Leena Bhattacharya Mithal MD, MSCI

Leena Bhattacharya Mithal is a Pediatric Infectious Diseases specialist with an academic focus and clinical expertise in neonatal and congenital infections. Leena Bhattacharya Mithal is passionate about understanding microbial exposures during pregnancy, perinatally, and in the first months of life, the interaction of microbes (viruses, bacteria) and the developing immune system, and the role of the microbiome in health outcomes.

Leena Bhattacharya Mithal's clinical-translational research focus is to improve the early, reliable identification of neonatal sepsis. Through several collaborative projects, She studies aspects of neonatal sepsis diagnostics including biomarkers of immune response and molecular pathogen detection using proteomics and metagenomics techniques in umbilical cord blood. Leena Bhattacharya Mithal is also interested in perinatal management of maternal infection risk, including intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis. By understanding sepsis mechanisms and microbe-host interactions and applying this knowledge to the development of novel clinical approaches, we can improve neonatal outcomes and judicious use of antimicrobials. Leena Bhattacharya Mithal's other research interests include congenital cytomegalovirus, the link between perinatal microbiome and neurobehavioral development, and molecular diagnostics.

As an Infectious Diseases physician, She diagnoses and treats a variety of severe and atypical infections in infants and children. Leena Bhattacharya Mithal has a special interest in infants and complex infections in the neonatal intensive care unit. Leena Bhattacharya Mithal also leads the evaluation and treatment of neonates with congenital cytomegalovirus infection at Lurie Children’s. Other clinical interests include bacterial sepsis, bone and joint infections, device-related infections, and tuberculosis.