Infectious Disease Faculty Profile

Nicole Iovine, MD, PhD

Junior Faculty Member
NYU Fellow 2002 - 2005

"Aortic mycotic aneurysm cased by pneumococcus, Leishmaniasis in a veteran returning from service, a botfly bite in a student returning from Costa Rica, Klebsiella & Acinetobacter infections resistant to everything except polymixin in the same AIDS patient at the same time, tularemia, malaria, necrotizing fasciitis . ..these are all patients that passed through the doors of our three hospitals during my fellowship training at NYU. .... NYU's environment has supported my development as an attending physician and a principal investigator."

General Infectious Diseases, The Study of Host-Pathogen Interactions

HIVinfosource.org, the web site for the NYU Center for AIDS Research (CFAR), interviewed Dr Nicole Iovine: for the second in a series of interviews with alumnae of the Fellowship Program in Infectious Diseas here at the NYU School of Medicine. Dr. Iovine is now a Clinical Instructor of Medicine at NYU.

HIVinfoSource: Dr. Iovine, we’re interested in hearing about your experiences as an ID fellow here at NYU and the program’s impact on your career. But first, where were you born?

Nicole Iovine: I was born in Jamaica Queens, and grew up on Long Island. I went to college at CUNY. I entered the MD PhD program at NYU School of Medicine. I did my residency here as well, and went on to do an Infectious Disease fellowship here at NYU, which I completed in 2005.

HIVinfoSource: Why did you decide to become an MD/PhD?

Nicole Iovine: In college, I loved science classes. I became fascinated by bacteria—tiny things that make us so sick. I couldn’t decide between medicine and science, so I chose both.

HIVinfoSource: Why Infectious Disease?

Nicole Iovine: My mentors during my PhD training , Jerrold Weiss, PhD, and in particular, Peter Elsbach, MD, PhD, gave me an appreciation for how severe infections could be and how important it is to treat them. Infectious Disease always piqued my interest. While I was a graduate student in Peter & Jerry ' s lab, a Phase III clinical trial was in progress that examined the potential efficacy of a human antimicrobial protein discovered by Peter and Jerry called BPI on meningococcemia, a very severe disease that can kill infants and young people in a matter of hours.  For my PhD project, I analyzed the relationship between the structure of BPI and its various functions. This experience was a wonderful example of bench-to-bedside research that I still pursue today.

HIVinfoSource:How did you end up at NYU?

Nicole Iovine: Well, I wanted to go to school in Manhattan. When I interviewed here, I kept hearing from house staff that it was a team-oriented institution, and that was very attractive to me. So I was very excited when I got into the MD/PhD program.

It was the same for me when it came time to apply for residency programs and to do an ID fellowship. NYU was the best fit for me.

The programs here offer diverse patient populations and an excellent education. There’s a great deal of autonomy here yet at the same time a great deal of support.

I feel like I was raised by Bellevue—I tell people that all the time.

HIVinfoSource: What are you currently studying?

Nicole Iovine: I’ve always studied host-pathogen interactions. I like how it relates to my training: the host is the patient (the MD part), and the pathogen is the bacteria (the PhD part). So I get to use both of my skills.

Currently I study a gram-negative bacteria called Campylobacter jejuni or C. jejuni for short.

I try to understand how bacteria cause disease and how our bodies respond. C.jejuni is the number one cause of food borne bacterial gastroenteritis in the United States, but we know very little about how it causes disease. We want to reduce the amount of disease caused by this bacteria. As our population of immunocompromised people increases, this disease is causing more severe illness in people with cancers, HIV, and people treated with steroids.

HIVinfoSource: What is special about doing an ID fellowship at NYU?

Nicole Iovine: I really like that the NYU ID fellowship covers 3 hospitals with 3 different patient populations.

At the VA, I love taking care of veterans. It’s privilege for me to take care of the people who defend our country.

At Tisch Hospital, we see infectious disease practiced from the private attending point of view.

Bellevue Hospital gives you access to such an interesting and diverse patient population. It’s very exciting to get called to see a pregnant woman with malaria, for example. Not every place will have complicated patients with serious disease on a regular basis. Bellevue has an energy—once you’re into it you can’t give it up. I can’t imagine working in a place without that kind of energy and diversity

HIVinfoSource:What would you say to someone who’s considering a fellowship in the NYU program?

Nicole Iovine: You will have the opportunity to see many different kinds of patients in 3 different hospital settings, and that opportunity will make you very adaptable in a broad way as you proceed with your career. In addition, you’ll be on the cutting edge of the latest treatments in a university setting.

You will work hard, and you’ll be surrounded by great people working just as hard. You will be supported along the way by faculty who are eager and willing to help you in any way. In addition, the NYU house staff are excellent and are similarly committed to a team-oriented goal of patient care. It’s a very collegial atmosphere.

It’s also very obvious that, being in New York City, we have more challenging and complex patients than many other towns and cities. We see more drug-resistant infections, we have a larger immune-compromised population, and we have an enormous catchment area with a broad array of patients.

Many of our patients are socio-economically deprived. If you feel, as I do, a social commitment to help those less fortunate, you will find that in our program.

HIVinfoSource: How does being in New York City impact the fellowship program?

Nicole Iovine: Nothing is like New York City. When you’re a busy doctor working long hours, and you have only 3 hours off, you can always find something to do- you can find a movie playing somewhere, or go to a museum. If you work until 3 am, you can still find something open to get something to eat.

After 9/11, I felt that my job became even more important. I was able to take care of people right after a disaster. In days where terrorism is a reality, my ability to care for people is vitally important.

HIVinfoSource: What is next for you?

Nicole Iovine: I just received my first grant from the National Institutes of Health (a K08 Mentored Clinical Scientist Award) which will allow me to continue my work. I’m living out the fantasy I always wanted for my career: doing clinically relevant research along with the opportunity to see patients on the infectious disease service. I’m an attending physician and a principal investigator. I am very fortunate to be working in a supportive and intellectually stimulating environment afforded by the physicians and scientists at NYU.

HIVinfoSource: Thank you, Dr. Iovine.....it's been a pleasure.

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