Dr. Yoram Puius completed MD and PhD degrees at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 2001. His original research was in the structural biology of signal transduction proteins in the laboratory of Dr. Steven Almo. After completing a residency in Internal Medicine at New York Hospital, he completed a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Columbia Presbyterian, followed by an additional year at Tufts Medical Center focusing on infections in transplant recipients.

Dr. Puius's first position was at Roger Williams Medical Center in Providence, Rhode Island in 2007. There he served as Medical Director of Infection Control and Assistant Program Director of the Internal Medicine Residency, while holding the rank of Assistant Professor at Boston University School of Medicine. In Rhode Island he further developed interest and expertise in tickborne diseases. In addition, he directed infectious diseases protocols and education for the sole Bone Marrow Transplant Unit in the state of Rhode Island. 

Since joining Einstein-Montefiore in 2011, Dr. Puius has worked closely with transplant teams providing inpatient and outpatient consultations, working on protocols for various selection committees, and developing an online transplant infections curriculum. He was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor in 2018.  He has also served as Associate Program Director for the Fellowship in Infectious Diseases. He remains clinically active in the evaluation and treatment of tickborne diseases.

Dr. Puius is a member of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the American Society for Transplantation, the Transplantation Society, and the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. He is on the editorial boards of Clinical Transplantation and Transplant Infectious Diseases, and a reviewer for several other journals.

He publishes and speaks regionally on infections in the immunocompromised host and Lyme disease.  He also chairs the working group to maintain the online Transplant Infectious Diseases library for the American Society of Transplantation (AST) ID Community of Practice, at http://transplantid.net/.  In addition, he initatied a working group for AST to create standardized patient materials for safe living after transplantation.  In 2024 he was selected as a Fellow of the American Society of Transplantation.

Clinical Interests:

- Infections in the immunocompromised host, including recipients of kidney, liver, heart, and stem cell transplants

- Infections in patients with hematological malignancies

- Infections in patients with Left Ventricular Assist Devices

- Lyme disease

- Pre-travel counseling and vaccination for the immunocompromised patient

- Online educational resources in transplant infectious diseases

1.       Levin, S., Mayer, D., Puius, Y.A., Arora, S., and Gileles-Hillel A. (2024) Things We Do for No Reason™: Routine respiratory pathogen panels for emergency department and hospitalized patients.  J. Hosp. Med. https://doi.org/10.1002/jhm.13365

2.  Mullis, C.E., Heldman, M., Bahr, N.C., Minamoto, G.Y., Puius. Y.A., and Malinis, M. (2024) Persistent fever after coronavirus disease 2019 in liver/kidney transplant recipient. Transpl Infect Dis. https://doi.org/10.1111/tid.14271

3.       Coe J., Puius, Y., Jain, H., and Meyerowitz, E. (2024) Cervical lymphadenitis from Mycobacterium avium complex.  BMJ Case Reports. 17(3):e256726.  https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2023-256726

4.       Arora, S. and Puius, Y.A. (2023) Comment on: Community-Acquired Pneumonia.  N Engl J Med 389(17): 1633. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmc2310748

5.       Tsai, H., Minamoto, G.Y., and Puius, Y.A. (2023) "Chapter 36. Infections in Heart Transplantation" In: Barac, Y.D., Silvestry, S.C., Goldstein, D., Daneshmand M.A. eds. Textbook of Transplantation and Mechanical Support for End-Stage Heart and Lung Disease. Wiley-Blackwell.

6.       Gould, C.V., Free, R.J., Bhatnagar, J. et al. (2023) Transmission of yellow fever vaccine virus through blood transfusion and organ transplantation, United States, 2021 – Report of an Investigation. Lancet Microbe. 4(9):e711-e721.  https://doi.org/10.1016/S2666-5247(23)00170-2

7.       Puius, Y.A., Azar, M.M., Tsai, H., Vergidis, P., Harris, C.E., Anjan, S., Barros,N., Belga, S., Chuang, S.T., Czeresnia, J.M., Goel, S., Ince, D., Luk, A., Majeed, A., Multani, A., Obedi, K.M., and Swaminathan, N. (2023) transplantid.net:  A Pilot Crowdsourced, Living, Online Library of Resources for the Teaching and Practice of Transplant Infectious Diseases. Open Forum Inf Dis. 10(2):ofad081. https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofad081

