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Dawn Marie Wetzel, MD $$

Infectious Disease Specialist

Assistant Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center

Languages Spoken:
English
UT Southwestern Pediatric Group

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Biography

Dawn M. Wetzel, M.D., Ph.D., is a board certified infectious disease specialist at Children’s Health℠ and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Biochemistry at UT Southwestern. She specializes in the research and treatment of parasitic and other pediatric infectious diseases.

She earned her medical degree and Ph.D. in Molecular Microbiology from Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Wetzel completed her pediatrics residency training at Children’s Hospital of New York-Presbyterian (Columbia University) and her fellowship training in pediatric infectious diseases at Yale University.

In addition to her patient care efforts, Dr. Wetzel runs her own research laboratory at UT Southwestern. As a principal investigator, her research focuses on molecular and biochemical parasitology and studying parasitic infections like the protozoan disease leishmaniasis — one of the World Health Organization-designated neglected tropical diseases. Her additional interests include drug discovery for the broader group of single-celled trypanosomatid parasites.

Dr. Wetzel has earned multiple awards including the Young Physician-Scientist Award, grants and national recognition for her research and holds a patent for anti-parasitic medicines she developed.

She is a member of Eastern Society for Pediatric Research, American Medical Association, Infectious Diseases Society of America and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Education and Training

Medical School
Washington University School of Medicine (2005)
Residency
New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University (2008), Pediatrics
Fellowship
Yale University School of Medicine (2011), Pediatric Infectious Diseases
Board Certification
American Board of Pediatrics/Infectious Disease

  • Research Interests

    • Cellular and molecular pathogenesis of leishmaniasis and other parasitic infections
    • Development of novel antiparasitics
    • Host-pathogen interactions

  • Publications

    Publications

    • An Antiparasitic Compound from the Medicines for Malaria Venture Pathogen Box Promotes Leishmania Tubulin Polymerization. Ullah I, Gahalawat S, Booshehri LM, Niederstrasser H, Majumdar S, Leija C, Bradford JM, Hu B, Ready JM, Wetzel DM, ACS Infect Dis 2020 Jul
    • The relative rate of kill of the MMV Malaria Box compounds provides links to the mode of antimalarial action and highlights scaffolds of medicinal chemistry interest. Ullah I, Sharma R, Mete A, Biagini GA, Wetzel DM, Horrocks PD, J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 2020 Feb 75 2 362-370
    • Erratum to: An Outbreak of Brucellosis: An Adult and Pediatric Case Series. Hassouneh L, Quadri S, Reto PP, Chaisavaneeyakorn S, Cutrell JB, Wetzel DM, Nijhawan AE, Open Forum Infect Dis 2019 Dec 6 12 ofz527
    • An Outbreak of Brucellosis: An Adult and Pediatric Case Series. Hassouneh L, Quadri S, Reto PP, Chaisavaneeyakorn S, Cutrell JB, Wetzel DM, Nijhawan AE, Open Forum Infect Dis 2019 Oct 6 10 ofz384

    Books

    • Chemotherapy of Protozoal Infections. In Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 13th ed, Brunton LL, Hilal-Dandan R, Knollmann BC, eds. Wetzel DM, Phillips MA (2018). New York, NY, McGraw-Hill Medical; 987-999
    • Featured Chemotherapy of Protozoal Infections. In Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. Wetzel DM, Phillips MA (2017). New York, NY, McGraw-Hill Medical

  • Professional Activities

    • American Academy of Pediatrics (2005)
    • American Medical Association (2009)
    • American Society for Microbiology (2012)
    • Eastern Society for Pediatric Research (2013)
    • Infectious Diseases Society of America (2009)
    • Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society of America (2009)a

  • Awards and Honors

    • Young Physician-Scientist Award (2013), American Society of Clinical Investigation
    • IDSA Fellow's Research Award and Travel Grant (2010), Top abstracts by infectious disease fellows-in-training - Infectious Diseases Society of America
    • Alexander Berg Prize (2005), Graduating medical student presenting the best research in molecular microbiology - Washington University School of Medicine
    • William A. McElroy Award for Undergraduate Research in Biology (1998), Graduating student with th emost promise in biological research - Johns Hopkins University

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