The 2009 American Society for Microbiology (ASM) sanofi-aventis ICAAC Award will be presented to Nicholas J. White, Professor, University of Oxford, United Kingdom and Mahidol University, Bangkok, and Chair, Wellcome Trust South East Asian Research Units, Bangkok. Supported by sanofi-aventis, the award has honored outstanding accomplishment in antimicrobial chemotherapy, development of new agents, investigation of antimicrobial action or resistance to antimicrobial agents, and/or the pharmacology, toxicology or clinical use of those agents since 1982.
Dr. White has spent his career working on the prevention and treatment of malaria. His early research showed that pharmacokinetics can differ between groups and between those with and without malaria. This observation resulted in the guiding of current recommendations for the dosing of antimalarials. His subsequent work with colleagues demonstrated the incredible effectiveness of artemisinin, a traditional Chinese-plant derived antimalarial, in uncomplicated and severe falciparum malaria. They showed that adding a new drug was not sufficient and that monotherapy with artemisinin would likely lead to the spread of resistant parasites. Their observation led to the formulation of the artemisinin-based combination treatments (ACT) which is endorsed by the World Health Organization as the first line treatment for falciparum malaria worldwide. Furthermore, their research showed that artemisinin derivatives reduce malaria transmissibility. His work has been one of the major drivers of the marked decrease in malaria morbidity seen in over a dozen countries this decade.
Dr. White received his MB, BS, M.D., and D.Sc. Medicine from the University of London.
The sanofi-aventis ICAAC Award will be presented during ASM's 49th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, September 12-15, 2009 in San Francisco, 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, economic, and environmental well-being.