January 18, 2022

Postdoctoral scholar Sara Alosaimy wins Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists Paper of the Year

Late last year, WSU Applebaum postdoctoral scholar Sara Alosaimy was honored by the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists with the Infectious Diseases Pharmacotherapy Paper of the Year award. She is currently a research scientist at the Anti-Infective Research Laboratory (ARL) directed by Professor of Pharmacy Practice Michael J. Rybak.  

SIDP — an association of pharmacists and allied health care professionals dedicated to promoting the appropriate use of antimicrobial agents, advancing infectious diseases pharmaceutical care and optimizing patient care — established the award two decades ago to recognize an outstanding contribution in literature to infectious diseases practice or research. Nominees are primarily evaluated based on their contribution to the paper and the impact or significance of the publication. The research must have direct relevance to infectious diseases pharmacotherapy in patients. 

Alosaimy received the award for her paper “Vancomycin Area Under the Curve to Predict Timely Clinical Response in the Treatment of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Complicated Skin and Soft Tissue Infections” during the SIDP annual meeting, which took place virtually in November 2021.

The project investigated the monitoring of vancomycin, a widely used antibiotic for skin and soft tissue infections, which are the most common infections in the United States today. The manuscript examined vancomycin AUC-based monitoring methods. Alosaimy’s results suggest that vancomycin AUC monitoring is associated with improved clinical outcomes and may be warranted in patients at high risk of acute kidney injury.

“This prestigious award is truly a remarkable accomplishment for Sara and the lab," Rybak said. "SIDP only selects one paper every year that has made, or has potential to make, the most significant impact on future infectious diseases practice and/or research out of many potential published manuscripts. The data in this paper not only helps to fill a therapeutic knowledge gap in infectious diseases but provides clinicians ready-to-use information needed to safely dose and monitor vancomycin therapy for patients with skin and soft tissue infections.” 

Alosaimy's project is valuable to the scientific community, as it was established right after the publication of revised consensus guidelines for vancomycin dosing and monitoring, which acknowledged that there was sparse literature regarding vancomycin AUC monitoring in skin infections. Because the study fulfills an important gap in knowledge regarding the therapeutics of vancomycin, it was deemed worthy of being named Paper of the Year.

"This award means a lot to me professionally because this research project was one of the first that I lead as a first-year fellow in the lab," Alosaimy said. "This recognition is a testament to the growth and knowledge the ARL and Dr. Rybak's mentorship have provided me with throughout my training” 

Just prior to receiving the SIDP award, Alosaimy earned first place among postdoctoral scholars for her project Standardized Treatment and Assessment Pathway Improves Mortality in Adults with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia: STAPH-Study during the 2021 WSU Applebaum College Research Day.

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