Medical Mycology Research Center

MD Anderson has a very active program in experimental and clinical mycology, which has strong foundations in infection control, stewardship, pharmacology and diagnostic microbiology. These achievements have resulted in MD Anderson being designated as an ECMM Diamond Excellence in Mycology Center.

Invasive fungal infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer patients, especially those with hematologic cancers or those that have undergone bone marrow transplants. During cancer treatment, clinicians treat a large number and variety of complex opportunistic fungal infections, including:

• Fusarium infections
• Mucorales infections
• Aspergillus infections
• Candida infections

The institution also has state-of-the-art core research facilities and an infrastructure for clinical research. These efforts and resources are supported, in part, by the Infectious Diseases department within the Internal Medicine division.

ECMM Diamond Excellence in Mycology Center

In 2018, the European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECMM) designated MD Anderson as a Diamond Excellence in Mycology Center. This designation is awarded to institutions that combine clinical and microbiological mycology with targeted research, while also maintaining a commitment to the highest quality in diagnosis and treatment of fungal infections. MD Anderson is the first ECMM Excellence Center in the U.S., and one of the few sites worldwide. Dimitrios P. Kontoyiannis, M.D., Ph.D., serves as the leader of this center.