Overview

Colleen S. Kraft, MD, is a Professor in the Department of Pathology (primary appointment) as well as a Professor in the Department of Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases at Emory University School of Medicine. She was the Associate Chief Medical Officer of Emory Hospital from 1/2020-9/2023. She served as the President of the American Society for Microbiology in 2022-2023.

Contributions to Science

FMT in Immunocompromised Patients
Background. Fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) is a method of transferring donor feces, usually by colonoscopy or nasogastric route, most often used to treat patients with C. difficile infection. Central findings. Emory was the first center to report use of FMT to treat two solid-organ transplant patients with C. difficile under FDA enforcement discretion, and showed that FMT is tolerable and effective in this group with minimal side effects. Subsequent manuscripts have confirmed our initial observations, including stability of tacrolimus dosing after FMT. The safety of these therapeutics in any patient has been a cornerstone of sustainability for this novel therapeutic despite the lack of likelihood of FMT ever being FDA approved. Role. I continue to co-direct the Emory Microbiota Enrichment Program which provides opportunities for all patients to receive cutting edge therapeutics for C. difficile infection.

Clinical Diagnostics for Disruption of the Gut Microbiome
Background. Microbiome restoration therapies have had robust clinical outcomes, such as FMT for the treatment of recurrent C. difficile infection. However, new interventions that target returning the gut microbiome to homeostasis require measurement in how dysbiosis is determined. Central findings: I have been privileged to work with researchers at CDC to flesh out the idea of an antibiotic disruption index, and have worked with Bio-Rad Laboratories to enroll healthy volunteers to create a normal reference range for a GA-map Dysbiosis test (clinical trial currently ongoing at Emory University). Role: Given my dual training as an infectious disease physician and a clinical microbiologist, and my history of genomic exploration, I remain interested in determining clinical surrogates or simple markers for gut dysbiosis, working with collaborators with bioinformatics expertise.

COVID Diagnostics, Patient Care and Personal Protective Equipment
Background. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, I had existing funding from CDC/NIOSH to evaluate elastomeric half-mask respirators for pandemic training in a prospective multicenter clinical trial. Central findings. My involvement in clinical care and diagnostic testing has led to multiple institutional collaborations to describe the work locally for generalizability and dissemination in the midst of a global SARS-CoV-2. Role. As an infectious disease physician, clinical laboratorian and a healthcare executive I played a key role during the pandemic in COVID-19 diagnostics, clinical research and hospital preparedness.

Clinical care of Ebola virus disease
Kraft was one of the physician leaders in the effort at Emory Hospital to receive and care for patients who had contracted Ebola virus disease in West Africa. Since December 2013, the largest outbreak of Ebola virus disease took place, and healthcare workers were particularly vulnerable to acquisition of this viral infection. Emory University Hospital has had a Serious Communicable Diseases unit since 2001, and she has been a part of the semi-annual drills since 2010. Emory received the first patient on August 2, 2014, with 3 subsequent patients being cared for in the highly specialized unit. Based on the team's clinical observations, the group published numerous papers regarding the clinical care of patients with Ebola virus disease. Kraft was lead author on the paper describing the initial hospital course of our critically ill patient, and our experience with 2 experimental drugs for Ebola virus disease, TKM-100802 and convalescent plasma.

Associations
*American Society for Microbiology
*Infectious Disease Society of America

Academic Appointment

• Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine
• Professor, Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine

Education

Research