Biography

Dr. Kerry LaPlante is Dean and tenured Professor at the College of Pharmacy, as well as the founding Director of the Rhode Island Infectious Diseases (RIID) Antibiotic Research Program at the Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center. She also holds an appointment as Adjunct Professor of Medicine at Brown University.

An internationally recognized expert in antibiotic therapy and infectious diseases, Dr. LaPlante has secured over $22 million in competitive research funding. Her work centers on optimizing antimicrobial use to prevent resistance, with a strong focus on biofilms and multidrug-resistant organisms. Her research integrates clinical practice with translational science, advancing strategies for treatment, prevention, and decolonization of resistant infections.

Dr. LaPlante has authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications and has been awarded over 50 grants with continuous funding from the NIH, Department of Veterans Affairs, and industry-supported initiatives.

Her expertise is sought by leading national organizations. She has served as an advisor to the CDC, PEW Research Center, and The Joint Commission. In Rhode Island, she played a pivotal role in public health leadership—founding the Department of Health’s Antimicrobial Stewardship and Environmental Task Force and spearheading the Antimicrobial Stewardship Expansion Initiative. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was appointed to the Governor’s Vaccine Subcommittee to help guide statewide response efforts.