Information

Related Research Units

Critical Care Medicine Research
Perioperative Anesthesia Research

Research Overview

Dr. Gregory Priebe’s research focus is on the prevention of hospital-acquired infections, which he pursues through leadership in patient safety and quality efforts, through clinical research on ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and ventilator-associated events (VAE), and through basic research on bacterial genomics and vaccines. Dr. Priebe’s basic research lab studies the Gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, and members of the Burkholderia cepacia complex, all with the long-term goal of developing vaccines and new antimicrobials. Techniques used in the Priebe lab span multiple fields, including microbiology, molecular biology, bacterial genomics, cellular and molecular immunology, and animal models of infection.

In parallel with his bench research program, Dr. Priebe runs the Critical Care Infection Prevention Program (CCIPP) at Boston Children’s Hospital. The CCIPP consists of the Nosocomial Infection Oversight Committee (NIOC), which oversees healthcare-associated infection surveillance and infection prevention practices for the hospital’s 4 ICUs, and the Translational Research for Infection Prevention in Pediatric Anesthesia and Critical Care (TRIPPACC) Program, which is a multidisciplinary research group of investigators in pediatric critical care medicine, bacterial pathogenesis, infectio.

Research Background

Dr. Gregory Priebe earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School and then went on to complete residency and chief residency in Pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital followed by fellowships in Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, also at Boston Children’s Hospital. He is board certified in Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Pediatric Critical Care Medicine.

Dr. Priebe is the Associate Program Director for the Fellowship in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, where he serves as the Director of Fellow Research, and he is also the physician site leader at Boston Children’s for the national Solutions for Patient Safety network.

Selected Publications

  1. LiebermanTD, MichelJB, Aingaran M, Potter-Bynoe G, Roux D, Davis MR, Skurnik D, Leiby N, LiPuma JJ, Goldberg JB, McAdam AJ, Priebe GP, Kishony R. Parallel bacterial evolution within multiple patients ties novel genes to pathogenesis.  Nat Genetics 2011; 43(12):1275-80(PMCID3245322).
  2. Skurnik D, Davis Jr. MR, Benedetti D, Moravec KL, Cywes-Bentley C, Roux D, Traficante DC, Walsh RL, Maira-Litràn T, Cassidy SB, Hermos CR, Martin TR, ThakkallapalliEL, Vargas SO, McAdam AJ, Lieberman TD, Kishony R, LiPuma JJ, Pier GB, Goldberg JB, Priebe GP. Targeting pan-resistant bacteria with antibodies to a broadly conserved surface polysaccharide expressed during infection. J Infect Dis 2012; 205(11):1709-18. Epub 2012 Mar 23 (PMCID3415848).
  3. Wu W, Huang J, Duan B, Traficante DC, Hong H, Risech M, Lory S, Priebe GP.  Th17-stimulating protein vaccines confer protection against Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia.  Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2012;186(5):420-7. Epub 2012 Jun 21
  4. Kamei A, Wu W, Traficante DC, Koh AY, Van RooijenN, Pier GB, Priebe GP.Collaboration between macrophages and vaccine-induced CD4 T cells confers protection against lethal Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia during neutropenia. J Infect Dis 2012, Epub 2012 Nov 21.
  5. Hong H, Morrow DF, Sandora TJ, Priebe GP.  Disinfection of needleless connectors with chlorhexidine-alcohol provides long-lasting residual disinfectant activity.  Am J Infect Control 2012, in press.

Education

Medical School

Harvard Medical School
Boston MA

Internship

Pediatrics Boston Children's Hospital
Boston MA

Residency

Chief Medical Resident Boston Children's Hospital
Boston MA

Fellowship

Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Boston Children's Hospital
Boston MA

Fellowship

Pediatric Infectious Disease Boston Children's Hospital
Boston MA

Fellowship

Research, Microbiology, Immunology Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Boston MA

