• Attending physician, Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center
  Assistant Professor of Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine
• LEAP Fellow for 2023-2024 and Tufts CTSI K12 Scholar for 2025-2027

Levy CIMAR core faculty member Dr. Kap Sum Foong was one of four physician-scientists granted the CDC’s Leadership in Epidemiology, Antimicrobial Stewardship, and Public Health (LEAP) Fellowship for 2023-2024, as well as a recipient of the K12 Translational Science Career Development Award from Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute for 2025-2027. An Infectious Diseases physician at Tufts Medical Center and an Assistant Professor at Tufts University School of Medicine, Dr. Foong says his clinical, academic, and research pursuits are driven by a commitment to improving antimicrobial and diagnostic stewardship, health equity, and infection prevention.

Dr. Foong began his career in infectious diseases with a fellowship at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (2017-2019), During this time, he developed interest in research and implementation science. His work laid the foundation for his first faculty role as an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria (2019-2022). There he served as the Chair of the Antimicrobial Stewardship program for OSH HealthCare, leading initiatives across a 14-hospital system to improve quality and safety by implementing evidence-based antibiotic usage practices.

In 2022, Dr. Foong joined Tufts Medical Center, where he is a member of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Team. He also collaborates with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health as a consultant, focusing on antimicrobial stewardship, infection control, and prevention in long-term care (LTC) facilities.

The CDC’s LEAP Fellowship aims to foster the next generation of Infectious Diseases leaders in public health, hospital epidemiology, and antimicrobial stewardship by providing mentorship and hands-on experience in these fields. Tufts CTSI’s K12 award supports highly promising early-career scholars with an interest in translational research.

Dr. Foong works closely with his mentors and fellow Levy CIMAR core faculty members, Drs. Shira Doron and Alysse Wurcel. His LEAP research investigates the prevalence of antibiotic allergy labels and the impact of penicillin allergy labels on beta-lactam antibiotic prescribing practices in Massachusetts LTC settings. His K12 proposal builds on this work, aiming to identify and address barriers to penicillin allergy evaluation and delabeling in LTC settings.

Dr. Foong’s long-term career goal is to become an independent investigator dedicated to studying the implementation of evidence-based antimicrobial stewardship interventions to improve the quality care delivery to LTC residents.

You can learn more about Dr. Foong on his Tufts Medical Center profile page.