Roger Nation | Member Profile

Prof Roger Nation

Group Leader
Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Monash University

roger.nation@monash.edu

Research Activities

The major research activities at FADDI are to target the burgeoning problem of emergence of multidrug-resistance among microbial pathogens by novel and rational therapeutic approaches.

Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and toxicodynamics of colistin in animals, in cystic fibrosis patients and critically-ill patients: enhancing efficacy and reducing resistance and toxicities (NHMRC funded project, NIH grant application)
Novel therapy and formulations against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (NHMRC funded project, International Patent Application)
Anti-pathogenic and anti-biofilm effects of antimicrobials (Partially funded by NHMRC)
Novel combinations for bacterial infections
Integration of pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and toxicodynamic principles to assist in antimicrobial development and clinical use, to reduce resistance development and to optimise efficacy (e.g. linezolid - NHMRC funded project)
Transport of drugs and metabolites across biological membranes
Discovery of novel antibiotics against bacterial 'superbugs'

Techniques/Expertise

Susceptibility testing including: minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations; fractional inhibition concentrations (for combinations); population analysis profiles
Time-kill experiments and post-antibiotic effect experiments (in vitro and in vivo)
In vitro Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) infection model
In vitro biofilm model
Animal infection models (e.g. mouse thigh and mouse lung)
Discovery and purification of novel antimicrobial agents from natural products
Quantitative analysis of drugs in biological fluids (using HPLC and bioassays)
Determination of protein binding
Organ perfusion (liver, kidney and placenta), PK in small (infected or uninfected) animals PK/PD analysis
Pharmacokinetics of antimicrobials in small animals, including hepatic and renal handling of drugs and and metabolites
Clinical trials
Access to a wide range of equipment and expertise in the Faculty of Pharmacy

Collaborations

Professor John Turnidge and Associate Professor Kingsley Coulthard (Women's and Children's Hospital)
Associate Professor David Paterson (University of Pittsburg, USA)
Professor Alan Forrest (State University of New York at Buffalo, USA)
Associate Professor Denis Spelman (Alfred Hospital)
Professor Jeff Lipman (University of Queensland)
Professor Lyndsay Grayson and Dr Peter Ward (Austin Health)
Associate Professor Robert Milne (Sansom Institute, University of South Australia)
Dr Cynthia Whitchurch (Department of Microbiology, Monash University)
Dr Deborah Middleton (Australian Animal Health Laboratory, CSIRO)
Drs Ian Larson and Ben Boyd (Department of Pharmaceutics, Monash University)
Dr Alexandre Prehn Zavascki (Hospital Sao Lucas da Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil)_
Dr John Mohr (University of Texas Medical School, USA)