WNEU College of Pharmacy Professor Named 2020 Stand Up to Superbugs Ambassador

SPRINGFIELD — Western New England University (WNEU) professor Dr. Seth Housman was recently named one of the 2020 Stand Up to Superbugs Ambassadors by the Pew Charitable Trust Network. More than 40 individuals from across the country gathered in Washington in late February as part of the initiative.

Stand Up to Superbugs is a diverse group of people from across the U.S. who are working to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria and prevent a return to the pre-antibiotic era when simple infections accounted for at least one-third of all deaths. They do this by supporting three things: innovation to reinvigorate the pipeline of antibiotics in development, responsible use of existing antibiotics in veterinary and human medicine, and increased federal funding.

Stand Up to Superbugs ambassadors are part of the Pew Charitable Trusts’ network of survivors, farmers, doctors, researchers, and others with a personal connection to the issue of antibiotic resistance. They are sharing their unique experiences and perspectives to help raise awareness about the growing public-health and national-security threat posed by drug-resistant bacteria. Of the more than 40 ambassadors from across the country, Housman is one of only five pharmacists on the team.

Housman is a clinical assistant professor of Acute Care in the department of Pharmacy Practice at WNEU. He maintains a practice site at Baystate Medical Center as an infectious-diseases pharmacy specialist and assistant residency program director for the second-year post-graduate infectious-diseases pharmacy residency. His research interests include optimizing antimicrobial dosing to overcome antimicrobial resistance.