8.       Hemmige, V., Saeed, O., Puius, Y.A., Azzi, Y., Colovai, A., Borgi, J., Goldstein, D.J., Rahmanian, M., Carlese, A., Jorde, U.P., and Patel, S. (2023)  HIV D+/R+ heart/kidney transplantation: first case report. J Heart Lung Transplant. 42(3):406-408. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healun.2022.11.004

9.       Maini, R., Saini, N., Bhavaan, K., Bharti, B., Walia, S., Kori N., Kataria S., Sharma P., Deswal V., Atluri, K., Mandke C, Chansoria M., Rawat, S.K., Bhat, R.S., Dravid, A., Barnawal, C., Sarkar N., Jariwala S., Puius, Y.A., Arora, S., Sethi, Y, for the MUNCO Registry. (2022) Clinico-epidemiologic characteristics of patients reported in the Mycotic infections in COVID-19 Registry. Am J Trop Med Hygiene 108(3):584-587. https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.22-0503

10.    Arora, S., Narayanan, S., Fazzari, M., Bhavana, K., Bhartendu, B., Walia, S., Kori N., Kataria S., Sharma P., Atluri, K., Mandke C, Gite, V., Redkar, N., Chansoria M., Rawat, S.K., Bhat, R.S., Dravid, A., Sethi, Y., Barnawal, C., Sarkar N.K., Jariwala S., Southern, W., Puius, Y.A., MUNCO Registry (2022) Factors Associated with Mortality in Coronavirus-Associated Mucormycosis: Results from Mycotic Infections in COVID-19 (MUNCO) Online Registry. J Clin Med. 11(23):7015.  https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm11237015

11.    Castagna F., Xue X., Saeed O., et al. (2022) Hospital bed occupancy rate is an independent risk factor for COVID-19 inpatient mortality: a pandemic epicentre cohort study. BMJ Open. 12(2):e058171. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-05817

12.    Thakkar, A., Cui, Z., Peeke, S.Z., et al. (2021) Patterns of leukocyte recovery predict infectious complications after CD19 CAR-T cell therapy in a real-world setting.  Stem Cell Investig. 8:18. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC8449156/

13.    Arora, S., Hemmige, V.S., Mandke, C., Chansoria, M., Rawat, S.K., Dravid, A., Sethi, Y., Medikeri, G., Jariwala, S.P., and Puius, Y.A. (2021) Online registry of COVID-19–associated mucormycosis cases, India, 2021. Emerg Infect Dis.27(11) https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/27/11/21-1322_article

14.    Puius, Y.A., Bartash, R. M., and Zingman, B. S. (2021) Maintaining Mask Momentum in Transplant Recipients.  Transplant Infectious Disease 23(4): e13697. https://doi.org/10.1111/tid.13697

15.    Cervera Hernandez, M.E., Szymczak, W., Puius, Y.A., and Shuter, J. (2021) Lung, Brain, and Spinal Cord Abscesses After a Near-Drowning Episode.  American J. Med. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2021.04.039

16.    Puius, Y.A., Parkar, F., Tlamsa, A.P., Nistico, J.A., Muggia, V.A., Minamoto, G.Y., Jorde, U.P., Goldstein, D.J., and Moadel, R. (2021) Gallium-67 Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography Affects Management of Infections of Left Ventricular Assist Devices.  ASAIO Journal. 67(7):  746-751  https://doi.org/10.1097/mat.0000000000001316

17.    Muggia, V.A. and Puius, Y.A.  (2020) Nocardia ignorata Infection in Heart Transplant Patient.  Emerging Infectious Diseases 26(11):2788-2789. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2611.202756

