Envisioned Future

Reducing/treating infections using augmented intelligence strategies:

1. Develop augmented intelligence system to predict risk of multi-drug resistant (mdr) organism acquisition
2. Develop augmented intelligence system to predict areas of intervention
3. Develop further precision treatment based on individualised patient and organism factors

Key Strategies

Multiple datasets that aim to achieve the following objectives are needed to achieve the envisioned future. 

• To determine mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance using next generation sequencing
• Evaluate how these mechanisms of resistance interplayed to guide empiric therapy
• Assess the extent of each type of mechanism of resistance in transmission and the effect on infection control policies
• Develop a rapid and high throughput platform to detect resistance genes to guide susceptibilities testing
   
• To evaluate risk factors for acquisition of multi-drug resistant infections, and predictors for mortality
• Identification of modifiable risk factors and predictors in different patient types will prevent unnecessary infections and negative clinical outcomes
   
• To identify novel and optimize antimicrobial therapeutic strategies
• Provide new compounds testing platform (from our well-characterized clinical isolates) via collaboration with external collaborators (including pharmaceutical industries)
• Reposition current, and new/emerging antibiotics via strategies in dosing optimization (Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamics bacterial strain specific  elucidation) and/ or as part of combination therapy to retard and prevent further emergence of resistance
  
  

• Antimicrobial drug assays development
• To guide individualized antimicrobial dosing to attain adequate antimicrobial drug levels using  therapeutic drug monitoring
   

• To evaluate novel infection control methods for multi-drug-resistant organisms 
• Serve as a test-bed for novel infection control methods  
   
• To study the effects of Microbiome changes (in diversity and inoculum load) in AMR
   
• Development of alternative therapies
• Relevant Microbiome reconstitution to reinstate the necessary diversity and inoculum load for elimination of multi-drug resistant pathogens
• Cell therapy (mait cells, target immunoglobulins) as an adjunct for AMR
• Bacteriophages utility in AMR

Research Peak Leads

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​Assoc Prof Andrea Kwa Lay Hoon Specialty: Anitmicrobial Resistance Assistant Director, Pharmacy (Research)	​Assoc Prof Tan Thuan Tong Specialty: Infectious Diseases Head ＆ Senior Consultant Infectious Diseases Singapore General Hospital