Subspecialist Spotlight: Dr. Victoria Chu at the Forefront of Infectious Diseases

What impact did COVID-19 have on aspiring pediatric infectious disease specialists?

Victoria Chu, MD, MPH, an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at UC San Francisco, was part of the national public health emergency response for COVID-19, conducting case and contact investigations and leading federal studies on how the virus spreads in homes and schools.

Now, she’s one of our newest faculty in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Health and has turned her expert focus to infections that patients pick up during medical care. Her research recently received funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to utilize advanced genetic sequencing to better understand how infections spread and become resistant to antibiotics in neonatal intensive care units.

Read our Q&A with Dr. Chu about her experiences during the pandemic, her passion for the field, and why she chose UCSF.

What initially drew you to pediatric infectious diseases as a medical specialty?

In retrospect, I should have known in medical school that I would end up in infectious diseases and public health. I remember sitting in class reading about the investigation of the Yosemite hantavirus outbreak (a rare virus spread to humans by deer mice) and being so enthralled that I completely ignored the ongoing lecture. I was captivated by the detective work involved in identifying the outbreak, tracing its transmission, and developing strategies to control it.

Then, in residency, I had an amazing mentor, Dr. Carol Glaser. She was a veterinarian and pediatric infectious disease clinician who had spent the last 20 years in public health. She absolutely loved the field of infectious diseases and inspired me with her curiosity, vast knowledge, and unwavering determination to find answers.

Her mentorship, coupled with my growing interest in public health, ultimately led me to choose pediatric infectious diseases as a subspecialty.

One unique aspect of infectious diseases that I didn’t fully appreciate until after entering the field is the wide range of job opportunities it offers. There are the usual clinical medicine and academic research, but also opportunities in other areas like infection prevention, antimicrobial stewardship, and public health. The work never gets old, and there are always new things to learn!

You worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Can you describe that experience?

I was in the CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) when the COVID-19 pandemic started. On a day-to-day basis, it varied from long days in the office (or home) analyzing and publishing data to months-long field deployments around the country to ramp up studies to inform national guidelines. The pandemic was a difficult time, but I feel extremely privileged to have worked alongside and learned from many smart and hard-working people who pulled together during a global crisis.

As part of my experience in EIS, I deployed for the contact investigation of the first reported case of COVID-19 in the United States, where we identified and assessed those who had been in contact with the infected person. 

Less than two months later, a respiratory outbreak started on the Grand Princess cruise ship near San Francisco, and I flew out with the Air Force to test passengers and crew to confirm that it was COVID-19 before they docked. That was a crazy day! Although I immediately agreed to go when I received the call the night before, I can safely say I did not anticipate rappelling out of a military helicopter onto a cruise ship when I signed up for EIS!

Afterward, I pivoted to transmission studies in households and schools and diagnostic studies to understand the performance of the at-home antigen tests. While it was a uniquely exhausting challenge for everyone involved, the rapidly evolving nature of the pandemic meant that I had incredible opportunities at the frontlines of public health to make an impact and help shape national recommendations.

How did your experiences during the pandemic shape your approach to medicine and pediatric infectious diseases?

I have always been drawn to the continuum of treating individual patients to addressing population health. My experience during the pandemic solidified my passion for this intersection of clinical medicine, infectious diseases, and public health. 

Witnessing the rapid change in information and the critical need for adaptability taught me the importance of staying informed and flexible. Effective communication is vital to handling public health challenges at scale. Overall, the pandemic deepened my empathy for patients and families struggling with the unknown and strengthened my resolve to provide compassionate, evidence-based care in pediatric infectious diseases.

What led you to choose UCSF for your pediatric infectious diseases fellowship and to stay as faculty? What advantages does UCSF offer?

I was heavily swayed by the diverse patient population at our San Francisco and Oakland hospitals and the incredibly enthusiastic and supportive faculty. The collaborative culture at UCSF is perfect for my research, which brings cutting-edge science into public health.

What advice would you give young medical students or residents interested in pursuing a career in pediatric infectious diseases?

Pediatric infectious diseases is a unique field with countless career paths. Listen to yourself for signs of what you’re interested in, and surround yourself with amazing people who will encourage and cultivate your passions.