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In This Issue:
Sophia Koo
In this morning session, BWH researchers discussed how they are applying cutting-edge technology to understand bacterial diseases more clearly. Matt Waldor, MD, PhD, an investigator in BWH's Channing Laboratory, shared how a team of researchers from BWH, MGH and Harvard Medical School used whole-genome sequencing technology to determine how cholera, a bacterial disease that can cause diarrhea and dehydration, swept through post-earthquake Haiti in 2010. After researchers analyzed bacteria collected from Haitian patients, they determined the entire genetic code of the Haitian strain of cholera, finding that it originated in South Asia. Sophia Koo, MD, of BWH's Division of Infectious Diseases, spoke about a novel diagnostic test she developed that uses a breathalyzer to detect invasive aspergillosis, a fungal disease affecting the lungs. When patients breathe into the device, it essentially smells something that isn't supposed to be there, thereby detecting the presence of the disease. Koo said that better diagnostics for infectious diseases need to be created to help doctors treat patients.