McMaster University professor takes home $100,000 Killam Prize

A McMaster professor’s research into antimicrobial resistance has earned him a $100,000 prize from the Dorothy Killam Trust.

Gerry Wright says bacteria have become increasingly resistant to many existing antibiotic drugs, due to bacterial evolution and the overuse and misuse of antibiotics.

“My lab is very interested in trying to understand, first of all, what drives this evolution, where does all this resistance come from, right, so we can be prepared,” Wright said.

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“And the second thing is, okay with that knowledge, can we start to think about using that to find new drugs, new ways to preserve our old drugs.”

He has spent three decades trying to better understand this evolution and what can be done about it.

Wright is one of five scientists being recognized with this cash award.

(Cover image courtesy of McMaster University.)