Rice alumna heads Infectious Diseases Society of America

Rice alumna Barbara Murray ’69 became president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) this month.

Barbara Murray

The society’s nearly 10,000 members include physicians, scientists and other health care professionals who specialize in infectious diseases. The organization’s mission is to improve the health of individuals, communities and society by promoting excellence in patient care, education, research, public health and prevention relating to infectious diseases.

Murray has a B.A. in mathematics from Rice. She is a professor and director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Medical School. Her research focuses on understanding what makes antibiotic-resistant bacteria or superbugs tick and on developing new treatments for them.