Publications

  1. Epinephrine vs Norepinephrine as Initial Treatment in Children With Septic Shock. JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Apr 01; 8(4):e254720. View Abstract
  2. Plasma Microbial Cell-Free DNA Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing in People With Cystic Fibrosis. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2025 Jan; 60(1):e27380. View Abstract
  3. Risk factors for central line-associated bloodstream infection in the pediatric intensive care setting despite standard prevention measures. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2024 Oct 10; 1-9. View Abstract
  4. De novo mutations mediate phenotypic switching in an opportunistic human lung pathogen. bioRxiv. 2024 Feb 06. View Abstract
  5. Cystic Fibrosis Mice Are Highly Susceptible to Repeated Acute Pseudomonas aeruginosa Pneumonia after Intranasal Inoculation. Biomed Res Int. 2024; 2024:4769779. View Abstract
  6. Stress Ulcer Prophylaxis Versus Placebo-A Blinded Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Safety of Two Strategies in Critically Ill Infants With Congenital Heart Disease. Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2024 Feb 01; 25(2):118-127. View Abstract
  7. Small-molecule activators of a bacterial signaling pathway inhibit virulence. bioRxiv. 2023 Dec 02. View Abstract
  8. Pediatric Ventilator-Associated Events Before and After a Multicenter Quality Improvement Initiative. JAMA Netw Open. 2023 12 01; 6(12):e2346545. View Abstract
  9. Bundled Care to Reduce Sepsis Mortality: The Improving Pediatric Sepsis Outcomes (IPSO) Collaborative. Pediatrics. 2023 08 01; 152(2). View Abstract
  10. Preventing pediatric catheter-associated urinary tract infections utilizing urinary catheter Kamishibai cards (K-cards). Am J Infect Control. 2023 08; 51(8):919-925. View Abstract
  11. Multicomponent Pseudomonas aeruginosa Vaccines Eliciting Th17 Cells and Functional Antibody Responses Confer Enhanced Protection against Experimental Acute Pneumonia in Mice. Infect Immun. 2022 10 20; 90(10):e0020322. View Abstract
  12. An Evidence-Based Guideline Improves Outcomes for Patients With Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis and Macrophage Activation Syndrome. J Rheumatol. 2022 Sep; 49(9):1042-1051. View Abstract
  13. Association of Diagnostic Stewardship for Blood Cultures in Critically Ill Children With Culture Rates, Antibiotic Use, and Patient Outcomes: Results of the Bright STAR Collaborative. JAMA Pediatr. 2022 07 01; 176(7):690-698. View Abstract
  14. Optimizing surveillance for pediatric ventilator-associated events-But are they preventable? Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2023 02; 44(2):175-177. View Abstract
  15. Strategies to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia, ventilator-associated events, and nonventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia in acute-care hospitals: 2022 Update. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2022 06; 43(6):687-713. View Abstract
  16. Rapid expansion and extinction of antibiotic resistance mutations during treatment of acute bacterial respiratory infections. Nat Commun. 2022 03 09; 13(1):1231. View Abstract
  17. Evolution towards Virulence in a Burkholderia Two-Component System. mBio. 2021 08 31; 12(4):e0182321. View Abstract
  18. A Pseudomonas aeruginosa-Derived Particulate Vaccine Protects against P. aeruginosa Infection. Vaccines (Basel). 2021 Jul 20; 9(7). View Abstract
  19. Anesthetics isoflurane and sevoflurane attenuate flagellin-mediated inflammation in the lung. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2021 06 11; 557:254-260. View Abstract
  20. Risk factors for pediatric surgical site infection following neurosurgical procedures for hydrocephalus: a retrospective single-center cohort study. BMC Anesthesiol. 2021 04 21; 21(1):124. View Abstract
  21. Stewardship Intervention to Optimize Central Venous Catheter Utilization in Critically Ill Children. Pediatr Qual Saf. 2021 Mar-Apr; 6(2):e389. View Abstract
  22. The Role of Anesthetic Management in Surgical Site Infections After Pediatric Intestinal Surgery. J Surg Res. 2021 03; 259:546-554. View Abstract
  23. Stress ulcer prophylaxis versus placebo-a blinded randomized control trial to evaluate the safety of two strategies in critically ill infants with congenital heart disease (SUPPRESS-CHD). Trials. 2020 Jun 29; 21(1):590. View Abstract
  24. Central venous catheter bundle adherence: Kamishibai card (K-card) rounding for central-line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) prevention. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2020 09; 41(9):1058-1063. View Abstract
  25. Assessing work capacity - reviewing the what and how of physicians' clinical practice. BMC Fam Pract. 2020 04 27; 21(1):72. View Abstract
  26. Genomic and epidemiological evidence of bacterial transmission from probiotic capsule to blood in ICU patients. Nat Med. 2019 11; 25(11):1728-1732. View Abstract
