Research Team
Kerry LaPlante, Pharm.D., FCCP, FIDSA, FIDP - Dean of the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy
Rhode Island Infectious Diseases Research Program (RIID) Director
KerryLaPlante@uri.edu
Dr. LaPlante is the Dean of the College of Pharmacy as well as an adjunct professor of medicine at Brown University. She is an infectious diseases pharmacotherapy specialist, fellowship director, and research program director of the Rhode Island Infectious Diseases research program at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Providence, RI. Dr. LaPlante's passion for infectious diseases began at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI, while caring for cystic fibrosis and transplant patients. Today LaPlante is internationally known for her expertise in antibiotic therapy and has extensively researched biofilms and how optimal antimicrobial use prevents resistance and improves patient outcomes. Outside of work she has a passion for cooking, cheering on her favorite sports team the Buffalo Bills, and entertaining friends at home with her husband Seth, their two children, and their dog Biscuit.
Haley Appaneal, Pharm.D., Ph.D. - Associate Research Professor
Director of RIID Antimicrobial Stewardship Implementation and Outreach
haley_appaneal@uri.edu; haley.appaneal@va.gov
Dr. Appaneal is a pharmacist-scientist with expertise in appropriate and safe antimicrobial use in older adults. She received her PharmD from the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy and a PhD in Health Services Research from Brown University School of Public Health. She completed a pharmacy practice residency and a two-year VA funded post-doctoral fellowship in infectious diseases clinical outcomes with a focus on the appropriate and safe use of antimicrobials and vaccines. Dr. Appaneal is a health services investigator with mixed methods experience with the Rhode Island ID (RIID) Research Program of the Providence Healthcare System. Dr. Appaneal’s research has focused on advancing antimicrobial stewardship in all settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, and outpatient clinics. Dr. Appaneal completed a national VA HSR&D Career Development award on improving antibiotic use in VA CLCs. Her work focuses on studying antimicrobial use, approaches to improve antimicrobial use, and the unintended consequences, such as Clostridioides difficile infection and antimicrobial resistance, notably in older vulnerable adults. Dr. Appaneal is also interested in reducing disparities in antimicrobial use among vulnerable populations.
Aisling Caffrey, Ph.D., M.S. - Associate Professor, Health Outcomes
Director of RIID Outcomes and Pharmacoepidemiology
Aisling_Caffrey@uri.edu
Aisling Caffrey, PhD, MS, is a Professor of Health Outcomes at the University of Rhode Island (URI) College of Pharmacy and Director of Infectious Diseases Outcomes Research at the Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center (PVAMC), where she also Chairs the Institutional Review Board. For over a decade, Dr. Caffrey has been engaged in interdisciplinary infectious disease health outcomes research. Her expertise is in comparative effectiveness and safety research, where she studies the beneficial and unintended effects of medications. Much of her work has focused on drug-resistant bacterial infections and vaccine-preventable diseases.
Katie Daffinee, B.S. - RIID Program Coordinator
kdaffinee@uri.edu; Kathryn.Daffinee@va.gov
Katie graduated from UMass Dartmouth in 2012 with a degree in biology. Through participation in multiple internships, she discovered a passion for microbiology, data analysis, and problem solving. From there she took a research assistant position with Dr. LaPlante in 2013 and became lab manager in 2014 followed by laboratory program coordinator in 2017 then Program coordinator in 2019. Professionally she enjoys training young scientists, developing experiments, grant writing, troubleshooting, and incorporating new techniques into experiments.
Tom Lavoie , Pharm.D. - Assistant Professor
Director of RIID Antimicrobial Pharmacology br> thomas.lavoie@uri.edu
Dr. Lavoie received his PharmD from MCPHS University in Boston in 2019 and completed his extensive two-year post-doctoral infectious disease fellowship in 2024. He is an assistant professor with an expertise in treatment strategies for resistant infections at University of Rhode Island, College of Pharmacy. His research focuses on optimizing pharmacokinetic/ pharmacodynamic antimicrobial properties and the prevention, treatment, and eradication of drug-resistant bacteria such as carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales and carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.
Vrishali Lopes, B.S., M.S. - Data Analyst
401.273.7100 x 12321 – Vrishali.Lopes@va.gov
Vrishali Lopes is originally from India, where she obtained her Master of Science degree in Statistics. Vrishali works as a data analyst helping researchers and fellows in analyzing data for their research studies. Vrishali has also worked as a senior outcome’s analyst at Optum’s PRO Division, QualityMetric Lincoln, RI. Prior to that, she worked as a research statistician at Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI. She has experience in design and analysis of several research projects and focuses on real-world evidence in the treatment of drug-resistant and difficult to treat infections.
Ami Vyas, Ph.D. - Associate Professor, Health Outcomes
401.874.7255 – avyas@uri.edu
Dr. Ami Vyas is a University of Rhode Island, College of Pharmacy Associate Professor specialized in the area of Health Outcomes Research. Dr. Vyas has expertise in Healthcare Disparities; Treatment Patterns, Quality of Care, Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses, Survey and Claims Databases, Disease Registries, Pharmacoeconomics