John N. Galgiani, MD: Professor and Founding Director, Valley Fever Center for Excellence
Thursday, April 18, 2024,
2:30p.m. – 3:30pm.
ASA Koffler Great Room and Zoom
Many of us have experienced some form of Valley Fever or know someone who has. If it hasn’t impacted us directly, our treasured pets may have had it or been exposed to it. Dr. Galgiani will explain both the challenges and achievements of the University of Arizona College of Medicine’s “Valley Fever Center for Excellence.”
We know of its prevalence, but does it surprise you that two-thirds of all U.S. infections of Valley Fever occur in Arizona? That is why in 1996 the Arizona Board of Regents approved a Valley Fever Center for Excellence at the state’s land-grant university. Today the Center is one of the College of Medicine’s two top priorities for the U of A Foundation’s fundraising vehicle “Fuel Wonder Campaign.” Dr. Galgiani’s informal discussion will focus on three benefits that only materialized because the Center exists:
- Earlier diagnosis
- Better treatment
- A preventative vaccine
Dr. Galgiani received his MD from Northwestern Medical School, completed a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Stanford, and has been on the faculty of the U of A since 1978. He has focused his career on the special problem of coccidioidomycosis, also known as Valley Fever, including studies on the impact of Valley Fever on the general population and on special groups such as organ transplant recipients and patients with AIDS. He is the lead author on the Infectious Diseases Society of America’s practice guidelines for coccidioidomycosis and in 1996 he founded the Valley Fever Center for Excellence. In collaboration with Banner Health, Dr. Galgiani developed and is now implementing a training program for primary care clinicians for prompt recognition and optimal management of patients with new Valley Fever infections. The Center’s research has recently developed a vaccine candidate to prevent Valley Fever in dogs and potentially humans.
Compiled and Edited by Mary Hatch, Academy Village Volunteer
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