Podcasts about therapeutics ipath

Arreaza: Welcome back tothe Rio Bravo qWeek Podcast! My name is Dr. Hector Arreaza, I am a family physician and faculty member in the Rio Bravo Family Medicine Residency Program. Today I am joined by two excellent medical students who will introduce themselves now, welcome, guys! Mehr: Thank you for the introduction! My name is Mehr Boparai, third year medical student at WesternU COMP-NW. Jeremy: And my name is Jeremy Pan, also a third-year medical student at WesternU COMP Pomona and we will be discussing a very prevalent topic today in the clinical world that is arguably becoming one of the biggest threats to modern medicine: antibiotic resistance. Mehr: That's right! Imagine this scenario: a routine infection, something we've treated easily for decades, suddenly becomes life-threatening because the drugs we always thought we could rely on just don't work anymore. You likely ran into this problem just last week with one of your patients! That's not science fiction. That's happening every day in hospitals across the world. Dr. Arreaza: I agree, antibiotic resistance must be taken seriously. I increased my awareness in 2023, when I attended a medical research conference in Carmel(which is a popular conference that takes place in that beautiful town). I heard Dr. David Gilbert, a famous and accomplished ID doctor who helped develop the Sanford Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy, he warned everyone about antibiotic resistance as one of the biggest threats for humanity, the other two were a nuclear bomb and an epidemic. Jeremy: Woah, comparing antibiotic resistance to a nuclear bomb is absolutely crazy, but likely very real!! Well today, we're going to be focusing on five of the most common infections or “bugs” you'll see in a hospital setting. We'll talk about what typically causes them, what antibiotics we used to rely on, and what happens when resistance decides to enter the picture. Mehr: If you are a medical student (or resident), you understand that dreaded feeling when an attending asks “what antibiotics should we start?” But don't worry, in this episode, we hope to address the decision-making process in a simple framework. What is Antibiotic Resistance? Dr. Arreaza:  Before we jump into specific common infections and pathogens, let's cover our basics. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria evolve to survive drugs designed to kill them. This can happen through genetic mutations or by getting resistance genes from other bacteria. Why does this matter? Jeremy: It matters because antibiotics play a huge role in modern medicine. Without them, surgeries, chemotherapy, organ transplants—even childbirth—become significantly more dangerous. Mehr: According to the CDC, in the U.S. alone, antibiotic-resistant infections affect over 2.8 million people each year and cause more than 35,000 deaths! So, when we talk about resistance, we're not just talking about inconvenience for treatments. We're talking about a fundamental threat to healthcare. Staph aureus Dr. Arreaza: So, if you have a patient who comes in with a skin infection or is maybe showing signs of pneumonia or bacteremia, what is one of the most common bugs that you should think about? Jeremy: Staph aureus! Typically to treat methicillin-sensitive strains (MSSA), we would utilize antibiotics like nafcillin, oxacillin, or cefazolin. But there is one strain in particular that is worrisome, Mehr? Mehr: yeap, that would have to be MRSA, one of the most well-known resistant organisms. MRSA is resistant to all beta-lactam antibiotics, which means we can say goodbye to all penicillin and most cephalosporins. Dr. Arreaza: And what is the first antibiotic that comes to mind if we see MRSA on a culture in the hospital? Mehr: Vancomycin! Alternative treatments include linezolid and daptomycin depending on the type of infection. But what is the problem that we are starting to see? Jeremy: You guessed it, cases of resistance to vancomycin are starting to appear—VRSA. These cases are still uncommon today, but these findings show a worrying trend, that we will eventually start running out of reliable options. Dr. Arreaza: Fortunately, VRSA infections are extremely rare, with only 14-16 documented cases in the United States. As of 2019, 52 VRSA strains have been identified in the United States, India, Iran, Pakistan, Brazil, and Portugal. Let's keep an eye on VRSA in the future.  E. coli Dr. Arreaza: Alright, so let's say you have a patient with dysuria, urinary frequency, maybe even a catheter in place. What's the most common bug you're thinking of? Mehr: That one's a classic, we are thinking E. coli. Jeremy: Exactly. E. coli is the leading cause of urinary tract infections, especially in both community and hospital settings. Dr. Arreaza: So Jeremy, what are we using for uncomplicated UTIs? Jeremy: We usually think of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, nitrofurantoin, or sometimes fosfomycin. And in more complicated cases, we might consider fluoroquinolones like ciprofloxacin. Mehr: But here's where things get tricky. Resistance to TMP-SMX and fluoroquinolones has been increasing significantly. In some areas, resistance rates are over 20–30%, which really changes your empiric choices. Conclusion: Dr. Arreaza: So we've talked about five major organisms today: Staph aureus, E. coli, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, and C. diff. What's the overarching takeaway of the discussion? Jeremy: The main takeway is that antibiotic resistance is already here, and it's affecting some of the most common infections we see in clinical practice on a day-to-day basis. Mehr: And as students and future physicians, it's important to not just memorize antibiotics, but understand why we're choosing them. Dr. Arreaza: Exactly. Always think: What organism am I targeting? What are the local resistance patterns? And can I narrow therapy once I have cultures? Jeremy: And maybe most importantly—don't overuse antibiotics, especially in cases when they're not needed. Mehr: Because the more we use them, the faster we lose them. Dr. Arreaza: I'd like to share the story I listed to in a RadioLab episode about Dr Steffanie A. Strathdee, one of the most influential ID doctors in the world and Co-Director at the Center for Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics (IPATH). She shared that her husband got infected by Acinetobacter baumannii, an opportunistic infection that can cause severe infection. After trying many antibiotics, he was treated with “phages”, “bacteriophages”. So, that's part of “thinking out of the box”. Jeremy: Thank you all for tuning in to the Rio Bravo qWeek podcast series and thank you Dr. Arreaza for having Mehr and me on the podcast today! Stay informed, stay curious—and we'll see you next time Mehr: Guys! I had so much fun! We hope this episode helped simplify antibiotic selection for the most common infections and bugs seen in a hospital setting and gave you a framework you can for initial treatments and cases of antibiotic resistance. Thanks for hanging out with us!  Dr. Arreaza: And remember, antibiotics are one of the most powerful tools we have in medicine. Let's use them wisely. This is Dr. Arreaza, signing off.  _____________________ References: Radiolab. (2026, March 27). Antibiotic apocalypse. WNYC Studios. https://radiolab.org/podcast/antibiotic-apocalypse Metlay, J. P., Waterer, G. W., Long, A. C., et al. (2019). Diagnosis and treatment of adults with community-acquired pneumonia: An official clinical practice guideline of the American Thoracic Society and Infectious Diseases Society of America. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 200(7), e45–e67. https://www.idsociety.org/practice-guideline/community-acquired-pneumonia-cap-in-adults/ Gilbert, D. N., Chambers, H. F., Saag, M. S., et al. (2026). The Sanford Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy (56th ed.). Antimicrobial Therapy, Inc. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025, September 17). Antibiotic stewardship resource bundles. https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/hcp/educational-resources/stewardship/index.html Theme song, Works All The Time by Dominik Schwarzer, YouTube ID: CUBDNERZU8HXUHBS, purchased from https://www.premiumbeat.com/.   Even without trying, every night you go to bed a little wiser. Thanks for listening to Rio Bravo qWeek Podcast. We want to hear from you, send us an email at RioBravoqWeek@clinicasierravista.org, or visit our website riobravofmrp.org/qweek. See you next week!

