• Behind every trial we run is a dedicated team of clinical research coordinators whose expertise, attention to detail and commitment to patients make high-quality research possible. Our coordinator team has grown in the past two years, reflecting the rapid expansion of our portfolio and our institutional investment in research excellence.

• Proven research infrastructure — About 15 active Phase II–III trials with rapid activation capacity and top-tier enrollment performance, including top five enrollment worldwide for PRIOH-1 and top national enrollment for the NIH COLT CMV vaccine trial.

• Expert team and operations — Dedicated CRC team in transplant, oncology and ID research, backed by in-house investigational pharmacy, regulatory specialists and budget negotiation staff.

• National and international networks — Active partnerships with ESCMID ESGREV, NIH STRIVE and the ImmuneOptimize Network, with faculty recognized for publications and national conference presence across transplant and oncology ID.

UNMC serves as the primary academic referral center for Nebraska and the surrounding region, offering access to rare and underserved populations critical for specialized trial enrollment.

• Solid-organ transplant recipients (liver, kidney, pancreas, multivisceral, heart, lung)
• Oncology and hematologic malignancy: Patients with hematologic malignancies on intensive chemotherapy or immunosuppressive regimens, including those undergoing hematopoietic cell transplant and CAR-T cell therapy recipients
• Broadly immunocompromised hosts: Adults with opportunistic viral, fungal and bacterial infections across transplant, oncology and critical care settings.
• Immunomodulated and biologic therapy patients: A growing population of patients on biologic therapies and immunomodulators, including monoclonal antibodies, JAK inhibitors, TNF-alpha inhibitors, checkpoint inhibitors and other targeted agents, who face distinct and evolving infectious risks increasingly relevant to clinical trial design.