Infectious Disease And Research With Dr. Jaclyn Cusumano

Youssef Arel, Pharm.D. Candidate 2025

The world of infectious disease can be very intriguing but also very frustrating. With each new antibiotic comes new resistance mechanisms and more challenges than before. That’s why infectious disease researchers, such as Dr. Jaclyn Cusumano, are important to the world of pharmacy. TPN is honored to interview Dr. Cusumano on her career as a researcher, her greatest accomplishment in the field, and her advice for students interested in pursuing research as a potential career path.

What led you to a career in research? I have always had to tendency to ask “why?” for everything I have learned over the years, and I believe this is a key part of research. As an undergrad, I became interested in what a career in research might look like, so I applied for summer undergraduate research programs. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to complete this program at Stony Brook University which first introduced me to the exciting field of basic science and bench research. This encouraged me to later pursue research opportunities after graduation. Also, while in pharmacy school, I had found bacteria fascinating as they can develop various defenses (or resistance mechanisms) against antibiotics. I knew wanted to be part of helping develop innovative ways to overcome their resistance mechanisms to improve treatments for our patients.

How important is research in the field of infectious disease, given the rise of antibiotic- resistance? Infectious diseases research is incredibly important as the bacteria are always one step ahead of us. We develop a new antibiotic and shortly after a new resistance mechanism is made to overcome the antibiotic’s activity. This then challenges the pipeline for new antimicrobial discovery. For example, once an agent is approved, their use is restricted to avoid bacterial resistance developing. However, if we are not able to use the newly approved antibiotic, then the pharmaceutical company that developed the drug can go bankrupt as no one is utilizing their drug. This is a delicate balancing act as we do not want to discourage companies from discovering new antibiotic agents. Thus, infectious diseases research calls for the optimization of currently available treatments. This is where pharmacists can play a key role through the optimization of drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in order to ensure adequate drug concentrations are achieved to eradicate bacteria.

What would you say is your greatest research accomplishment? In my opinion, my greatest research accomplishment to date was hearing from researchers in other countries that my lab’s work impacted the way they treat patients. Last summer, our team published a paper in Microbiology Spectrum that challenges if current first line treatments for Enterococcus faecalis infective endocarditis is appropriate in the presence of a particular resistance phenotype. The next step is to collaborate with these international researchers to correlate the clinical outcomes to patients to best answer this challenging clinical scenario. Additionally, the other accomplishment that I am most proud of is being able to get Pharm.D. students into the research lab to gain experience in bench research. I had always wanted to be involved in bench research as a pharmacy student but never had the opportunity to do so. Therefore, one of my biggest goals, in addition to clinically meaningful research, is engaging Pharm.D. students in the lab so they can also consider this as a career path in the future.

In a past Co-Curricular event, you mentioned that you, along with some of your colleagues, are creating a fellowship program. Can you briefly describe this program and the impact it can have? Starting in July 2023, we had our first infectious diseases fellow join LIU under my supervision as director. This is a 2-year program that is primarily research based that aims to train the next generation of ID pharmacist researchers. The program focuses on clinically translatable research including, but not limited to, fundamental microbiology laboratory work, pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) optimization, and static and dynamic modeling. The fellow will work to conduct clinically meaningful research with the intention to share with the scientific community. Fellows are expected to present research findings as posters or platform presentations at national meetings and then subsequently publish in high impact journals. The fellow will also gain experience in teaching.

What advice would you give to students interested in pursuing a career in research? I believe intellectual curiosity and having the desire to challenge the status quo are key qualities to have as a researcher. If you find yourself fitting this definition, perhaps a career in research is the right field for you!

TPN is honored to have interviewed Dr. Cusumano. Her commitment and dedication are an inspiration for us all. Thank you.