Today Dr. Steffanie Strathdee, Associate Dean of Global Health Sciences at UC San Diego and Co-Director at the Center for Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics, will chat with us about how bacteriophages—viruses that attack bacteria—changed her life and are becoming part of our future. Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Steffanie Strathdee Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode A fun video about bacteriophages. A pretty solid overview about bacteriophages. An article about the history of bacteriophages. An article about a truly prophetic  book—“Arrowsmith”--- from 1925, by Sinclair Lewis, about using bacteriophages to fight disease. A wonderful TED talk about the rise of antibiotic resistant pathogens by Maryn McKenna. A nice overview of ESKAPE pathogens and antimicrobial resistance.  A link to a recent talk given by Dr. Strathdee. A link to Dr. Strathdee's recent book, “The Perfect Predator.” A super recent and quite wonderful review article about phage therapy by Dr. Strathdee. The SEAPHAGES program (which I always wanted to be part of!!) Ry Young's laboratory website. Dr. Strathdee's faculty website. Dr. Strathdee's Wikipedia page! A link to the website of the Center for Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics (IPATH).   Intro music is by Reber Clark Send your questions and comments to mattersmicrobial@gmail.com

In the newest episode of Infectious Conversations, Candace chats with Dr. Steffanie Strathdee: an infectious disease epidemiologist, the Associate Dean of Global Health Sciences at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, and Co-director at the Center for Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics (IPATH). Dr. Strathdee relied on her extensive knowledge of infectious diseases to help save her husband's life using phage therapy after he developed a life-threatening, drug-resistant infection in 2016. The couple later wrote a book together titled “The Perfect Predator: A Scientist's Race to Save Her Husband from a Deadly Superbug,” which was published in 2019. To contact IPATH, email ipath@ucsd.edu. 

