Research Competencies — ALLIANCE FOR THE PRUDENT USE OF ANTIBIOTICS

Through research and surveillance projects, APUA defines drug resistance patterns and trends in antibiotic use and access (see APUA and Levy Lab publications). This evidence is disseminated and used to develop strategies to curb antibiotic resistance and strengthen health systems' responses. Based in Boston, MA, APUA global research resources include:

The Center for Adaptation Genetics and Drug Resistance at Tufts University, a laboratory focused on antibiotic resistance;
A professional scientific and public health staff with extensive field experience in industrial and developing countries;
An international Scientific Advisory Board comprised of the world’s top infectious disease experts in treating HIV, TB, and malaria;
Affiliated country chapters in over 60 countries, including many in Africa, Southeast Asia and other resource-poor regions.

APUA's multidisciplinary research approach aims to provide evidence to inform public policy and healthcare practice.

Basic Science, Epidemiology and Surveillance
APUA coordinates several surveillance projects, including a public/private partnership in order to identify emerging trends in drug resistance. APUA has initiated projects involving pathogen surveillance, commensal surveillance, and the surveillance of reservoirs of antibiotic resistance.
Local Health Services Research and Clinical Interventions
APUA works with affiliated country chapters in over 60 countries through the APUA Chapter Network and local partners to track antimicrobial resistance and execute international grassroots interventions to improve antibiotic access and use. Priorities are set in accord with local priorities, the WHO Global Strategy for the Containment of Antimicrobial Resistance, and the U.S. Interagency Plan to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance.
Behavioral Research
APUA conducts surveys to identify and better understand behaviors that contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance. Past projects include a national consumer survey about the beliefs and circumstances that promote inappropriate use of antibiotics among the public and an opinion survey of Massachusetts physicians aimed at deteriming the factors that influence their decision making processes and prescribing practices.