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Fellowship for pioneering pharmacy researcher

13 December 2006

Dr Jian Li.

A five-year fellowship researching the benefits of colistin has been granted to respected Victorian College of Pharmacy senior research scientist Dr Jian Li.

Dr Li has been awarded the National Health and Medical Research Council R. Douglas Wright Biomedical Career Development Award to continue his internationally leading research on the pharmacology of colistin, a 50-year-old antibiotic.

Dr Li's research focuses on antimicrobial chemotherapy, in particular on colistin, against Gram-negative 'superbugs'.

Colistin is the last-line antibiotic against multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii, which are resistant to virtually all other antibiotics.

Because of colistin's critical role in treating infections caused by these superbugs, it is important to explore the best way to administer it to patients -- to cure the infections caused by these superbugs and avoid development of bacterial resistance to this important antibiotic.

"I am very excited to receive this prestigious award as it acknowledges my work with colistin. I would like to thank Professor Roger Nation, the Department of Pharmacy Practice, our College and my colleagues in FADDI and those in the College for the substantial support I have been provided," Dr Li said.

Dr Li, who is part of the Facility for Anti-infective Drug Development and Innovation, was earlier this year awarded an International Young Investigator Travel Award by the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

The award enabled him to travel to Toronto in October to present his paper 'Colistin is back, is resistance close?' to the 44th Annual Meeting of the Society.