Professor
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Disclosure(s): GlycosBio, Inc: Grant/Research Support
Dr. Flores is a tenured Professor and Chief of Infectious Diseases in the Department of Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) in Nashville, TN. Dr. Flores completed his MD, MPH, and PhD at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry followed by residency (Pediatrics) and fellowship (Infectious Diseases) at Baylor College of Medicine. Through support from the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS/St. Jude Fellowship Award in Basic Research) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program) he developed a robust research program in streptococcal pathogenesis during his fellowship and early faculty years. He joined VUMC and the Department of Pediatrics in July of 2024. Currently, Dr. Flores’ research focuses on the genomic epidemiology and virulence mechanisms of pathogenic streptococci (group A and B streptococci) and is funded by grant awards from the NIH/NIAID. Through his primary research and collaborative efforts, Dr. Flores has published over 70 peer-reviewed articles and several book chapters.
In addition to pediatric infectious diseases consultations and research, Dr. Flores also has a strong interest in mentoring trainees and early career physician-scientists aimed at improving workforce diversity in pediatrics and research. In 2019, he spearheaded the formation and is the Chair of the Inclusion, Diversity, Access, & Equity (IDA&E) Commitee in PIDS. Through the IDA&E Committee, he has led the collaboration between PIDS and the Academic Pediatric Association’s RAPID program to provide mentorship to early-stage investigators underrepresented in medicine and is part of the National Advisory Committee in the PIDS/APA RAPID Collaborative.