The IDCRC announces the upcoming retirement of Monica Farley, MD

The IDCRC LG would like to congratulate Monica Farley, MD, on her upcoming retirement from Emory University. Dr. Farley currently serves as the IDCRC Leadership Group (LG) Leadership Operations Center (LOC) co-director alongside Jodie Dionne, MD, MSPH. Together, they lead the LOC, provide administrative leadership for the LG, and oversee and evaluate all LG activities, including refining the research agenda, prioritizing research concepts, protocol development, timely publication, communication of results, and responding to infectious diseases and public health emergencies. 

“Thank you, Monica, for your roles in forming IDCRC and the stellar leadership of the IDCRC LOC for the last five years. We will miss your calmness, insights, and vision, but thank you immensely," shares David Stephens, MD, IDCRC LG chair.

Dr. Farley’s contributions to the IDCRC are exemplary, having served as LOC co-director since the Leadership Group's inception in 2019. In this capacity, she has worked tirelessly to establish many of the LG groups we know today, including the Expert Working Groups (EWGs) and Key Function Committees (KFCs), in addition to working closely with LG leadership and DMID to establish a successful portfolio of clinical research studies for the network. She has also been a key player on many study teams, most notably DMID 20-0024 Mening Mali, and DMID 23-0004 PROMISE.

In addition to her work with the IDCRC, she has been an invaluable contributor to the Emory community as a highly respected investigator, clinician, educator, and leader. Her career at Emory University is also notable for her extensive service to the university, the School of Medicine, and the Division of Infectious Diseases. Under Dr. Farley’s leadership, the Division of Infectious Diseases has almost doubled in size with impressive research accomplishments that place them in the top five programs nationally. 

She was an early advocate for the advancement of women in medicine, serving on the Status of Women in Medicine Committee for six years and as Chair from 1993-1995. She received an Outstanding Women in Medicine Award in 2015 at the School of Medicine. She served on the Medical School Admissions Committee for 16 years. She has been the recipient of many awards for her service and academic achievements, including the Emory Department of Medicine's Nanette K. Wenger Distinguished Service Award, the Infectious Diseases Division's Paul B. Beeson Faculty Recognition Award, the Southern Society for Clinical Investigations Founders Medal, the Emory Department of Medicine’s R. Wayne Alexander Excellence in Research Accomplishment Award, and selection for the Infectious Diseases Society of America Joseph E. Smadel Lectureship. Dr. Farley has been inducted into the Emory University School of Medicine Millipub Club three times, an honor reserved for authors of published articles cited 1,000 times or more in the literature. She was honored with the Jonas A. Shulman Professorship in 2017.

Dr. Farley is an internationally recognized researcher and epidemiologist and has published over 230 original scientific manuscripts along with numerous reviews, book chapters, and other scholarly writings. In parallel, she has a long history of independent extramural support from the VA with continuous Merit Grant funding for 17 years, the NIH, and in a highly successful leadership role for over 20 years with the CDC-funded Emerging Infections Program.

In recognition of her outstanding dedication and invaluable contributions to the IDCRC, Dr. Stephens presented Dr. Farley with a beautiful plaque at her recent retirement reception on August 15.  In her retirement, Dr. Farley shared that she plans to "catch up on reading, do volunteer work, spend less time at a computer, and spend a lot more with my family, including my four young grandsons."⁠

“Monica has been an exceptional leader in the IDCRC and an absolute joy to work with. We will greatly miss her and all of her wisdom and expertise. We wish her the best of luck in this next chapter,” shares Jim Campbell, MD, MS, IDCRC LG vice chair.

Planning is underway for a new LOC co-director, and more information will be announced soon.