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Neil W. Schluger, M.D.

Associate Professor of Medicine and Public Health

Chief, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine

Laboratory Address Columbia University, College of Physicians & Surgeons 622 W. 168th Street, PH 8-101, New York, NY, 10032 Phone 212-305-9817 Fax 212-305-8464

Dr. Schluger's research focuses on several aspects of tuberculosis, including molecular epidemiology, novel diagnostics, and clinical trials. Clinical trials: Dr. Schluger is the Steering Committee Chairman of the Tuberculosis Trials Consortium, a CDC-funded international research consortium with 30 sites in 5 countries. This consortium conducts a variety of phase II and phase III clinical trials of treatments for latent and active tuberculosis. Dr. Schluger is also the principal investigator for the Columbia University site, which operates in conjunction with the New York City Department of Health Tuberculosis Control Program. Molecular epidemiology: Using a database which combines clinical and demographic variables about tuberculosis patients in Northern Manhattan, and analyzing these data against RFLP patterns of M. tuberculosis isolates from those same patients, he has demonstrated important findings about the transmission of tuberculosis in New York City. This work has direct implications for tuberculosis control strategies useful for reducing the burden of disease in U.S. born and non-U.S. born populations. Novel diagnostics: Dr. Schluger has a long interest in novel diagnostic methods for tuberculosis, and is currently evaluating the utility of the T-Spot ELISPOT assay, which stimulates peripheral blood mononuclear cells with M. tuberculosis specific antigens, in the assessment of close contacts of tuberculosis patients and other groups at high risk for latent infection.

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