Epidemiologist Steffanie Strathdee and her husband, psychologist Tom Patterson, were vacationing in Egypt when Tom came down with a stomach bug. What at first seemed like a case of food poisoning quickly turned critical, and by the time Tom had been transferred via emergency medevac to the world-class medical center at UC San Diego, where both he and Steffanie worked, blood work revealed why modern medicine was failing: Tom was fighting one of the most dangerous, antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the world.Steffanie joins Greg this episode to discuss solving her husband's medical crisis, and what she learned from this horrific experience. They also discuss how Covid has ramped these trends up, how critical phages are for our bodies, and the open mindedness of PhDs vs MDs.Steffanie is Associate Dean of Global Health Sciences and Harold Simon Distinguished Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. She is also an Adjunct Professor at Johns Hopkins and Simon Fraser Universities. She co-directs UCSD's new center for Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics (IPATH), Global Health Institute and the International Core of UCSD's Center for AIDS Research. Stefanie has co-authored her memoir all about her husbands illness titled, “The Perfect Predator: A Scientist's Race to Save Her Husband from a Deadly Superbug.”Episode Quotes:The need for a phage library[30:40] What we need to do is build a phage library that maps onto a superbug library. And, of course, these are going to be constantly needing to be updated because these are organisms that are co-evolving to attack one another.What's the future looking for the advancement of phage[37:55] I can imagine a situation in the future, though, where, because we have, sequencers that are portable and cheaper than ever before, that you'd be able to sequence a phage and sequence a bacteria and be able to have a database to say, okay, you know, this phage will match that bacterium or to even genetically modify or synthesize a phage. So in a 3D printing model, some of my colleagues in Belgium have, you know, been working on that. So, I think that there's going to be advances that are going to help us make this work. But right now, we need phage libraries. We need more investment in clinical trials.Pushing beyond boundaries leads to discovery[39:49] When your back is up against the wall, whether it's you as an individual, us as a society, or a planet, we can sometimes have creative ideas to come up with solutions that we wouldn't otherwise do. And that's what I'm hoping that we'll do now because both climate change and antimicrobial resistance are colliding.Show Links:Guest Profile:Faculty Profile at UC San DiegoFaculty Profile at John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthProfessional Profile at Canadian Association for Global HealthSteffanie Strathdee on LinkedInSteffanie Strathdee on TwitterSteffanie Strathdee on InstagramSteffanie Strathdee on TEDxNashvilleHer Work:Steffanie Strathdee on Google ScholarThe Perfect Predator Website

Dr. Steffanie Strathdee is Associate Dean of Global Health Sciences and Harold Simon Distinguished Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. She co-directs UCSD's new center for Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics (IPATH), Global Health Institute and the International Core of UCSD's Center for AIDS Research. An infectious disease epidemiologist, she has spent the last two decades focusing on HIV prevention in marginalized populations and has published over 600 peer-reviewed publications. She has recently begun working to move bacteriophage therapy into clinical trials at IPATH. She has co-authored her memoir, The Perfect Predator: A Scientist's Race to Save Her Husband from a Deadly Superbug. In this podcast we talk about Dr. Strathdee's experiences learning about bacteriophage (phage) therapy treatment through a personal experience where her husband became extremely ill from antimicrobial resistant bacteria. She learned that stigma in part was how phage therapy had become forgotten in North America--stigma toward scientists with different beliefs and training than the mainstream, stigma toward viruses that maybe perceived "at the borderline of life", and stigma toward research based on geopolitics (including the "Russian taint"). Steffanie inspires listeners with her discussion of the power of global collaboration, advocacy in healthcare, and the importance of making (rather than waiting for) miracles to happen. Episode hosted by Dr. Carmen Logie. Supported by funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation and Canada Research Chairs program. Original music and podcast produced by Jupiter Productions, who have various production services available to support your podcast needs.