18.    Nori, P., Szymczak, W., Puius, Y., Sharma, A., Cowman, K., Gialanella, P., Fleischner, Z., Corpuz, M., Torres-Isasiga, J., Bartash, R., Felsen, U., Chen, V., and Guo, Y. (2020) Emerging Co-Pathogens: New Delhi Metallo-beta-lactamase producing Enterobacterales Infections in New York City COVID-19 Patients. Int. J. Antimicrobial Agents 56(6):106179  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2020.106179

19.    Peraza, J. and Puius, Y.A. (2020) Cutaneous Fungal Infections in Left Ventricular Assist Device Recipients. Current Fungal Infection Reports. 14:225–232 https://rdcu.be/b4HaA

20.    Zheng, C., Quintero, O. Revere, E.K., Oey, M.B., Espinoza, F., Puius, Y.A., Ramirez-Baron, D., Salama, C.R., Hidalgo, L.F., Machado, F.S., Saeed, O., Shun, J., Patel, S.R., Coyle, C.M., and Tanowitz, H.B. (2020) Chagas Disease in the New York City Metropolitan Area.  Open Forum Infectious Diseases 7(5): ofaa156. https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofaa156

21.    Puius, Y.A., Aldrich, M., and Cope, J.R.  (2020) “Acanthamoeba, Naegleria, & Balamuthia in Transplant patients: An Emerging Threat.” In: Morris, M., Kotton, C., Wolfe, C. (eds) Emerging Transplant Infections, pp.  1451-1472 Springer, Cham, Switzerland.  https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-3-030-01751-4_58-3

22.    Quintero Cardona, O., Hemmige, V., and Puius, Y.A.  (2020) Methenamine Hippurate May Have Particular Benefit in Preventing Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections in Diabetic Renal Transplant Recipients. Transplant Infectious Diseases, 22(2): e13247 https://doi.org/10.1111/tid.13247

23.    Jorde, U.P., Shah, A.M., Sims, D.B., Madan, S., Siddiqi, N., Luke, A., Saeed, O., Patel, S.R., Murthy S., Shin, J., Oviedo, J., Watts, S., Jakobleff, W., Forest, S., Vukelic, S., Belov, D., Puius, Y., Minamoto, G., Muggia, V., Carlese, A., Leung, S., Rahmanian, M., Leff, J., Goldstein, D. (2019) Continuous-flow left ventricular device survival improves with multidisciplinary approach.  Annals of Thoracic Surgery. 108(2):508-516. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.athoracsur.2019.01.063

24.    Patel S.R., Madan, S., Saeed, O., Sims D.B., Shin, J.J., Nucci, C., Borukhov, E., Goldstein, D.Y., Jakobleff, W., Forest, S., Vukelic, S., Murthy, S., Reinus, J., Puius, Y., Goldstein, D.J., Jorde, U.P. (2018)  Cardiac transplantation from non-viremic hepatitis C donors. J Heart Lung Transplant. 37(10): 1254-1260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healun.2018.06.012

25.    Mogollón, J.E., Szymczak, W.A., Levi, M.H., Patel, H., and Puius, Y.A. (2018) Case #17015: Renal recipient with two weeks of progressive shortness of breath, fatigue, and bilateral lower extremity swelling. Partners Infectious Disease Images, https://www.idimages.org/idreview/case/?CaseID=544

26.    Muggia, V.A., Minamoto, G.Y., Forest, S.J., Lerman, D.T., and Puius, Y.A. (2018)  “Chapter 3:  Left Ventricular Assist Device Infections: A Practical Approach.”  In:  Ventricular Assist Devices: Management, Outcomes and Complications.  René Murielle, ed.  Nova Science Publishers., Inc., Happauge, NY. https://novapublishers.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/978-1-53613-891-7_ch3.pdf

27.    Kutner, A., Aldrich, M. Patel, S. Kang, J. J., Amin, B. Mann, R., Ali I. M., Brasil Martines, R., Cope, J. R., De Boccardo, G. O., and Puius, Y.A. (2018)  Acanthamoeba Endophthalmitis During Treatment for Cutaneous Disease in a Renal Transplant Patient.  Transplant Infectious Diseases, 20(2):e12483 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc6110267/

