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Medical Author:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers cryptococcosis, especially when caused by C. gattii, as an emerging infectious disease because of the recent increased occurrence in the Pacific Northwest. Consequently, to prepare for better ways to identify and treat this disease, ongoing research is increasing. To date, there is no vaccine available for humans. However, researchers have developed an experimental vaccine from the fungal carbohydrate capsule that can protect mice from infection, so a vaccine for humans may be developed in the near future. Several laboratories are trying to develop quick, easy, and accurate methods to distinguish the various subtypes of C. neoformans and C. gattii. Other environmental scientists are trying to determine the extent of spread of C. gattii in the U.S. and other countries to determine if environmental changes are influencing (increasing) the areas where Cryptococcus can survive and become endemic. A few researchers are examining the virulence of various strains as some strains (C. gattii, VGllc) may cause more serious infections and deaths than other strains.

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