Infection and antimicrobial resistance

Modern medicine relies on effective antimicrobial strategies to prevent and treat infection but, around 70 years after antibiotics first became widely available, their future effectiveness is now under severe threat. Antibiotics are not a panacea - they need to be used judiciously, otherwise, adverse events such as Clostridium difficile infection (where we have an noted international research reputation) and resistance emergence can outweigh their benefits. We have a large research group that focusses on the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of healthcare-associated infections.

Predicting the adverse consequences associated with specific antibiotics, including their effects on the microbiome, can help to determine when and in whom they are best prescribed. We have developed models that can simulate the (desirable and undesirable) effects of antibiotics. 

Another major step forward in using antibiotics effectively would be the availability of rapid diagnostic tests that can accurately rule in or rule out infection. As a key part of the National Institute for Health Research Leeds In Vitro Diagnostics Co-operative (NIHR Leeds MIC), we support developers in the design and validation of new diagnostic tests.