New Research by PRI Faculty Examines Challenges in Forecasting Antimicrobial Resistance

Apr 6, 2023 | News

In an article published in the CDC Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal, PRI Epidemiology and Modeling Co-Lead Sen Pei led a group of researchers, including fellow co-lead Jeffrey Shaman in examining the utility of real-time forecasting models for antimicrobial-resistant organisms.

Antimicrobial resistance is a major threat to human health. Since the 2000s, computational tools for predicting infectious diseases have been greatly advanced; however, efforts to develop real-time forecasting models for antimicrobial-resistant organisms (AMROs) have been absent. In this perspective, we discuss the utility of AMRO forecasting at different scales, highlight the challenges in this field, and suggest future research priorities. We also discuss challenges in scientific understanding, access to high-quality data, model calibration, and implementation and evaluation of forecasting models. We further highlight the need to initiate research on AMRO forecasting using currently available data and resources to galvanize the research community and address initial practical questions.

Read the full article at CDC Emerging Infectious Diseases.