Robin Avery, M.D.

Robin Avery, MD, joined the Staff of Cleveland Clinic in the Department of Infectious Disease, with a subsequent joint appointment in the Transplant Center. She currently holds the title of Section Head for Transplant Infectious Disease (Adult), and is Professor of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University.

Dr. Avery's clinical practice is largely devoted to treatment and prevention of infections in solid organ and bone marrow transplant recipients and candidates, and also in patients with leukemia and cancers. Her areas of research interest include viral and fungal infections after transplantation, viral load monitoring, effects of viral infections on the function of the transplanted organ, vaccinations and other preventive measures before and after transplantation, and pre-transplant screening of the donor and recipient.
 
She has co-edited national guidelines in infectious disease for the American Society of Transplantation (AST), and she has served as Chair of the AST Infectious Disease Community of Practice -- a group of more than 75 members in the United States and other countries who are involved with transplant infectious disease.

Dr. Avery completed her AB degree summa cum laude from Harvard-Radcliffe College in 1980 with a major in philosophy. After a year of study in Tokyo, Japan, on a Rotary International Fellowship, she entered Harvard Medical School and graduated cum laude in 1985.
 
Her internship and residency in internal medicine were completed at Massachusetts General Hospital (third year in the Primary Care Program). She then worked as a full-time physician with Boston Health Care for the Homeless from 1988-1989, returning to Massachusetts General Hospital for her Infectious Disease Fellowship in 1989. In 1993, she worked with Dr. Robert Rubin, one of the founders of the field of transplant infectious disease, and she performed laboratory research with Dr. Mark Pasternack in the field of cellular immunology.

Dr. Avery continues to have a strong interest in improving access to healthcare for the disadvantaged. From 1996-2003 she served as a volunteer physician at Care Alliance's clinic for the homeless, providing direct hands-on general medical care weekly as well as helping in the Monday evening clinic at the City Mission for two years. She has also founded a nonprofit organization, the Dannath Foundation, which provides medications, supplies and small grants to clinically sound medical programs outside the United States.

• Past Chair, American Society of Transplantation Infectious Disease Community of Practice
• Cleveland Clinic Transplant Stars Award, 2004
• 2006 Bruce Hubbard Stewart Award
• Co-Editor, 2004 AST Infectious Disease Guidelines

Infection in the immunocompromised host, transplantation infectious disease.

• Radcliffe Centennial Scholar, 1978
• Phi Beta Kappa, 1979 
• Lucy Allen Paton Prizes, Radcliffe College for the Humanities, 1979-1980 
• Edwin De T. Bechtel Thesis Prize in Philosophy, Harvard College, 1980
• Rotary Fellowship for study in Tokyo, Japan, 1980-1981
• Albert Schweitzer Fellowship for medical work in Lambarene, Gabon, 1984 
• Dr. Sirjay Sanger Award for Psychiatry Essay, Harvard Medical School, 1985
• Boston City Hospital House Staff "Golden Guaiac Award," 1989
• Edward H. Kass Award for Clinical Excellence, Massachusetts Infectious Diseases Society, 1991
• Bruce Hubbard Stewart Fellow, Cleveland Clinic, 1997
• Care Alliance Appreciation Award (for work with the homeless), 1999
• Federation for Community Planning "MTV" Award, Most Treasured Volunteer (one of eight recipients, for community service)
• Irene Zehman Award, Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland (for community service), 2000
• Visiting Nurse Association: Women in Medicine Award, 2001 
• Transplant Stars Award, Cleveland Clinic Transplant Center, 2004
• Bruce Hubbard Stewart Award, 2006 

• American Society of Transplantation
• Infectious Diseases Society of America
• International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation
• Immunocompromised Host Society

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