28.    Levy, D.T., Peck, N., Minamoto, G.Y., Puius, Y.A., D’Alessandro, D.A., Goldstein, D. and Muggia, V.A.  (2015)  Role of gallium SPECT-CT in the diagnosis of left ventricular assist device infections:  A case series and review of the literature.  ASAIO Journal, 61(1):  e5-e10. https://doi.org/10.1097/mat.0000000000000167

29.    Levy, D.T., Guo, Y., Simkins, J., Puius, Y.A., Muggia, V.A., Goldstein, D.J., D'Alessandro, D.A., and Minamoto, G.Y. (2014) Left ventricular assist device exchange for persistent infection: a case series and review of the literature. Transplant Infectious Diseases, 16(3): 453-460. https://doi.org/10.1111/tid.12207

30.    Puius, Y.A., Sonder, G. B., and Mileno, M. (2013)  “Chapter 27:  The Immunocompromised Traveler”  In:  Travel Medicine, 3^rd Edition, Jay Keystone, Ed., pp. 265-272.  Elsevier. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9781455710768000272

31.    Irizarry-Acosta, M. and Puius, Y.A. (2010) Post-influenza pneumonia:  Everything old is new again.  Medicine and Health in Rhode Island, 93: 204-211. http://www.rimed.org/medhealthri/2010-07/2010-07-204.pdf

32.    Puius, Y.A. and Kalish, R.A. (2008) Lyme Arthritis:  Pathogenesis, Clinical Presentation, and Management.  Infectious Disease Clinics of North America, 22: 289-300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.idc.2007.12.014

33.    Puius, Y.A., Shah, D.P., Brust, D.G., Dove, L.M., and Lefkowitch, J.H.  (2008) Three Cases of Autoimmune Hepatitis in HIV Infected Patients.  Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, 42:  425-429. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.mcg.0000225591.08825.3e

34.    Puius, Y.A. and Snydman, D.R. (2007) Prophylaxis and treatment of CMV disease in recipients of solid organ transplants:  Current approach and future challenges.  Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases 20:  419-424. https://doi.org/10.1097/qco.0b013e32821f6026

35.    Puius, Y.A. and Scully, B. (2007) Treatment of Candida albicans pericarditis in a heart transplant patient.  Transplant Infectious Diseases 9:  229-232. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1399-3062.2006.00195.x

36.    Puius, Y.A., Stievater, T.H., and Srikrishnan, T. (2006) Crystal structure, conformation, and absolute configuration of kanamycin A.  Carbohydrate Research 341:  2871-2875. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carres.2006.09.008

37.    Dewan, J.C., Feeling-Taylor, A., Puius, Y.A., Patskovska, L., Patskovsky, Y., Nagel, R.L., Almo, S.C., and Hirsch, R.E. (2002) Structure of mutant human carbonmonoxyhemoglobin C (βE6K) at 2.0 Å resolution.  Acta Crystallographica D58:  2038-2042. https://doi.org/10.1107/s0907444902016426

38.    Sarmiento, M., Puius, Y.A., Vetter, S.W., Keng, Y.-F., Wu, L., Zhao, Y., Lawrence, D.S., Almo, S.C., and Zhang, Z.-Y.  (2000) Structural basis of plasticity in protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B substrate recognition.  Biochemistry 39:  8171-8179. https://doi.org/10.1021/bi000319w

39.    Puius, Y.A., Fedorov, E.V., Eichinger, L., Schleicher, M., and Almo, S.C. (2000) Mapping the functional surface of domain 2 in the gelsolin superfamily.  Biochemistry 39:  5322-5331. https://doi.org/10.1021/bi992364d

40.    Puius, Y.A., Zou, M., Ho, N.T., Ho, C., and Almo, S.C. (1998) Novel water-mediated hydrogen bonds as the structural basis for the low oxygen affinity of the blood substitute candidate rHb(α96Val→Trp). Biochemistry 37:  9258-65. https://doi.org/10.1021/bi9727287

41.    Puius, Y.A., Mahoney, N.M., and Almo, S.C. (1998) The modular structure of actin-regulatory proteins. Current Opinion in Cell Biology  10: 23-34. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0955-0674(98)80083-5