Dr. Candice J. McNeil is an academic public health physician board certified in internal medicine, general pediatrics, and infectious diseases (IDs). She brings more than 12 years of experience in ID practice with specific clinical, educational, and research expertise on the diagnosis, treatment, and management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Dr. McNeil currently serves as Associate Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medicine Section on IDs at Wake Forest School of Medicine. She also serves as Professor of Graduate education in pre-health and medicine and as Director of the Wake Forest STIs Clinical Trials Units, where her research has been supported by several competitive intra and extramural grants and contracts. Dr. McNeil is a liaison to the Wake Forest University School of Medicine Office of Women in Medicine. This leadership role has extended into her work as the PI for the STI clinical trials, a role in which she collaborates with advanced practitioners, epidemiologists, laboratory technicians, nurses, study coordinators, and a cadre of faculty members to support public health focused projects in the community. Dr. McNeil is an active presence in local public health initiatives, and as such has influenced infectious disease policy and prevention efforts. Her role at the Wake Forest School of Medicine encompasses service as Co-Medical Director Southeast sexually transmitted disease/human immunodeficiency virus (STD/HIV) Prevention Training Center covering the AL, FL, GA, NC, and SC regions and as Medical Director for the Forsyth County Department of Public Health. She also serves as the medical director for the Guilford County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and as the site PI for the CDC project Strengthening the U.S. Response to Resistant Gonorrhea (SURRG). Dr. McNeil received a CDC STD Prevention Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) to develop new tools and resources to assess and improve the quality of STI services. She developed new educational products and served as a SME for the 2021 CDC STI Guidelines.
Dr. McNeil demonstrates expertise with STI research design, collaborative research implementation, biostatistics, presentations, and medical writing, and has written investigator-initiated grants and research protocols. She is the chair of a safety and monitoring committee for a clinical trial and has served on scientific review committees. Dr. McNeil delivers a broad research skillset in implementation science, clinical trials, research design and planning, health equity and disparities research, and STI prevention and control.
