Apoorv Kalra only has been a part of MSU’s Division of Infectious Disease team for about a year and a half, and he’s already living up to the MSU goal of advancing knowledge, officials said.
Kalra, an assistant professor in MSU’s College of Human Medicine, was one of nine researchers chosen nationwide to receive Pfizer’s 2009 Young Investigator Antibacterial Research Award for his study on the effects of the antibiotic linezolid on the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, a common cause of staph infections. Linezolid is developed by Pfizer.
Kalra said he found out he won the award when some senior faculty members contacted him.
“(They) called me and I was really surprised actually,” Kalra said. “This was my first grant application. It was exciting.”
The award is in the form of a $100,000 grant from Pfizer to further Kalra’s research at MSU, said Mary Nettleman, professor and chair of medicine for MSU College of Human Medicine.
Pfizer granted the award through their program Advancing Science through Pfizer – Investigator Research Exchange, or ASPIRE.
“This is an important recognition of Dr. Kalra’s work,” Nettleman said.
“This is the first time we’ve won an ASPIRE award.”
Pfizer, a New York-based pharmaceutical company, focuses on research to discover and develop medicines to treat and cure disease in many different therapeutic areas, said Kimbal Ford, a Pfizer researcher.
“The purpose of the award is to give a research grant to study the research topic as outlined by the program,” Ford said. “His study was scientifically rigorous and well-designed. It addresses an area of medical need that will hopefully shed light on treatment methods.”
Nettleman said Kalra’s research not only is recognition for MSU, but will help to address an important issue throughout the United States as well.
“Staph is a common skin bacteria and has developed resistance to antibiotics,” Nettleman said. “Dr. Kalra’s work will investigate how staph will respond to linezolid, which is currently effective against MRSA.”
MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is a strain of staph infection that doesn’t respond to treatment with common antibiotics, Nettleman said.
Kalra said staph attaches to human cells, becoming internalized, and once it invades the human immune system, it always can grow back.
His research will look at how linezolid affects protein synthesis, which is essential to staph’s ability to attach to human cells.
Kalra said he expects his research will continue for about a year, but said other questions may arise after a year of research.
“I have always enjoyed working at MSU,” Kalra said. “It has world-class research facilities and the same goes for the faculty.”
Ford said Kalra’s award is a very prestigious one.
“Michigan State should be proud that they have a young and capable researcher to advance knowledge in infectious diseases,” he said.
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