Danny Benjamin’s research interest focuses on neonatal infectious disease. He has approached healthcare in the nursery using clinical epidemiology and pharmacology. His research team has led a series of epidemiologic studies with community neonatal intensive care units and academic medical centers (in the Neonatal Research Network). In these collaborations he addressed fundamental clinical questions regarding risk of infection, outcomes, clinical judgment and the use of antimicrobial therapy, and neurodevelopmental consequences of invasive disease.
These observations in epidemiology led to a series of clinical trials in neonates and older children in the pharmacokinetics, safety, and efficacy of therapeutics. The first of these trials described the pharmacokinetics of antifungal agents in the premature infant from animal models to multi-dose studies. The work has since broadened to include pharmacokinetic trials of antibiotics, safety trials, and randomized efficacy trials for the prevention of disease.
Based on his experience in epidemiology and pediatric therapeutics, Dr. Benjamin has worked with both the National Institute of Health and the Food and Drug administration to improve drug development and therapeutic clinical trial design in children.