John G. Bartlett, M.D., Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, has been honored with the prestigious Cubist-ICAAC Award from the American Society for Microbiology. Supported by Cubist Pharmaceuticals, the award rewards 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.
Dr. Bartlett served as Chief of the Infectious Disease Division at the School for 26 years, stepping down in July of 2006. Thomas O'Brien, Academy Fellow from Harvard Medical School, says that Dr. Bartlett "has contributed more to our understanding of numerous kinds of infecting microbes and their interactions with antimicrobial agents than anyone else I can think of." "Dr. Bartlett's career is distinguished by the breadth of his contributions to ID; the depth of his knowledge across the field; and his enormous productivity. He is a true visionary, able to predict the importance of emerging problems and innovations before most people have taken notice," adds a supporter of the nomination, Joel E. Gallant of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Dr. Bartlett received his undergraduate degree at Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, and his medical degree at Upstate Medical Center, Syracuse, NY. He trained in internal medicine at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Boston, MA, and the University of Alabama, Birmingham, and he completed his fellowship training in infectious diseases at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Before accepting his current position at The Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Bartlett served as a faculty member at UCLA and Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, MA, and was associate chief of staff for research at the Boston VA Hospital.
Dr. Bartlett has worked in several areas of research, all related to his specialty in infectious diseases. His major research interests have included anaerobic infections, pathogenic mechanisms of Bacteroides fragilis, anaerobic pulmonary infections, and Clostridium difficile-associated colitis. Since moving to Johns Hopkins in 1980, his major interests have been building the Infectious Disease Division, development of the Hopkins HIV Care Program, bioterrorism, antibiotic resistance, C. difficile and AIDS. "At a time when HIV was anathema to many ID specialists and hospitals, Dr. Bartlett recognized its scientific importance and the moral imperative of caring for those affected," explains Dr. Gallant. Dr. Bartlett is credited with creating one of the world's first AIDS services, which is "arguably the most respected and academically productive of its kind," says Gallant.
Dr. Bartlett is a member of the Institute of Medicine, a master of the American College of Physicians, past president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), and a recipient of the Kass Award from the IDSA. In 2005, Dr. Bartlett was awarded the Alexander Fleming Award by the IDSA and the Finland Award from the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID). He has been appointed to co-chair the federal guidelines on antiretroviral agents, and spearheaded efforts to control use of antimicrobial agents and encourage pharmaceutical companies to produce new anti-infectives for combating the rising tide of resistance. In addition, Dr. Bartlett has authored over 500 articles and reviews, more than 280 book chapters, and over 60 editions of 18 books. He also participates as an editorial board member for numerous journals.
Sherwood L. Gorbach, Tufts University School of Medicine, was the second supporter on Dr. Bartlett's nomination. He summarizes, "it is not an overstatement to say that John Bartlett is one of the giants of contemporary infectious diseases and microbiology... Not only has he moved the field of antimicrobial chemotherapy forward, he has been a mentor and inspiration to many colleagues, fellows and students at UCLA, Tufts, and now at Johns Hopkins."
The Cubist-ICAAC Award will be presented during ASM's 51st Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC), September 17-20, 2011 in Chicago, IL. ASM is the world's oldest and largest life science organization and has more than 40,000 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.