Beating antimicrobial resistance

Dr Jaclyn Pearson, a leader in the fight against one of the world’s most urgent medical problems – beating antimicrobial resistance (AMR), has been granted $1.375 million over five years from a local philanthropist to progress her work.

Dr Pearson is one of three Australian scientists to receive this year’s the prestigious annual Sylvia and Charles Viertel Charitable Foundation Senior Medical Research Fellowships.

The fellowships are provided by the Viertel Foundation, to progress of vital research in the areas of cancer, dementia and infection responsiveness.

The World Health Organisation says antibiotics are the backbone of modern medicine, and AMR is one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity.

Beating the rise of superbugs

Dr Pearson is thrilled to receive this funding, which will enable her to continue and expand this vital work beating superbugs.

“Antibiotics have been a pillar of modern medicine.” Dr Pearson said. “However, as decades have progressed, our over-reliance on these ‘miracle drugs’ has seen the rise of resistant ‘superbugs’, creating a situation where deadly infections may again be untreatable.”

“The need to understand how ‘superbugs’ evolve is now critical.

“This research will uncover how antibiotic resistance is driving the ability of microbes to cause more severe disease, with the aim of identifying new therapeutic approaches to beat life-threatening superbug infections.”

“People are dying from infections that antibiotics can no longer treat, and the problem will only get worse until we find a solution,” she said.

“I thank the Viertel Foundation for having the vision and resources to help accelerate such important research.”