Massachusetts General Hospital

ResearchMy laboratory studies the mechanisms and epidemiology of antibiotic resistance in bacteria with a major focus on the molecular determinants of quinolone action and resistance in Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The work includes characterization of the regulation of expression, membrane topology, and structure-activity relationships of the NorA and related quinolone efflux transport proteins of S. aureus; genetic dissection of the roles of topoisomerase IV and DNA gyrase in DNA replication, in regulation of virulence gene expression, and as drug targets; epidemiologic analyses of quinolone resistance and factors determining rates of antibiotic resistance in hospitals; molecular determinants favoring clonal spread of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium; and role of perioperative antibiotic use in selection of resistant bacteria.

Publications

Hooper DC. Quinolones. In: Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds. Principles and practice of infectious diseases. 7th edition. Philadelphia: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone Inc., 2009; 487-510.

Hooper DC. Urinary tract agents. In: Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds. Principles and practice of infectious diseases. 7th edition. Philadelphia: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone Inc., 2009; 515-520.

Peleg AY, Hooper DC. Hospital-acquired infections due to gram-negative bacteria. N. Engl. J. Med. 2010; 362:1804-1813.

Contact precautions plus

MGH Hotline 4.3.09 Health care workers know that using an alcohol-based hand rub such as Cal Stat both before and after contact with a patient or a patient’s environment is a fast and effective way to reduce health care-associatedinfections.

Sweet success

MGH Hotline 5.22.09 The MGH STOP (Stop Transmission of Pathogens) Task Force recently hosted “Hand Hygiene Day” May 12 to celebrate the hospital reaching a 91/94 percent hand hygiene compliance rate – the practice of proper hand hygiene both before and after contact with the patient or patient’s environment – from January through March.

Sweet success

MGH Hotline 5.22.09 The MGH STOP (Stop Transmission of Pathogens) Task Force recently hosted "Hand Hygiene Day" May 12 to celebrate the hospital reaching a 91/94 percent hand hygiene compliance rate -- the practice of proper hand hygiene both before and after contact with the patient or patient's environment -- from January through March.

Intense flu season at the MGH

At the MGH, there has been a considerable increase in the number of flu cases in the past several weeks, with health centers, outpatient practices and the Emergency Department reporting seeing an additional 40 to 80 patients a day with flu-like illness.

Three teams honored with annual Bowditch Prize

Three innovative teams were honored with this year’s Nathaniel Bowditch Prize, which recognized their significant contributions to enhance the delivery of quality patient care while also reducing the cost of that care.