The American Society for Microbiology honors Binh An Diep

Binh An Diep, Ph.D., Assistant Adjunct Professor, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, has been chosen by the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) to receive a 2010 ICAAC Young Investigator Award. Sponsored by Merck, U.S. Human Health Division, this award recognizes an early career scientist for research excellence in microbiology and infectious diseases.

Dr. Diep earned his B.A. in 2000 and his Ph.D. in 2005 from the University of California, Berkeley, and completed his postdoctoral training in 2008 at the University of California, San Francisco.

Dr. Diep is honored for his significant contributions to our understanding of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) epidemiology and pathogenesis. His research is focused on understanding the genetic basis of increased frequency and severity of MRSA infections. His work on the emergence and epidemic spread of a community-associated MRSA clone called USA300 has provided a genetic framework for subsequent studies to characterize the factors that determine the particularly virulent behavior of USA300. Dr. Diep and his colleagues determined mechanisms by which exotoxins produced by USA300 cause severe lung necrosis, pulmonary edema, alveolar hemorrhage, profound respiratory failure and death. Because of the high mortality rate associated with necrotizing pneumonia caused by USA300 and other community-associated S. aureus clones, there is an urgent need to develop new therapeutic approaches to block the effects of these potent exotoxins.

Provided by American Society for Microbiology