Kathryn M. Edwards MD

Kathryn Edwards, MD, is a professor of pediatrics in the division of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, where she is also vice-chair for clinical research. Dr. Edwards has spent much of her career evaluating the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. She received funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to evaluate influenza vaccine in 3,000 children and adults immunized each year for five years. She also received two grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to investigate the safety and effectiveness of routine vaccination in population-based studies in Nashville’s Davidson County.

Dr. Edwards recently completed studies on the prevention of pneumonia nasopharyngeal colonization in children receiving pneumococcal vaccines. Dr. Edwards continues to serve on numerous Data Safety and Monitoring Boards and has been a frequent advisor for the NIH and CDC on vaccine policy. Dr. Edwards is a member of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and has been active in the leadership of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society. Dr. Edwards received her medical degree from the University of Iowa College of Medicine.