Kerry LaPlante named Fellow of IDSA, elected president of SIDP
Two of the nation’s leading organizations in the fight against infectious disease have recognized a University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy professor for her expertise in disease treatment and prevention.
Kerry LaPlante has been named a fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and she has been elected president of the Society of Infectious Disease Pharmacists. Both are leading professional groups committed to treatment, teaching and research of infectious disease.
Fellowship in the Infectious Diseases Society of America honors those who have achieved professional excellence and “provided significant service to the profession,” according to the organization’s website. LaPlante is nationally recognized for her work in the treatment, virulence inhibition, control and prevention of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus — commonly known as MRSA — and device-related infections. From her clinical practice and research at URI’s Avedisian Hall and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Providence, LaPlante has expanded her work to include antimicrobial research, and is among the foremost experts in the treatment, prevention and inhibition of multiple drug resistant bacteria.
“Kerry has done a fantastic job bringing funding and research opportunities to the university,” College of Pharmacy Dean Paul Larrat said. “Her research benefits public health and also benefits the individual patients that we serve.”
To that end, LaPlante has written more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles, abstracts and textbook chapters, and earned funding from the National Institutes of Health, Veterans Health Agency and the pharmaceutical industry. Her research has been presented throughout Europe and the United States.
The Infectious Diseases Society of America brings together scientists “dedicated to stopping infectious diseases in their tracks — whether it be preventing the spread of disease through vaccine development, surveillance or implementing the right treatment at the right time,” said William Powderly, society president. “Each of the individuals awarded status of FIDSA has shown him or herself to be a leader in the field, in their community, as well as their institution.”
Founded in 1990, the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists is an association of pharmacists and allied healthcare professionals dedicated to promoting the appropriate use of antimicrobial agents. Membership includes professionals engaged in patient care, research, teaching, the pharmaceutical industry and government. LaPlante will lead the organization through 2018.