Sheryl A. Zelenitsky

Biography

She is a Assistant professor in the department of at the Antimicrobial Pharmacokinetics-Pharmacodynamics University of Manitoba, Canada.

Research Interest

My research program focuses on optimizing the prevention and treatment of infections in high-risk patient populations.  The area is critically important as emphasized by recent CDC statements which warn that inappropriate antimicrobial use and resistant organisms pose “urgent threats” to human health.  In 2013, antimicrobial stewardship was added to the required operating procedures for the accreditation of acute care hospitals in Canada.  My research approach is comprehensive and unique in that it incorporates laboratory studies, human trials and clinical translation using mathematical modeling.  In the laboratory, we use an in vitro pharmacodynamic model to study clinically significant infections associated with human pathogens.  The model simulates the antimicrobial therapy (exposure) observed in patients receiving various agents, doses, combinations and durations of therapy.  Compared to traditional testing methods, the pharmacodynamic model is more representative of in vivo conditions, and as such, provides valuable pre-clinical data to inform practice decisions and future research.  In the clinical arena, we conduct studies to determine optimal treatment strategies for infections in high-risk patients such as the elderly, critically ill or those undergoing dialysis or surgery.  Finally, an important feature of our work is the clinical translation using mathematical modeling (Monte Carlo simulations) to extrapolate findings to patient care based on the epidemiology of infectious diseases and rates of antibiotic resistance.