Grants per year
Personal profile
Research Interests
My research interests are in the areas of healthcare epidemiology and infection prevention and control, particularly Clostridium difficile infections. I am exploring various aspects of C. difficile infection, including clinical and molecular epidemiology, diagnosis, antibiotic resistance, and host immune response. The primary aims of my K23-funded translational research are to optimize the diagnosis of C. difficile infection by validating several existing and emerging diagnostic testing strategies in children with the ultimate goal of accurately differentiating C. difficile colonization and infection. Other areas of investigation includes the use of whole genome sequencing to assess antibiotic resistance determinants and virulence factors of emerging strains of C. difficile, namely DH/NAP11/106, as well as identifying transmission and evolution of C. difficile clones in a pediatric population.
Healthcare epidemiology; infection prevention and control; Clostridium difficile; bacterial genomics
All areas of pediatric infectious diseases, with a particular interest in healthcare-associated infections, Clostridium difficile infection, and infections caused by antibiotic resistant organisms.
Training Experience
2010 | Residency, University of Chicago Hospitals |
2014 | Fellowship, Northwestern University, McGaw Medical Center (Children’s Memorial Hospital) |
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Education/Academic qualification
MSCI, Northwestern University
… → 2015
MD, Medicine, Saint Louis University
… → 2006
Research interests keywords
- Bacteriology
- Epidemiology
- Genomics
- Infectious Diseases
- Microbiology
- Molecular Diagnostics
- Pediatrics
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Grants
- 19 Finished
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Main Account
Ozer, E. A. (PD/PI), Bachta, K. E. R. (Other), D'Aquila, R. T. (Other), Hauser, A. R. (Other), Hope, T. J. (Other), Hultquist, J. F. (Other), Kociolek, L. K. (Other), Lorenzo Redondo, R. (Other), Murphy, R. L. (Other) & Taiwo, B. O. (Other)
Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health
5/15/23 → 5/14/24
Project: Research project
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Identifying the Breadth of Antibody Responses to Clostridioides difficile Infection
Kociolek, L. K. (PD/PI)
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health
6/9/20 → 6/29/22
Project: Research project
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Clostridium innocuum as an emerging multidrug-resistant antibiotic-associated diarrheal pathogen
Kociolek, L. K. (PD/PI)
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health
1/24/19 → 3/31/21
Project: Research project
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Clostridium innocuum as an emerging multidrug-resistant antibiotic-associated diarrheal pathogen
Kociolek, L. K. (PD/PI)
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health
1/24/19 → 3/31/21
Project: Research project
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Acute Flaccid Myelitis Enhanced Surveillance
Kociolek, L. K. (Co-Investigator)
Chicago Department of Public Health
9/24/18 → 6/30/19
Project: Research project
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Bacteremia in Pediatric Solid Organ Transplant Recipients within 1 Year of Transplant
Landa, M. M., Rosenthal, A., Li, C. N., Arshad, M., Patel, S., Kociolek, L., Barnes, A., Karuri, S. & Muller, W. J., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Transplant Infectious Disease.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Case Report: Pediatric pontine abscess and ecthyma gangrenosum due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa septicemia
Theros, J., Wolfe, M., Kociolek, L. & Kolaitis, I. N., 2025, In: Frontiers in Pediatrics. 13, 1449357.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Comparative effectiveness of metronidazole and vancomycin for treatment of Clostridioides difficile infection in hospitalized children
Sandora, T. J., Savage, T. J., Ryan, M. E., Dahlberg, S. E., Daugherty, K., Kelly, C. P., Pollock, N. R. & Kociolek, L. K., Mar 12 2025, In: Antimicrobial Stewardship and Healthcare Epidemiology. 5, 1, e74.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Global spatiotemporal dynamics of Mycoplasma pneumoniae re-emergence after COVID-19 pandemic restrictions: an epidemiological and transmission modelling study
ESGMAC MAPS study group, Apr 2025, In: The Lancet Microbe. 6, 4, 101019.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2 Scopus citations -
Impact of universal masking by pediatric healthcare personnel on non-SARS-CoV-2 healthcare-associated viral respiratory infections: A quasi-experimental study
Rosenthal, A., Moore, R., Hireed, H., Fishbein, J. & Kociolek, L. K., Jun 2025, In: American Journal of Infection Control. 53, 6, p. 735-738 4 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Datasets
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Additional file 2 of Resurgence of SARS-CoV-2 Delta after Omicron variant superinfection in an immunocompromised pediatric patient
Agnes, M. F. R. (Creator), Ozer, E. A. (Creator), Alisoltani, A. (Creator), Simons, L. M. (Creator), Hultquist, J. F. (Creator), Kociolek, L. K. (Creator), Heald-Sargent, T. A. (Creator), Lorenzo-Redondo, R. (Creator) & Muller, W. J. (Creator), figshare, 2024
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.24452604.v1, https://springernature.figshare.com/articles/dataset/Additional_file_2_of_Resurgence_of_SARS-CoV-2_Delta_after_Omicron_variant_superinfection_in_an_immunocompromised_pediatric_patient/24452604/1
Dataset
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Surveillance Cultures and Infection in 230 Pacemaker and Defibrillator Generator Changes in Pediatric and Adult Congenital Patients
Webster, G. (Creator), Balmert, L. C. (Creator), Patel, A. B. (Creator), Kociolek, L. K. (Creator), Gevitz, M. (Creator), Olson, R. (Creator), Chaouki, A. S. (Creator), El-Tayeb, O. (Creator), Monge, M. C. (Creator) & Backer, C. (Creator), SAGE Journals, 2021
DOI: 10.25384/sage.c.5418452, https://sage.figshare.com/collections/Surveillance_Cultures_and_Infection_in_230_Pacemaker_and_Defibrillator_Generator_Changes_in_Pediatric_and_Adult_Congenital_Patients/5418452
Dataset
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Resurgence of SARS-CoV-2 Delta after Omicron variant superinfection in an immunocompromised pediatric patient
Simons, L. M. (Creator), Alisoltani, A. (Creator), Muller, W. J. (Creator), Agnes, M. F. R. (Creator), Ozer, E. A. (Creator), Heald-Sargent, T. A. (Creator), Kociolek, L. K. (Creator), Hultquist, J. F. (Creator) & Lorenzo-Redondo, R. (Creator), figshare, 2024
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6902478.v1, https://springernature.figshare.com/collections/Resurgence_of_SARS-CoV-2_Delta_after_Omicron_variant_superinfection_in_an_immunocompromised_pediatric_patient/6902478/1
Dataset