Microbes have an unfair advantage. Their life cycle is short and their genomes plastic. They are adept at evolving in response to antibiotic and vaccine selection pressure exerted at the population level. Two of the most successful “professional” global pathogens are Streptococcus pneumoniae and Plasmodium falciparum. The talk will address how these organisms respond to such selection pressures and detail a therapeutic strategy that can circumvent antimicrobial resistance. Results of this research have implications for vaccine policy, antimicrobial stewardship, and clinical practice.
Presenter Dr. Dylan Pillai
Dr. Dylan Pillai is a Medical Microbiologist at PHO overseeing parasitology, testing of hospital-acquired infections such as Clostridium difficile, and molecular surveillance of antibiotic resistant organisms such as MRSA. His scientific interests focus on mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance and vaccine escape in global pathogens such as Streptococcus pneumoniae and Plasmodium falciparum. Dr. Pillai is also on staff in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University Health Network where he attends on the inpatient consult service. |
