Lizzie Johnson Harrell | Scholars@Duke

Lizzie Johnson Harrell
Research Professor Emeritus of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology

I am a clinical microbiologist and our laboratory is responsible for detecting, isolating, identifying, and performing antimicrobial susceptibility tests on bacteria that cause infections in patients seen at Duke University Medical Center. My research interests include investigating emerging antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the use of molecular techniques for diagnosing infectious diseases. All of these activities involve collaboration with the Infectious Diseases service, the Infection Control group, the Medical Microbiology Fellows, and the Clinical Microbiology faculty as well as the medical technologists who staff the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory.

We have a Medical Microbiology Fellowship training program for physicians.

Current Appointments & Affiliations

Research Professor Emeritus of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Basic Science Departments 2011

Contact Information

237 Clin Res Labs, Durham, NC 27710
Duke Box 3879, Durham, NC 27710
lizzie.harrell@duke.edu (919) 684-2807

Background
Education, Training, & Certifications
- Ph.D., North Carolina State University 1978
Duke Appointment History
- Research Professor of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Basic Science Departments 2005 - 2011
- Professor in Pathology, Pathology, Clinical Science Departments 2006 - 2011
- Research Professor in Pathology, Pathology, Clinical Science Departments 2005 - 2006
- Associate Research Professor in Pathology, Pathology, Clinical Science Departments 1996 - 2005
- Associate Research Professor of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Basic Science Departments 2002 - 2005
- Associate Research Professor of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Basic Science Departments 1994 - 2002
Research
Selected Grants
- DukeMed Activated awarded by National Institutes of Health 2014 - 2019
Publications & Artistic Works
Selected Publications
- Academic Articles
  - Snydman, DR, Jacobus, NV, McDermott, LA, Goldstein, EJC, Harrell, L, Jenkins, SG, Newton, D, Patel, R, and Hecht, DW. "Trends in antimicrobial resistance among Bacteroides species and Parabacteroides species in the United States from 2010-2012 with comparison to 2008-2009." Anaerobe 43 (February 2017): 21-26. Full Text
  - Snydman, DR, Jacobus, NV, McDermott, LA, Golan, Y, Goldstein, EJC, Harrell, L, Jenkins, S, Newton, D, Pierson, C, Rosenblatt, J, Venezia, R, Gorbach, SL, Queenan, AM, and Hecht, DW. "Update on resistance of Bacteroides fragilis group and related species with special attention to carbapenems 2006-2009." Anaerobe 17, no. 4 (August 2011): 147-151. Full Text
  - Snydman, DR, Jacobus, NV, McDermott, LA, Golan, Y, Hecht, DW, Goldstein, EJC, Harrell, L, Jenkins, S, Newton, D, Pierson, C, Rihs, JD, Yu, VL, Venezia, R, Finegold, SM, Rosenblatt, JE, and Gorbach, SL. "Lessons learned from the anaerobe survey: historical perspective and review of the most recent data (2005-2007)." Clinical Infectious Diseases : an Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America 50 Suppl 1 (January 2010): S26-S33. Full Text Open Access Copy
  - Olson, RP, Harrell, LJ, and Kaye, KS. "Antibiotic resistance in urinary isolates of Escherichia coli from college women with urinary tract infections." Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 53, no. 3 (March 2009): 1285-1286. Full Text
  - Lalani, T, Varkey, JB, Drew, R, Harrell, L, McGarry, S, Engemann, JG, Johnson, MD, and Kaye, KS. "Analysis of two- and three-year trends in antimicrobial resistance in intensive care units using unit-specific antibiograms." Scand J Infect Dis 40, no. 8 (2008): 672-674. Link to Item
  - McDonald, JR, Carriker, CM, Pien, BC, Trinh, JV, Engemann, JJ, Harrell, LJ, Oden, MA, Tanaka, DT, Goldberg, RN, Sexton, DJ, and Kaye, KS. "Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus outbreak in an intensive care nursery: potential for interinstitutional spread." Pediatr Infect Dis J 26, no. 8 (August 2007): 678-683. Full Text Link to Item
