Diego Raul Hijano MD

Pediatric Infections Associated with Transplant/Immunocompromised States

Assistant Member Infectious Diseases, Deputy Medical Director Occupational Health. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Summary

Dr. Diego Hijano is a specialist in Pediatric Infectious Disease based in Memphis, TN, with subspecialties in pediatric infections associated with transplant or immunocompromised states. He completed his medical education at Universidad Nacional de La Plata in 2005 and earned an M.Sc. from the University of Buenos Aires in 2017. Since 2017, Dr. Hijano has been a Research Associate at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. He has experience with severity of illness index and has several publications focusing on infectious diseases in pediatric populations, including works on COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus, and pneumocystis jirovecii prophylaxis. His research contributions have been recognized with awards such as the Pediatric Resident Research Award (2011) and honors from St. Jude. He has also been involved in clinical trials, notably evaluating the T-SPOT.CMV assay for predicting CMV reactivation in pediatric transplant patients.

2nd place for outstanding poster presentation 15th annual St. Jude /PIDS conference, 2016
Senior Fellow Research award 5th Clinical fellows symposium, 2016
Ovation Award for Outstanding Employee Achievement (Bravo Award) 2015

PubMed

Viral Load Pre-emptive Monitoring in the Post-Transplant Immunocompromised Population.
Rachael M Liesman, Diego R Hijano, Priyanka Uprety, James J Dunn
The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics. 2026-01-23
Bridging Genomics and Clinical Medicine: RSVrecon Enhances RSV Surveillance With Automated Genotyping and Clinically Important Mutation Reporting.
Lei Li, Haidong Yi, Jessica N Brazelton, Richard J Webby, Randall T Hayden
Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses. 2026-01-01
Measles Resurgence and the Fragility of Herd Immunity: Implications for Pediatric Infectious Disease Practice.
Diego R Hijano, Walter A Orenstein, Carlos R Oliveira
Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society. 2025-11-01

Journal Articles

Type I Interferon Potentiates IgA Immunity to Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection During Infancy
Diego Hijano, MD, Nature
TLR4 genotype and environmental LPS mediate RSV bronchiolitis through Th2 polarization
Caballero MT, Serra ME, Acosta PL, Marzec J, Gibbons L, Salim M, Rodriguez A, Reynaldi A, Garcia A, Bado D, Buchholz UJ, Hijano DR, Coviello S, Newcomb D, Bellabarba M..., J Clin Invest, 1/1/2015
A mechanistic role for type III interferon-lambda1 in asthma exacerbations mediated by human rhinoviruses
Miller EK, Hernandez JZ, Wimmenauer V, Shepherd BE, Hijano D, Libster R, Serra ME, Bhat N, Batalle JP, Mohamed Y, Reynaldi A, Rodriguez A, Otello M, Pisapia N, Bugna J..., Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 1/1/2012

Abstracts/Posters

Disseminated M. szulgai infection (osteomyelitis in right 3rd metacarpal and skin abscess on the buttock) in SCID (IL-7R deficiency) patient that clinically presented ...
Hijano D, 2nd Annual St. Jude/PIDS Pediatric Transplant ID Symposium
Fungemia due to Candida guilliermondii in a patient with refractory AML undergoing conditioning for second allogeneic transplant
Hijano D, 3rd Annual St. Jude/PIDS Pediatric Transplant ID Symposium
Burkholderia cepacia infection involving the gastrointestinal tract
Hijano D, 4th Annual St. Jude/PIDS Pediatric Transplant ID Symposium

Lectures

Respiratory Viral Infection in Hematopoietic Cell Transplant: a spectrum of illness and benefits of screening
St. Jude Children Research Hospital - 1/1/2017
Rothia mucilaginosa infections
St. Jude Children Research Hospital - 1/1/2016
Respiratory Infections in the immunocompromised host
1/1/2016

Making the Invisible Visible: Highlighting the Value of Infectious DiseasesNovember 2020

The U.S. Is on the Verge of Losing Its Measles Elimination Status. Here's Why That MattersJanuary 20th, 2026
Are Vaccines Safe for Cancer Patients?November 5th, 2025
Unvaccinated Students Won't Be Allowed in Newton Schools This FallJune 26th, 2025