I have been actively engaged in tuberculosis research for over 20 years. Early in my career I was also engaged in phase I and phase II clinical trials of new HIV drugs in the pediatric population. As an infectious diseases clinician, I have maintained an active interest in clinical tuberculosis, its diagnosis and treatment. I am a locally, regionally and nationally recognized expert on pediatric tuberculosis and its treatment. I have served on several advisory committees, grant and program review committees for TB research and clinical care, and as a reviewer of articles on TB for many major clinical and basic science journals. My research to date has focused on the basic biology of the organism and the molecular basis of tuberculosis pathogenesis. Many aspects of this research have clear implications/ potential for new TB drug development. Over the past few years, I have collaborated with a pharmaceutical company where our basic research findings have helped inform their TB drug development program. I am currently seeking to undertake novel screening approaches to identify new types of inhibitors of M. tuberculosis. As a pediatric infectious disease clinician with extensive knowledge of clinical TB and experience in early stage clinical trials, and as a researcher with deep knowledge of the molecular biology and physiology of M. tuberculosis, I believe I can offer valuable knowledge and insights that will contribute to the goals of the Working Group on New TB Drugs. These include consideration of candidate drug targets, approaches to shorten treatment, consideration of clinical trial outcomes/goals and pediatric-specific issues in drug development and evaluation.