  27. Multidisciplinary Quality Improvement Intervention to Achieve Sustained Improvement in Hand Hygiene Reliability in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Pediatr Qual Saf. 2019 Nov-Dec; 4(6):e227. View Abstract
  28. Calm in the midst of cytokine storm: a collaborative approach to the diagnosis and treatment of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and macrophage activation syndrome. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. 2019 Feb 14; 17(1):7. View Abstract
  29. Whole-Genome Sequences of Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Cystic Fibrosis Lung Infections. Microbiol Resour Announc. 2019 Jan; 8(3). View Abstract
  30. Progress Toward the Elusive Pseudomonas aeruginosa Vaccine. Surg Infect (Larchmt). 2018 Nov/Dec; 19(8):757-768. View Abstract
  31. Variability in antimicrobial use in pediatric ventilator-associated events. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2019 01; 40(1):32-39. View Abstract
  32. PLGA-encapsulation of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa PopB vaccine antigen improves Th17 responses and confers protection against experimental acute pneumonia. Vaccine. 2018 11 12; 36(46):6926-6932. View Abstract
  33. Construction of a Protective Vaccine Against Lipopolysaccharide-Heterologous Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strains Based on Expression Profiling of Outer Membrane Proteins During Infection. Front Immunol. 2018; 9:1737. View Abstract
  34. A putative lateral flagella of the cystic fibrosis pathogen Burkholderia dolosa regulates swimming motility and host cytokine production. PLoS One. 2018; 13(1):e0189810. View Abstract
  35. Ceftaroline pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in patients with cystic fibrosis. J Cyst Fibros. 2018 05; 17(3):e25-e31. View Abstract
  36. Factors Associated With Pediatric Ventilator-Associated Conditions in Six U.S. Hospitals: A Nested Case-Control Study. Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2017 Nov; 18(11):e536-e545. View Abstract
  37. Incident Stenotrophomonas maltophilia infection and lung function decline in cystic fibrosis. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2017 10; 52(10):1276-1282. View Abstract
  38. Immune Recognition of the Epidemic Cystic Fibrosis Pathogen Burkholderia dolosa. Infect Immun. 2017 06; 85(6). View Abstract
  39. From the Cover: Prolonged Exposure to Volatile Anesthetic Isoflurane Worsens the Outcome of Polymicrobial Abdominal Sepsis. Toxicol Sci. 2017 04 01; 156(2):402-411. View Abstract
  40. Global and local selection acting on the pathogen Stenotrophomonas maltophilia in the human lung. Nat Commun. 2017 01 19; 8:14078. View Abstract
  41. An Oxygen-Sensing Two-Component System in the Burkholderia cepacia Complex Regulates Biofilm, Intracellular Invasion, and Pathogenicity. PLoS Pathog. 2017 01; 13(1):e1006116. View Abstract
  42. A Pediatric Approach to Ventilator-Associated Events Surveillance. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2017 03; 38(3):327-333. View Abstract
  43. 1015: IDENTIFICATION OF PEDIATRIC VENTILATOR-ASSOCIATED CONDITIONS USING CONTINUOUS VENTILATOR DATA. Crit Care Med. 2016 Dec; 44(12 Suppl 1):330. View Abstract
  44. 1214: PEDIATRIC VENTILATOR-ASSOCIATED CONDITIONS ARE RARELY ASSOCIATED WITH INFECTION. Crit Care Med. 2016 Dec; 44(12 Suppl 1):379. View Abstract
  45. Efficacy of Antibody to PNAG Against Keratitis Caused by Fungal Pathogens. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2016 12 01; 57(15):6797-6804. View Abstract
  46. Enteral Nutrition and Acid-Suppressive Therapy in the PICU: Impact on the Risk of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia. Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2016 10; 17(10):924-929. View Abstract
  47. Ventilator-Associated Events in Neonates and Children--A New Paradigm. Crit Care Med. 2016 Jan; 44(1):14-22. View Abstract
  48. Intestinal Microbiota of Mice Influences Resistance to Staphylococcus aureus Pneumonia. Infect Immun. 2015 Oct; 83(10):4003-14. View Abstract
  49. Impact of Mandatory Public Reporting of Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections on Blood Culture and Antibiotic Utilization in Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Units. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2015 Aug; 36(8):878-85. View Abstract
  50. Strategies to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia in acute care hospitals: 2014 update. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2014 Sep; 35 Suppl 2:S133-54. View Abstract
  51. Microbiota-driven immune cellular maturation is essential for antibody-mediated adaptive immunity to Staphylococcus aureus infection in the eye. Infect Immun. 2014 Aug; 82(8):3483-91. View Abstract
  52. Vaccines for Pseudomonas aeruginosa: a long and winding road. Expert Rev Vaccines. 2014 Apr; 13(4):507-19. View Abstract
  53. Genetic variation of a bacterial pathogen within individuals with cystic fibrosis provides a record of selective pressures. Nat Genet. 2014 Jan; 46(1):82-7. View Abstract
  54. Trehalose biosynthesis promotes Pseudomonas aeruginosa pathogenicity in plants. PLoS Pathog. 2013 Mar; 9(3):e1003217. View Abstract
