His research focused on infectious diseases, including scarlet fever, the common cold, and pneumococcal pneumonia.

[1] After graduation, Dochez worked at the laboratory of pathology at Hopkins investigating the effects of iodine-free diets on animals.

In 1910, Dochez became an assistant resident and bacteriologist at Rockefeller Hospital, despite lacking prior background in the field.

Their work demonstrated that the substance was of capsular origin and present in both blood and urine of infected patients.

[1] During World War I, Dochez served as a major in the Medical Corps where he studied respiratory diseases.

He also demonstrated that most strains of streptococci from scarlet fever patients belonged to a single specific type of bacteria.

[1] Forced to switch fields, Dochez initiated studies on a different type of infection: the common cold.

Dochez and collaborators confirmed that the common cold was not caused by bacteria by demonstrating that the infection could be induced by exposure to bacteria-free substances.

He concluded that the common cold was likely of viral etiology, but techniques of the time period were not sophisticated enough to prove this conclusively.

[1] In addition to his prestigious research career, Dochez was known as an excellent mentor who valued educating and engaging with all members of his lab.