Professor David Paterson is a globally recognized leader in infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance research, currently serving as Director of the University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research with a joint appointment at the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. He earned his MBBS and PhD from the University of Queensland, followed by advanced training in Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, establishing a distinguished clinical and research career spanning multiple continents. His professional journey includes a significant decade at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine where he directed the Antibiotic Management Program and served as Chief of Transplant Infectious Diseases before returning to Australia in 2007. As Director of ADVANCE-ID (ADVANcing Clinical Evidence in Infectious Diseases), he has built an internationally recognized program that bridges clinical practice with rigorous scientific investigation.
Professor Paterson's groundbreaking research on antimicrobial resistance has fundamentally transformed clinical approaches to treating infections with antibiotic-resistant organisms, with his seminal 2005 review on Extended-spectrum β-lactamases becoming one of the most cited works in infectious diseases with nearly 6,000 citations. As Australia's most cited Infectious Diseases Physician and highest cited researcher in Microbiology, he has been consistently featured on the Highly Cited Researchers list from 2015 to 2019, reflecting his global impact across more than 400 publications. His leadership in conducting the world's largest trial on antibiotics for extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing bacterial infections (the MERINO trial) has directly influenced clinical practice guidelines worldwide, saving countless lives through evidence-based antibiotic stewardship. His work uniquely integrates molecular epidemiology with clinical application, translating complex scientific findings into practical protocols that address one of modern medicine's most pressing challenges.
Beyond his research achievements, Professor Paterson has been instrumental in building clinical research capacity through his mentorship of numerous clinical researchers and his leadership in international collaborative networks addressing antimicrobial resistance. He currently directs multiple innovative projects including the COMBAT initiative for core outcome measures in bloodstream infection antimicrobial trials and culture-independent metagenomic diagnostics development through the Genome Innovation Hub. His current work focuses on optimizing antibiotic treatment strategies through genomic approaches while addressing the urgent global threat of multidrug-resistant pathogens. As antimicrobial resistance continues to pose one of the greatest threats to global health security, Professor Paterson remains at the forefront of developing evidence-based solutions that balance immediate patient care needs with sustainable long-term public health strategies.
