Beth Thielen

Beth Thielen is an Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School, affiliated with the Department of Pediatrics and the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. She is also a Principal Investigator at the University of Minnesota and part of the North American Immuno-Hematology Clinical Education & Research Consortium.

• Education: MD and PhD in Global Health & Pathology from the University of Washington, Seattle.
• Training: Residency in Internal Medicine & Pediatrics, followed by a fellowship in Adult & Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Minnesota Medical School.

Research Interests: Beth Thielen specializes in Infectious Diseases, with a focus on respiratory viral infections, mucosal immunity, and microbiome interactions in pediatric populations. Her work includes clinical studies, molecular diagnostics, and public health implications of infectious diseases.

Recent Publications (2023-2025): Her research covers topics such as mucosal immune responses to viral infections, toxoplasma infection in immunocompromised patients, neonatal sepsis epidemiology, and microbiome dynamics in autoimmune disorders like juvenile idiopathic arthritis. These studies often involve genomics, longitudinal analysis, and clinical collaborations.

Projects & Grants: Current projects include collaborations with the CDC through the Pathogen Genomics Centers of Excellence (PGCoE), molecular diagnostics for transplant recipients, and investigations into host-pathogen interactions in respiratory infections.

Media Contributions: She has provided expert commentary on public health topics like West Nile virus, measles, flu exposure timelines, and administrative issues in academia.