  - Harrell, LJ, Sharps, SK, Bean, RA, and Reller, LB. "Genetic relatedness of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from paired blood and respiratory specimens." Journal of Clinical Microbiology 45, no. 6 (June 2007): 2017-2019. Full Text
  - Snydman, DR, Jacobus, NV, McDermott, LA, Ruthazer, R, Golan, Y, Goldstein, EJ, Finegold, SM, Harrell, LJ, Hecht, DW, Jenkins, SG, Pierson, C, Venezia, R, Yu, V, Rihs, J, and Gorbach, SL. "National survey on the susceptibility of Bacteroides fragilis group: report and analysis of trends in the United States from 1997 to 2004." Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 51, no. 5 (May 2007): 1649-1655. Full Text
  - Anderson, DJ, Engemann, JJ, Harrell, LJ, Carmeli, Y, Reller, LB, and Kaye, KS. "Predictors of mortality in patients with bloodstream infection due to ceftazidime-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae." Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 50, no. 5 (May 2006): 1715-1720. Full Text
  - Scanga, L, Chaing, S, Powell, C, Aylsworth, AS, Harrell, LJ, Henshaw, NG, Civalier, CJ, Thorne, LB, Weck, K, Booker, J, and Gulley, ML. "Diagnosis of human congenital cytomegalovirus infection by amplification of viral DNA from dried blood spots on perinatal cards." The Journal of molecular diagnostics : JMD 8, no. 2 (May 2006): 240-245. Full Text
  - McKibben, L, Horan, TC, Tokars, JI, Fowler, G, Cardo, DM, Pearson, ML, Brennan, PJ, and Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee, . "Guidance on public reporting of healthcare-associated infections: recommendations of the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee." Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology 26, no. 6 (June 2005): 580-587. Full Text
  - Cheng, AC, Murdoch, DR, Harrell, LJ, and Barth Reller, L. "Clinical profile and strain relatedness of recurrent enterococcal bacteremia." Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases 37, no. 9 (January 2005): 642-646. Full Text
  - Weinstein, MP, Mirrett, S, Kannangara, S, Monahan, J, Harrell, LJ, Wilson, AC, and Reller, LB. "Multicenter evaluation of use of penicillin and ampicillin as surrogates for in vitro testing of susceptibility of enterococci to imipenem." Journal of Clinical Microbiology 42, no. 8 (August 2004): 3747-3751. Full Text
  - Golan, Y, McDermott, LA, Jacobus, NV, Goldstein, EJC, Finegold, S, Harrell, LJ, Hecht, DW, Jenkins, SG, Pierson, C, Venezia, R, Rihs, J, Iannini, P, Gorbach, SL, and Snydman, DR. "Emergence of fluoroquinolone resistance among Bacteroides species." J Antimicrob Chemother 52, no. 2 (August 2003): 208-213. Full Text Link to Item
  - Murdoch, DR, Mirrett, S, Harrell, LJ, Donabedian, SM, Zervos, MJ, and Reller, LB. "Comparison of microscan broth microdilution, synergy quad plate agar dilution, and disk diffusion screening methods for detection of high-level aminoglycoside resistance in enterococcus species." Journal of Clinical Microbiology 41, no. 6 (June 2003): 2703-2705. Full Text
  - Murdoch, DR, Mirrett, S, Harrell, LJ, Monahan, JS, and Reller, LB. "Sequential emergence of antibiotic resistance in enterococcal bloodstream isolates over 25 years." Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 46, no. 11 (November 2002): 3676-3678. Full Text
  - Snydman, DR, Jacobus, NV, McDermott, LA, Ruthazer, R, Goldstein, EJC, Finegold, SM, Harrell, LJ, Hecht, DW, Jenkins, SG, Pierson, C, Venezia, R, Rihs, J, and Gorbach, SL. "National survey on the susceptibility of Bacteroides Fragilis Group: report and analysis of trends for 1997-2000." Clin Infect Dis 35, no. Suppl 1 (September 1, 2002): S126-S134. Full Text Link to Item
  - "United States geographic bacteria susceptibility patterns. 1997 ASCP Susceptibility Testing Group." Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease 35, no. 2 (October 1999): 143-151.
  - Snydman, DR, Jacobus, NV, McDermott, LA, Supran, S, Cuchural, GJ, Finegold, S, Harrell, L, Hecht, DW, Iannini, P, Jenkins, S, Pierson, C, Rihs, J, and Gorbach, SL. "Multicenter study of in vitro susceptibility of the Bacteroides fragilis group, 1995 to 1996, with comparison of resistance trends from 1990 to 1996." Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 43, no. 10 (October 1999): 2417-2422. Full Text