As we sit here in 2020, in the middle of a major viral pandemic, we can't forget the fact that a century after the first antibiotics were created, drug resistant bacterial infections have become a major threat around the globe, exactly at the same time that the antibiotic pipelines of pharma companies have either dried up, or they have gotten out of the business. In the U.S. alone, Centers For Disease Control (CDC) estimates that antibiotic resistance causes more than 2 million infections, several million hospital stay days, and over 35,000 deaths per year. Worldwide, such infections cause 750,000 deaths every year. And a recent United Nations (UN) report concluded that by 2050, "super bugs" could kill 10 million people globally every year, if no action is taken to combat the problem. A solution to this emerging threat lies in the area of bacteriophage therapy (or "phage" for short), which is a type of virus that infects, replicates within, and are very good at killing bacteria. Interestingly, phages have been used for over 90 years as an alternative to antibiotics in the former Soviet Union and Central Europe as well as in France. They are seen as a possible therapy against multi-drug-resistant strains of many bacteria and have been shown to interfere not just with bacteria life cycles, but also with biofilm production and quorum sensing involved bacterial colonization processes. Dr. Robert Schooley, MD, is a Professor of Medicine, in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, at UC San Diego, the Co-Director of their Center for Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics (IPATH), as well as Interim Faculty Director, Global Education and Senior Director, International Initiatives. Dr. Schooley is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He completed an internal medicine residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and infectious disease fellowships at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Massachusetts General Hospital. He joined the faculty of Harvard Medical School in 1981 and shifted his research focus from herpes group viruses as recognition of the AIDS epidemic developed. Dr. Schooley was then recruited to the University of Colorado in 1990 as Head of the Division of Infectious Diseases where he developed an integrated HIV program clinical care and research program. He was elected Chair of the NIH's AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) in 1995 and led that group until 2002 during which time the ACTG performed many of the seminal studies that defined modern anti-retroviral chemotherapy. Dr. Schooley led the ACTG in its expansion from a domestic US research operation into one with a global reach with research units in Africa, India, Thailand, Haiti and Latin America. In 2005, he joined the faculty at the University of California San Diego where he served as Head of the Division of Infectious Diseases until 2017. He also serves as Editor-in-Chief of Clinical Infectious Diseases. His research interests are in the diagnosis, pathogenesis and therapy of viral infections and in global health. 

"This is the worse superbug you can get," said her husband's doctors when diagnosing him with a life-threatening multidrug resistant bacterial infection.  But Steffanie Strathdee put her research skills to work and eventually was able to convince doctors to treat him with an experimental phage therapy that ended up saving his life. Listen and learn Why no other solution was working to cure her husband of this superbug, How the history of phage therapy versus antibiotics has played out, and Why the problem of antibiotic resistance may be addressed by utilizing bacteriophages. Steffanie A. Strathdee is the Associate Dean of Global Health Sciences and the Harold Simon Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. She helped found and co-directs UCSD's new center for Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics (IPATH) and also works with the Global Health Institute and the International Core of UCSD's Center for AIDS Research.  An infectious disease epidemiologist, she's also the author of The Perfect Predator, which tells the story of her husband's struggle with a superbug and the successful effort to help him recover with phage viruses. Phages are viruses that infect bacteria, and are emerging as a potential winner as scientists struggle with how to prevent superbugs from causing deadly infections.  She gives listeners a fascinating history of how politics and war kept phage therapy out of American medicine for decades. First discovered by a French Canadian microbiologist, their adoption by Russians pre-World War II marked them as off-the-table for the American medical field. But they are emerging again as having great potential, and Steffanie Strathdee helps enlighten listeners by describing the process and why they can be effective. First, scientists are able to pick and choose their phages, testing to make sure what bacteria the phages will infect. They can get specific, killing only the bacteria they want to target. Ideally, they'll collect a couple of different phages for the best chances of success, then make isolates of them.  The most difficult stage is the purification, she says. Scientists are moving ahead, designing clinical studies. Listen in for more exciting news about this life-saving treatment. For more, see the Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics (IPATH) website. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

