Brandon University Dean of Science, Dr. Bernadette Ardelli, will present at the first BU Science Seminar of the academic year on Thursday, Sept. 13.

Dr. Ardelli will give a talk on called “The Diversification of My Research Portfolio: Minimizing Risks and Maximizing Returns” that addresses her research on drug-resistant parasites, and will present that research program in the context of the development of her research portfolio at BU.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that approximately 85% of the mortality that occurs globally is caused by acute respiratory infections, diarrheal diseases, measles, AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. In the case of all of these life-threatening infections, an acquired resistance or tolerance to the drugs used for treatment has developed making the drugs useless.

For several infectious agents, drug resistance has spread globally and is now the major factor threatening their containment. An increased understanding of drug resistance is imperative in order to effectively manage these infections.

“One of the goals of my research program is to respond to the need for new and improved strategies for control of drug resistant parasites by identifying key factors in them that allow resistance to develop,” Dr. Ardelli says. “The identification of these factors may be the first step towards the development of future drug targets, or for suggesting modifications to currently used drugs, and for the development of specific tests for the diagnosis of resistance.”

She adds that the research is important because the number of effective new drugs being developed is low and resistance takes its toll in money and lives.