  - Fowler, VG, Kong, LK, Corey, GR, Gottlieb, GS, McClelland, RS, Sexton, DJ, Gesty-Palmer, D, and Harrell, LJ. "Recurrent Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia: pulsed-field gel electrophoresis findings in 29 patients." The Journal of Infectious Diseases 179, no. 5 (May 1999): 1157-1161. Full Text
  - Fowler, VG, Sanders, LL, Kong, LK, McClelland, RS, Gottlieb, GS, Li, J, Ryan, T, Sexton, DJ, Roussakis, G, Harrell, LJ, and Corey, GR. "Infective endocarditis due to Staphylococcus aureus: 59 prospectively identified cases with follow-up." Clin Infect Dis 28, no. 1 (January 1999): 106-114. Full Text Link to Item
  - Fuller, RE, Harrell, LJ, Meredith, FT, Sexton, DJ, and Colvin, LG. "Vancomycin-resistant enterococci: risk related to the use of intravenous vancomycin in a university hospital." Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 19, no. 11 (November 1998): 821-823. (Letter) Link to Item
  - Munro, S, Mickelsen, PA, Anderson, M, Wilson, ML, Robinson, A, Walsh, P, Meier, FA, Campos, JM, Hacek, DM, Peterson, LR, Reynolds, JK, Allen, SD, Pfaller, MA, Jones, RN, Valenstein, P, Cockerill, F, Gilligan, PH, Wait, K, Harrell, LJ, Reller, LB, Washington, JA, Mann, LM, Woods, GL, Carroll, KC, and Reimer, L. "United States geographic bacteria susceptibility patterns." American Journal of Clinical Pathology 109, no. 2 (February 1, 1998): 144-152. (Academic Article) Link to Item
  - Liu, K, Palmer, SM, Vollmer, RT, Dodd, LG, Henshaw, NG, Harrell, LJ, Tapson, VF, and Howell, DN. "Comparison of microbiologic, histologic and cytologic studies for the identification of cytomegalovirus in lung transplant patients." MODERN PATHOLOGY 11, no. 1 (January 1998): 178A-178A. Link to Item
  - Munro, S, Mickelsen, PA, Anderson, M, Wilson, ML, Robinson, A, Walsh, P, Meier, FA, Campos, JM, Hacek, DM, Peterson, LR, Reynolds, JK, Allen, SD, Pfaller, MA, Jones, RN, Valenstein, P, III, FC, Gilligan, PH, Wait, K, Harrell, LJ, Reller, LB, Washington, JA, Mann, LM, Woods, GL, Carroll, KC, and Reimer, L. "United States geographic bacteria susceptibility patterns: 1996 ASCP susceptibility testing group." American Journal of Clinical Pathology 109, no. 2 (1998): 144-152.
  - Phillips, HK, Harrell, LJ, and Madden, JF. "Microscopic screening of respiratory specimens submitted for culture: A re-evaluation." Clinical Infectious Diseases 25, no. 2 (December 1, 1997): 400-null.
  - Lyon, GM, Alspaugh, JA, Meredith, FT, Harrell, LJ, Tapson, V, Davis, RD, and Kanj, SS. "Mycoplasma hominis pneumonia complicating bilateral lung transplantation: case report and review of the literature." Chest 112, no. 5 (November 5, 1997): 1428-1432. (Review) Link to Item
  - Snydman, DR, McDermott, L, Cuchural, GJ, Hecht, DW, Iannini, PB, Harrell, LJ, Jenkins, SG, O'Keefe, JP, Pierson, CL, Rihs, JD, Yu, VL, Finegold, SM, and Gorbach, SL. "Analysis of trends in antimicrobial resistance patterns among clinical isolates of Bacteroides fragilis group species from 1990 to 1994." Clin Infect Dis 23 Suppl 1 (December 1996): S54-S65. Link to Item
  - Zaidi, AK, Harrell, LJ, Rost, JR, and Reller, LB. "Assessment of similarity among coagulase-negative staphylococci from sequential blood cultures of neonates and children by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis." J Infect Dis 174, no. 5 (November 1996): 1010-1014. Link to Item
  - Procop, GW, Harrell, LJ, Washington, MK, Owen, CH, and Pappas, TN. "Pericolic abscess due to Streptococcus pyogenes: report of a case that clinically mimicked acute cholecystitis." Clin Infect Dis 23, no. 1 (July 1996): 182-183. Link to Item
  - Mulhausen, PL, Harrell, LJ, Weinberger, M, Kochersberger, GG, and Feussner, JR. "Contrasting methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization in Veterans Affairs and community nursing homes." Am J Med 100, no. 1 (January 1996): 24-31. Link to Item
  - Harrell, LJ, Andersen, GL, and Wilson, KH. "Genetic variability of Bacillus anthracis and related species." J Clin Microbiol 33, no. 7 (July 1995): 1847-1850. Link to Item
