Irene Frantzis, MD

My interest in pediatric infectious disease started long before medical school, when learning about the many different microscopic pathogens that can both keep our bodies healthy and make us ill. Throughout my medical training on three continents, I was drawn to how these microbes can change in each environment and how our body’s defenses respond. I developed a passion for helping children and their families prevent and fight different infections through vaccines, medications such as antibiotics, and healthy habits.

I provide care to children both in the hospital and in an outpatient clinic, and do everything from educating patients and families about infection prevention strategies to treating difficult and complex infections. I particularly enjoy working alongside physicians from multiple specialties to understand each child’s response to infection and provide the most effective treatment. I also work with different medical professionals to understand what we can do to minimize the risk of infection in our environment.

My research interests include looking at the best way to use our medications and laboratory tests so that we can treat children without causing harm or creating resistant bacteria in our community. I am very involved in educating medical students and residents on how to prevent and treat infections in whatever specialties they pursue.

I also collaborate with doctors in other countries, particularly low-income countries, to expand our knowledge of infection prevention strategies, especially in our youngest and most vulnerable children.