DOM Researcher Spotlight: Tiffany Walker, MD

This edition’s Researcher Spotlight is Tiffany Walker, MD, Assistant Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine. Learn more about our colleague below!

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What is your professional background?

I received my medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia and completed my residency at Emory University in the J. Willis Hurst Internal Medicine Residency. Following a Chief Residency at Grady Memorial Hospital, I completed a fellowship in applied epidemiology in the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) at the CDC. Following fellowship training, I spent two years contracting for outbreak investigations and conducting communicable disease surveillance in New Zealand before returning to Emory as faculty in the Division of General Internal Medicine at Grady.

Briefly describe your research. Why is it important?

Long COVID is a novel condition that is highly prevalent, often undetected, and can lead to significant impacts on the quality of life and gainful employment in those impacted. My research focuses on a comprehensive approach to improving understanding of Long COVID, identifying effective treatments, and advancing person-centered care models. Through a national perspective meta-cohort, we aim to characterize subphenotypes, natural history, and risk factors. Additionally, I evaluate neurocognitive impairments in older African Americans, a population at higher risk for COVID-19 sequelae. I collaborate with colleagues to characterize innate and adaptive immunological drivers of Long COVID, leveraging single-cell profiling to identify biomarkers and drug targets for clinical trials. I assess the efficacy of drug repurposing candidates through multiple subphenotype-based platform clinical trials. To improve equitable person-centered multidisciplinary care, we conduct an iterative mixed-methods programmatic evaluation of our Atlanta Long COVID Collaborative Center, which provides specialty care through Emory Midtown and Grady Primary Care Center Long COVID clinics.

What do you like most about Emory?

I appreciate the warmth and support of my Division. We celebrate each others’ successes, provide help where needed, and prioritize wellness. I value the remarkable leadership in my Division who fosters autonomy and effectively supports faculty’s ideas and passions.

What’s your favorite TV show?

“The Bear”

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I’m always looking for an opportunity to do something adventurous. I love to travel, and a perfect vacation would include skydiving or abseiling and trying a cuisine I’ve never experienced before.