  - Swenson, JM, Ferraro, MJ, Sahm, DF, Clark, NC, Culver, DH, Tenover, FC, Charache, P, Harrell, LJ, Reller, LB, Hardy, D, Jr, RCM, Wilson, W, and Hindler, J. "Multilaboratory evaluation of screening methods for detection of high- level aminoglycoside resistance in enterococci." Journal of Clinical Microbiology 33, no. 11 (1995): 3008-3018.
  - Harrell, LJ, Mirrett, S, and Reller, LB. "Subcultures of BACTEC-positive but gram or acridine orange stain-negative NR 6A and 7A blood culture bottles are unnecessary." Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 20, no. 3 (November 1994): 121-125. Link to Item
  - SNYDMAN, DR, CUCHURAL, GJ, MCDERMOTT, L, IANNINI, PB, HARRELL, LJ, CLEARY, TJ, OKEEFE, JP, HECHT, D, PIERSON, CL, RIHS, JD, FINEGOLD, SM, ZEVROS, , GORBACH, , FRY, , and BROOK, . "SUSCEPTIBILITY VARIATIONS IN BACTEROIDES-FRAGILIS - A NATIONAL SURVEY." INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN CLINICAL PRACTICE 3 (1994): S34-S43. Link to Item
  - Sexton, DJ, Harrell, LJ, Thorpe, JJ, Hunt, DL, and Reller, LB. "A case-control study of nosocomial ampicillin-resistant enterococcal infection and colonization at a university hospital." Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 14, no. 11 (November 1993): 629-635. Link to Item
  - Hoban, DJ, Jones, RN, Harrell, LJ, Knudson, M, and Sewell, D. "The North American component (the United States and Canada) of an International Comparative MIC trial monitoring ofloxacin resistance." Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 17, no. 2 (August 1993): 157-161. Link to Item
  - Wilson, ML, Harrell, LJ, Mirrett, S, Weinstein, MP, Stratton, CW, and Reller, LB. "Controlled evaluation of BACTEC PLUS 27 and Roche Septi-Chek anaerobic blood culture bottles." J Clin Microbiol 30, no. 1 (January 1992): 63-66. Link to Item
  - Weinstein, MP, Mirrett, S, Wilson, ML, Harrell, LJ, Stratton, CW, and Reller, LB. "Controlled evaluation of BACTEC Plus 26 and Roche Septi-Chek aerobic blood culture bottles." J Clin Microbiol 29, no. 5 (May 1991): 879-882. Link to Item
  - Gottfried, MR, Washington, K, and Harrell, LJ. "Helicobacter pylori-like microorganisms and chronic active gastritis in ferrets." Am J Gastroenterol 85, no. 7 (July 1990): 813-818. Link to Item
  - Harrell, LJ, Cameron, ML, and O'Hara, CM. "Rahnella aquatilis, an unusual gram-negative rod isolated from the bronchial washing of a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome." Journal of Clinical Microbiology 27, no. 7 (July 1989): 1671-1672.
  - Clover, D, Parks, B, and Harrell, LJ. "Laboratory identification of Rhodococcus equi from a patient with AIDS." Laboratory Medicine 20, no. 7 (January 1, 1989): 491-493. Full Text
  - Kim, JH, Cooper, RA, Welty-Wolf, KE, Harrell, LJ, Zwadyk, P, and Klotman, ME. "Pseudomonas putrefaciens bacteremia." Reviews of Infectious Diseases 11, no. 1 (January 1989): 97-104.
  - Kolbeck, JC, Padgett, RA, Estevez, EG, and Harrell, LJ. "Bioluminescence screening for bacteriuria." J Clin Microbiol 21, no. 4 (April 1985): 527-530. Link to Item
  - Harrell, LJ, and Evans, JB. "Anaerobic resistance of clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus to aminoglycosides." Antimicrob Agents Chemother 14, no. 6 (December 1978): 927-929. Link to Item
  - Evans, JB, and Harrell, LJ. "Agar shake tube technique for simultaneous determination of aerobic and anaerobic susceptibility to antibiotics." Antimicrob Agents Chemother 12, no. 4 (October 1977): 534-536. Link to Item
  - Harrell, LJ, and Evans, JB. "Effect of anaerobiosis on antimicrobial susceptibility of staphylococci." Antimicrob Agents Chemother 11, no. 6 (June 1977): 1077-1078. Link to Item
- Conference Papers
  - Scanga, L, Chaing, S, Powell, C, Aylsworth, A, Harrell, LJ, Henshaw, NG, Civalier, C, Thorne, L, Sailus, J, Weck, K, Booker, J, and Gulley, M. "Diagnosis of congenital cytomegalovirus infection by PCR of dried blood spots on perinatal cards." November 2004. Link to Item
  - Fuller, RE, Colvin, LG, Meredith, FT, Wilkinson, WE, Harrell, LJ, and Sexton, DJ. "Vancomycin-resistant enterococci: Risk related to the use of intravenous vancomycin." October 1996. Link to Item

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Education, Training, & Certifications

Duke Appointment History

Selected Grants

Selected Publications

Academic Articles

Conference Papers