CAIC's AMR Action Podcast CAIC Media

Dr. Henry Skinner, CEO of the AMR Action Fund, joins Dani Peters, CAIC Senior Advisor, for World Antimicrobial Awareness Week to discuss the status of the global campaign to combat antimicrobial resistance in this 8th episode of the AMR Action Podcast. Dr. Skinner shares his perspective on the challenges with the broken market, and the barriers that need to be overcome in order to expedite innovation for new antimicrobials. He also discusses incentive models for policy makers and why more robust investments are needed from the private sector. Finally, he shares his optimism stemming from new technologies that are being tested and supported through the AMR Action Fund.

In this tenth episode of the AMR Action Podcast, Dani Peters, CAIC Senior Advisor, speaks with Dr. Sue Twine, National Research Council of Canada’s Director General of the Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, and researchers Dr. Danielle Peters and Alyssa McAdorey, about their work to address the growing public health threat of antimicrobial resistance and the importance of collaborating across institutions and industry in order to tackle the “next big silent pandemic.” 

Our seventh episode of the AMR Action Podcast features Dr. Larissa Matukas, an Associate Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto, Head of the Division of Microbiology and an Infectious Disease Consultant at St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto.  Dr. Matukas speaks about stewardship, surveillance and the use of diagnostic technologies to help combat antimicrobial resistance.

In this episode of the AMR Action Podcast, Lorna McEwan, a cystic fibrosis patient advocate spoke with Dani Peters, CAIC Senior Advisor, about her unique experiences as the oldest CF patient diagnosed at birth in Saskatchewan and her work as a CF advocate. Lorna shares her perspective regarding the importance of biomedical innovation, specifically how a gene-altering drug brought to Canada in 2021 has changed her life for the better. She also provides advice on how patients can advocate for themselves, not give up and share their experiences to impact broader policy and health care in Canada.

Patient advocates Hailey Laxer, cystic fibrosis (CF) patient, and Kristine Russell, sepsis survivor, speak with CAIC senior advisor Dani Peters about their unique patient journeys and how antibiotics have saved each of their lives. They discuss how the new antibiotic pipeline has dried up and the critical role of biomedical innovation in enabling Canadians to live healthier, better lives. Hailey and Kristine also share their personal stories and perspectives on how patients should be engaged in the issues related to antimicrobial resistance and access to newer antimicrobials in Canada.

Our fourth episode of the AMR Action Podcast features professors Dr. Lori Burrows, Associate Director of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research (IIDR), McMaster University, and Dr. Gerry Wright, Director of the IIDR, McMaster University. CAIC Senior Advisor Dani Peters speaks with Dr. Burrows and Dr. Wright about the McMaster Antibiotic Access & Capacity (MAAC) Project, a collaboration between CAIC and McMaster University. Steered by a committee whose members represent the many facets of the antibiotic space in Canada — industry, academia, economics, microbiology, policy, knowledge translation, and medicine — the MAAC Project was established to improve the health of Canadians by increasing prescribing options and optimizing the use of appropriate antibiotics via an integrated model that follows the principles of accessibility, stewardship, and reasonable costs. Tune in to the episode to learn more and access the full report: https://iidr.mcmaster.ca/MAAC/