# Using Big-Data to Identify & Prevent Transmission of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae within VHA

> **NIH VA IK2** · MICHAEL E DEBAKEY VA MEDICAL CENTER · 2020 · —

## Abstract

This proposal is designed to provide the necessary knowledge, skills, and experience required to
facilitate the transition of Andrew Chou, MD, from junior to independent investigator in the field of antibiotic-
resistant infections. Dr. Chou is a well-trained infectious diseases specialist with graduate-level education and
postdoctoral training in microbiology and microbial genomics. He has been studying multidrug-resistant
organisms (MDRO) since 2009 and has a demonstrated history of dedication to a career in research and to the
Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Dr. Chou has identified a mentoring committee consisting of senior
investigators who have demonstrated success in mentoring junior investigators to independence. Barbara W.
Trautner, MD, PhD, associate professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases) and faculty at the Center for
Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety (IQuESt) at the Houston VA and Baylor College of Medicine
(BCM), will serve as the primary mentor. The co-mentors are: 1) Lynn Zechiedrich, PhD, an expert in
mechanisms of antibiotic resistance and systems biology; 2) Elizabeth Chiao, MD, MPH, an expert in using
large databases to study viral-associated malignancies and board-certified in both infectious diseases and
oncology; 3) Richard Sucgang, PhD, an expert in bioinformatics of antibiotic resistance; and 4) Peter
Richardson, PhD, an expert in mathematical statistics and probability modeling. Dr. Chou has a history of
productivity with the primary mentor and multiple co-mentors, including publications in studying Klebsiella
pneumoniae virulence factors within VHA, bloodstream infections due to gram-negative bacteria, and an
outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). To expand his skill set, Dr. Chou will pursue a
Master of Science in biostatistics, studying the data science track and biostatistics.
 Antibiotic resistance is an important health concern in the United States and within VHA. CRE is 1 of
the most dangerous antibiotic-resistant organisms because nearly half of all patients with CRE bloodstream
infections die. CRE infections are resistant to all or nearly all antibiotics, often are treated with last-line
antibiotics that are associated with severe side-effects, and can lead to hospital outbreaks.
 CRE infections incur significant morbidity and mortality, yet optimal prevention and treatment of CRE
are unknown. The published report, Establishing the Research Agenda for Preventing Transmission of MDRO
in Acute-Care Settings in VHA, identified studying screening strategies to identify Veterans asymptomatically
colonized with CRE as a research priority. Determining the optimum treatment of CRE is challenging because
patients with CRE infections often have complex comorbidities that exclude them from clinical trials.
 The project objective is to combat CRE within VHA by (1) developing novel, targeted surveillance
strategies that identify Veterans at high risk for CRE colonization; and (2) i...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9784349
- **Project number:** 1IK2CX001981-01
- **Recipient organization:** MICHAEL E DEBAKEY VA MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Andrew Chou
- **Activity code:** IK2 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2019-10-01 → 2024-09-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9784349

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9784349, Using Big-Data to Identify & Prevent Transmission of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae within VHA (1IK2CX001981-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9784349. Licensed CC0.

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