  55. Disinfection of needleless connectors with chlorhexidine-alcohol provides long-lasting residual disinfectant activity. Am J Infect Control. 2013 Aug; 41(8):e77-9. View Abstract
  56. Collaboration between macrophages and vaccine-induced CD4+ T cells confers protection against lethal Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia during neutropenia. J Infect Dis. 2013 Jan 01; 207(1):39-49. View Abstract
  57. Hepoxilin A(3) facilitates neutrophilic breach of lipoxygenase-expressing airway epithelial barriers. J Immunol. 2012 Nov 15; 189(10):4960-9. View Abstract
  58. Topical neutralization of interleukin-17 during experimental Pseudomonas aeruginosa corneal infection promotes bacterial clearance and reduces pathology. Infect Immun. 2012 Oct; 80(10):3706-12. View Abstract
  59. Th17-stimulating protein vaccines confer protection against Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2012 Sep 01; 186(5):420-7. View Abstract
  60. Targeting pan-resistant bacteria with antibodies to a broadly conserved surface polysaccharide expressed during infection. J Infect Dis. 2012 Jun; 205(11):1709-18. View Abstract
  61. Parallel bacterial evolution within multiple patients identifies candidate pathogenicity genes. Nat Genet. 2011 Nov 13; 43(12):1275-80. View Abstract
  62. Mucosal vaccination with a multivalent, live-attenuated vaccine induces multifactorial immunity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa acute lung infection. Infect Immun. 2011 Mar; 79(3):1289-99. View Abstract
  63. Analysis of acquisition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa gastrointestinal mucosal colonization and horizontal transmission in a murine model. J Infect Dis. 2010 Jan 01; 201(1):71-80. View Abstract
  64. Caveolin-1 modifies the immunity to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J Immunol. 2010 Jan 01; 184(1):296-302. View Abstract
  65. Inescapable need for neutrophils as mediators of cellular innate immunity to acute Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia. Infect Immun. 2009 Dec; 77(12):5300-10. View Abstract
  66. IL-17 is a critical component of vaccine-induced protection against lung infection by lipopolysaccharide-heterologous strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J Immunol. 2008 Oct 01; 181(7):4965-75. View Abstract
  67. The neutrophil serine protease inhibitor serpinb1 preserves lung defense functions in Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. J Exp Med. 2007 Aug 06; 204(8):1901-9. View Abstract
  68. A live-attenuated Pseudomonas aeruginosa vaccine elicits outer membrane protein-specific active and passive protection against corneal infection. Infect Immun. 2006 Feb; 74(2):975-83. View Abstract
  69. Sepsis in the immunocompromised child: the least studied with the most to gain. Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2005 May; 6(3 Suppl):S78-9. View Abstract
  70. Virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a murine model of gastrointestinal colonization and dissemination in neutropenia. Infect Immun. 2005 Apr; 73(4):2262-72. View Abstract
  71. Human monoclonal antibodies to Pseudomonas aeruginosa alginate that protect against infection by both mucoid and nonmucoid strains. J Immunol. 2004 Nov 01; 173(9):5671-8. View Abstract
  72. The galU Gene of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is required for corneal infection and efficient systemic spread following pneumonia but not for infection confined to the lung. Infect Immun. 2004 Jul; 72(7):4224-32. View Abstract
  73. Protection against fatal Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia in mice after nasal immunization with a live, attenuated aroA deletion mutant. Infect Immun. 2003 Mar; 71(3):1453-61. View Abstract
  74. Vaccines for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In: Ellis RW, Brodeur BR, editors. New bacterial vaccines. 2003; 261-283. View Abstract
  75. Construction and characterization of a live, attenuated aroA deletion mutant of Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a candidate intranasal vaccine. Infect Immun. 2002 Mar; 70(3):1507-17. View Abstract
  76. High-frequency oscillatory ventilation in pediatric patients. Respir Care Clin N Am. 2001 Dec; 7(4):633-45. View Abstract
  77. The effect of human serum DNAases on the ability to detect antibiotic-killed Escherichia coli in blood by PCR. J Med Microbiol. 2001 Mar; 50(3):243-248. View Abstract
  78. Acquisition of expression of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa ExoU cytotoxin leads to increased bacterial virulence in a murine model of acute pneumonia and systemic spread. Infect Immun. 2000 Jul; 68(7):3998-4004. View Abstract
  79. Bacterial subretinal abscess: a case report and review of the literature. Am J Ophthalmol. 2000 Jun; 129(6):778-85. View Abstract
  80. Continuous improvement learning for residents. Pediatrics. 1998 Apr; 101(4 Pt 2):768-73; discussion 773-4. View Abstract

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