Jeffrey Scott Kahn, MD
Infectious Disease Specialist
Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center
Division Director at Children's Health
- Languages Spoken:
- English
Biography
Kids and infections seem to have a natural attraction. That’s because children’s immune systems are still developing and their defense against bacteria and viruses has not been strongly established. Dr. Jeffrey Kahn, director of pediatric infectious diseases, developed a fascination for microbes during his undergraduate work and has dedicated his career to treating children with common and uncommon infections.
“Children’s Health℠ is the referral hospital for most of Texas and adjacent states, so we care for the sickest of patients,” he says. “I am fortunate to be able to treat children at one of the largest children’s hospitals in the country, and with colleagues who are talented and remarkable.”
Dr. Kahn credits the success of his division to his talented and experienced staff of internationally recognized specialists who have extensive experience in diagnosing and treating the most serious infections.
The multidisciplinary approach, which is the standard for Children’s Health, provides the best possible care for these ill children.
While infectious diseases can take a toll on the lives of all people, they are especially threatening to children. But there is good news in the fight to prevent and treat many infections.
“There are new, effective vaccines in addition to the standard vaccines that have saved countless lives,” Dr. Kahn says. “Plus, novel therapies are now available, including new antibiotics, to treat and prevent life-threatening infections in children.”
His laboratory was the first or among the first laboratories in the US to describe the epidemiology and clinical manifestations of several newly identified viruses including human metapneumovirus, coronaviruses NL63 and HKU1, human bocavirus and polyomavirus WUV.
Dr. Kahn is board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and Pediatric Infectious Diseases. He earned his medical degree from State University of New York Downstate College of Medicine, completed his residency in pediatrics at Yale New Haven Hospital and spent three years in a pediatric infectious diseases fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine.
He is the Sarah M. and Charles E. Seay Chair in Pediatric Infectious Diseases and a professor of microbiology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and of the Society of Pediatric Research and is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Society of Microbiology, and American Society of Virology, among others. His research interests are in respiratory viruses and newly emerging pathogens.
Outside of his practice, Dr. Kahn enjoys time with family, photography and sports.
Education and Training
- Medical School
- State Univ of New York at Brooklyn College of Med (1991)
- Residency
- Yale University School of Medicine GME (1994), Pediatrics
- Fellowship
- Yale University School of Medicine GME (1998), Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Board Certification
- American Board of Pediatrics/Infectious Disease
Departments and Programs
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Research Interests
- Cellular responses to RSV infection
- Emerging pathogens
- Recombinant negative stand RNA viruses
- Respiratory syncytial virus
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Publications
Publications
- Tuning the Gold Nanoparticle Colorimetric Assay by Nanoparticle Size, Concentration, and Size Combinations for Oligonucleotide Detection. Godakhindi VS, Kang P, Serre M, Revuru NA, Zou JM, Roner MR, Levitz R, Kahn JS, Randrianalisoa J, Qin Z ACS Sens 2017 Oct
- Distinct patterns of innate immune activation by clinical isolates of respiratory syncytial virus. Levitz R, Gao Y, Dozmorov I, Song R, Wakeland EK, Kahn JS PLoS ONE 2017 12 9 e0184318
- Inpatient Bronchiolitis Guideline Implementation and Resource Utilization. Mittal V, Darnell C, Walsh B, Mehta A, Badawy M, Morse R, Pop R, Tidwell J, Sheehan M, McDermott S, Cannon C, Kahn J Pediatrics 2014 Feb
- Respiratory syncytial virus in neutrophils. Kahn JS J. Infect. Dis. 2012 Feb 205 4 693; author reply 693-4
- Seroepidemiology of WU polyomavirus among children exposed perinatally to HIV-1. Miller MA, Weibel C, Kahn JS, Andiman WA J. Med. Virol. 2012 Feb 84 2 188-93
- Induction of IL-6 and CCL5 (RANTES) in human respiratory epithelial (A549) cells by clinical isolates of respiratory syncytial virus is strain specific. Levitz R, Wattier R, Phillips P, Solomon A, Lawler J, Lazar I, Weibel C, Kahn JS Virol. J. 2012 9 190
- Rhinoviruses are a major cause of wheezing and hospitalization in children less than 2 years of age., Piotrowska Z, Vazquez M, Shapiro ED, Weibel, C. Ferguson, D. Landry, M. L. Kahn, J. S. Pediatric Infectious Diseases Journal 2009 28 25-9
- Seroepidemiology of human bocavirus defined using recombinant virus-like particles., Kahn JS, Kesebir D, Cotmore S, et al. Journal of Infectious Diseases 2008 198 41-50
- Role of human polyomaviruses in respiratory tract disease in young children., Wattier RL, Vazquez M, Weibel C, Shapiro ED, Ferguson D, Landry ML, Kahn JS. Emerging Infectious Diseases 2008 14 1766-8
- Seroepidemiology of Group I Human Coronaviruses in Children., Shao X, Guo X, Esper F, Weibel C, Kahn JS. Journal of Clinical Virology 2007 40(3) 207-13
- Newly discovered respiratory viruses, Kahn JS Pediatric Infectious Diseases Journal 2007 26(8) 745-6
Books
- Human Bocavirus: A Newly Discovered Human Parvovirus. In Scheld WM, Hooper DC, Hughes JM, eds. Emerging Infections 8. Kahn JS, Tattersall P. (2008). Washington, DC:ASM Press; 21-38.
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Professional Activities
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- American Society of Microbiology (2001)
- American Society of Virology (2002)
- Infectious Diseases Society of America (2010)
- Society of Pediatric Research (2001)
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Awards and Honors
- Best Pediatric Specialists, D Magazine, (2014-2018, 2020)
- Pediatric Chair’s Award, Yale University School of Medicine (2005)
- Mae Gailani Junior Faculty Award, Yale University School of Medicine (2002)