P. David Rogers, PharmD, PhD, FCCP, has received a grant totaling $1,836,580 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a subsidiary of the National Institutes of Health.
P. David Rogers, PharmD, PhD, FCCP, First Tennessee Chair of Excellence in Clinical Pharmacy, director, Division of Clinical and Translational Therapeutics, and professor and vice chair for Research in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), has received a grant totaling $1,836,580 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a subsidiary of the National Institutes of Health. The renewed award will fund a study on antifungal therapy resistance. The study titled, “Novel Azole* Resistance Mechanisms in Candida albicans,” will be conducted over an additional five-year period.
The pathogenic fungal species Candida, which is a species of yeast, is collectively the fourth leading cause of hospital bloodstream infections in the United States. Systemic yeast infections have been found to be a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. As a result, the annual cost for antifungal therapy in the United States is approaching $1 billion. Dr. Rogers and his research team seek to improve the treatment of Candida infections by understanding the molecular basis for antifungal drug resistance.
“We are very excited to have successfully renewed this award for another five years,” said Dr. Rogers. “This grant will allow us to continue our important work towards a complete understanding of microbiologic resistance to the azole class of antifungal agents in Candida albicans and related fungal pathogens.”
This research will ultimately contribute to the development of novel strategies for predicting treatment failure, overcoming antifungal resistance, and improving antifungal therapy.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
*azole- any of numerous compounds characterized by a five-membered ring containing at least one nitrogen atom