Robert L. Atmar, MD

Robert Atmar has been involved in clinical investigation for more than 30 years. He has worked on vaccines for respiratory and enteric pathogens, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and has worked closely with program and VTEU leadership in the design, implementation, analysis and oversight of multi-site trials conducted through the VTEU network. Dr. Atmar is currently a member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and has served on other federal advisory panels.  He has mentored trainees and junior faculty, including serving as PI of BCM’s T32 training grant. Much of the work he has performed over the past 30 years has been as a member of collaborative teams of clinical and laboratory investigators, including VTEU studies and a USDA-funded multi-institutional collaborative Norocore project (2011-2017).  In his research he has worked as an investigator in programs including the Influenza Research Center (1986-1990), the Acute Viral Respiratory Disease Unit (1990-1995), the Respiratory Pathogens Research Unit (1996-2003), the Viral Respiratory Pathogens Research Unit (2003-2012), and the Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Unit (VTEU, 1991-1998; 2002-present), and is the co-PI of the Baylor VTEU.  A major research interest is norovirus infection, including the development of diagnostic assays for norovirus infection, the evaluation of the pathogenesis of norovirus infection, and the evaluation of strategies to prevent infection (including vaccine evaluation).  His research also has focused on respiratory infections in adults and in special populations, including persons with asthma and COPD, as well as on vaccine evaluation, with an emphasis on respiratory pathogens.