American Society for Microbiology honors J. Stephen Dumler

The 2010 American Society for Microbiology (ASM) BD Award for Research in Clinical Microbiology is being presented to J. Stephen Dumler, M.D., Professor, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Sponsored by BD Diagnostic Systems, this award recognizes a distinguished scientist for research accomplishments that form the foundation for important applications in clinical microbiology.

Dumler's most important contributions have been to the field of human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA). He played the key roles in the discovery of HGA, identification of its etiologic agent, description of the disease, development of serological and molecular diagnostic methods, and investigation of the antimicrobial sensitivity of Anaplasma phagocytophilum. His work fulfilled Koch's postulates for A. phagocytophilum by infecting horses with organisms cultured from clinical cases and then recovering the agent from the infected animals. This work contributed to the identification of the tick vector lxodes scapularis which is the basis of our knowledge of HGA epidemiology.

Dumler has also significantly contributed to our understanding of Ehrlichia and Anaplasma. His work on these organisms include initial discovery, phenotypic characterization, taxonomic classification, development of diagnostic tools that are the current laboratory standards, identification of the reservoirs and vector hosts of these pathogens, and characterization of the virulence factors and mechanisms of pathogenesis. Other tick-transmitted diseases have also been of interest to Dumler. He developed or evaluated numerous diagnostic tests for them, and they are now the standard for most laboratories.

The BD Award for Research in Clinical Microbiology will be presented during the 110th General Meeting of the ASM, May 23-27, 2010 in San Diego, CA. ASM is the world's oldest and largest life science organization and has more than 43,000 members worldwide. ASM's mission is to advance the microbiological sciences and promote the use of scientific knowledge for improved health and economic and environmental well-being.

Provided by American Society for Microbiology