While on a bucket list trip to Egypt, Steffanie Strathdee's husband Tom Patterson fell ill with what they first assumed to be food poisoning. They soon discovered it was much more serious. Tom was diagnosed with pancreatitis and gallstones. The gallstones had blocked his biliary duct, which had caused an abscess the size of a small football to form in his abdomen. When the fluid inside the abscess was cultured, doctors found the “worst bacteria on the planet,” Acinetobacter baumannii. This bacteria, nicknamed Iraqibacter due to the veterans who have returned from the middle east with the superbug, is an organism that is very prone to acquiring antimicrobial resistance genes from other bacteria. Tom was very ill. With the combination of pancreatitis and the superbug, his chance of survival was no more than 10%. Acinetobacter baumannii was only partially sensitive to three known antibiotics, and those were considered to be last chance therapies. He was treated with those drugs, but his bacteria resisted all of them. Steffanie is an infectious disease epidemiologist, but felt blindsided by Tom's diagnosis. Luckily, she had the right combination of knowledge, access to research, and willing medical and research professionals to try alternative therapies. Her research led her to phage therapy. Bacteriophage therapy (phage therapy, for short), are viruses that have naturally evolved to attack bacteria. The perfect predator, they have been co-evolving with bacteria for 4 billion years. There are more than 10 million trillion trillion phages on earth and they are everywhere: in water, soil, and our bodies. Phage therapy has been a known treatment against bacteria for decades, but has been practiced more in the former Soviet Union since western countries started relying on penicillin and other antibiotics since the 1940's. The challenge is to find the particular phage that is effective against the bacterial infection being treated. You are going to love this story of love, determination, resourcefulness and triumph. Steffanie cured Tom's illness with the help of three universities, the US Navy and researchers from across the world. What she discovered in the process is a super weapon against multidrug antimicrobial resistant diseases, which are expected to kill more than ten million people per year by 2050.   Links and notes: Steffanie Strathdee and Robert Schooley are co-directors of the Center for Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics (“IPATH”) at UC San Diego Donate to IPATH here Steffanie Strathdee and Tom Patterson's book about their ordeal is called The Perfect Predator Learn more about The Infection Prevention Strategy at ic.tips If you liked this podcast, please consider subscribing to the series and leaving a positive review

Delve into the realms of predatory superbugs with infectious disease epidemiologist Steffanie Strathdee and her husband, psychologist Thomas Patterson. This is an incredible story of Strathdee’s fight to save her husband’s life, which led her to rediscover a forgotten treatment for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This unprecedented treatment saved Patterson’s life as well as several others and helped launch the Center for Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics (IPATH) at UC San Diego, the first phage therapy center in North America. Series: "Women in Science" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 34410]

Delve into the realms of predatory superbugs with infectious disease epidemiologist Steffanie Strathdee and her husband, psychologist Thomas Patterson. This is an incredible story of Strathdee’s fight to save her husband’s life, which led her to rediscover a forgotten treatment for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This unprecedented treatment saved Patterson’s life as well as several others and helped launch the Center for Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics (IPATH) at UC San Diego, the first phage therapy center in North America. Series: "Women in Science" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 34410]

Delve into the realms of predatory superbugs with infectious disease epidemiologist Steffanie Strathdee and her husband, psychologist Thomas Patterson. This is an incredible story of Strathdee’s fight to save her husband’s life, which led her to rediscover a forgotten treatment for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This unprecedented treatment saved Patterson’s life as well as several others and helped launch the Center for Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics (IPATH) at UC San Diego, the first phage therapy center in North America. Series: "Women in Science" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 34410]

Delve into the realms of predatory superbugs with infectious disease epidemiologist Steffanie Strathdee and her husband, psychologist Thomas Patterson. This is an incredible story of Strathdee’s fight to save her husband’s life, which led her to rediscover a forgotten treatment for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This unprecedented treatment saved Patterson’s life as well as several others and helped launch the Center for Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics (IPATH) at UC San Diego, the first phage therapy center in North America. Series: "Women in Science" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 34410]

Delve into the realms of predatory superbugs with infectious disease epidemiologist Steffanie Strathdee and her husband, psychologist Thomas Patterson. This is an incredible story of Strathdee’s fight to save her husband’s life, which led her to rediscover a forgotten treatment for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This unprecedented treatment saved Patterson’s life as well as several others and helped launch the Center for Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics (IPATH) at UC San Diego, the first phage therapy center in North America. Series: "Women in Science" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 34410]

Delve into the realms of predatory superbugs with infectious disease epidemiologist Steffanie Strathdee and her husband, psychologist Thomas Patterson. This is an incredible story of Strathdee’s fight to save her husband’s life, which led her to rediscover a forgotten treatment for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This unprecedented treatment saved Patterson’s life as well as several others and helped launch the Center for Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics (IPATH) at UC San Diego, the first phage therapy center in North America. Series: "Women in Science" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 34410]

Delve into the realms of predatory superbugs with infectious disease epidemiologist Steffanie Strathdee and her husband, psychologist Thomas Patterson. This is an incredible story of Strathdee's fight to save her husband's life, which led her to rediscover a forgotten treatment for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This unprecedented treatment saved Patterson's life as well as several others and helped launch the Center for Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics (IPATH) at UC San Diego, the first phage therapy center in North America. Series: "Women in Science" [Health and Medicine] [Humanities] [Show ID: 34410]