Cara Varley

Dr. Cara Varley is a Clinical Professor specializing in infectious diseases and epidemiology at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health. She holds board certifications in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases. Her clinical work focuses on mycobacterial infections, particularly NTM pulmonary disease, and she operates the Oregon Mycobacterial Clinic. Dr. Varley also teaches HIV epidemiology at the School of Public Health and mentors students, residents, and fellows.

Education and Training:

• B.S., University of Washington, 2004
• M.P.H., OHSU, 2009
• M.D., OHSU, 2015
• Internal Medicine Residency, Tulane University, 2018
• Infectious Diseases Fellowship, OHSU, 2020

Research Interests:

• Epidemiology of NTM disease, including outcome measures and disease progression
• HIV prevention strategies and PrEP access
• Structural determinants of health in medical education and policy
• Optimizing antimicrobial therapy for chronic infections

Publications: Her work spans NTM treatment outcomes, HIV-NTM co-infections, antibiotic stewardship, and pandemic management. Recent studies focus on disparities in hepatitis C care and vaccination rates among vulnerable populations.

Professional Contributions:

• Principal investigator on NTM clinical trials with OHSU’s Center for Infectious Disease Studies
• Editorial contributions on eye infections in hospitalized patients and pregnancy-related rheumatic disease management
• Leadership in developing core outcome domains for Mycobacterium avium complex pulmonary disease