• Portrait of George Zhanel.
  • Professor

    Max Rady College of Medicine
    Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
    Room 543 Basic Medical Sciences Bldg.
    University of Manitoba
    Winnipeg, Manitoba R3E 0J9

    Phone: 204-787-4902
    ggzhanel@pcsinternet.ca

Research achievements

Research summary

As research director of the Canadian Antimicrobial Resistance Alliance, Dr. Zhanel's research interests include:

  • Understanding the prevalence epidemiology and spread of antimicrobial resistant infections
  • Describing the clinical relevance of resistant infections
  • Identifying and developing rapid diagnostic methods to rapidly diagnose infections
  • Investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms of resistance
  • Assessing activity of marketed and investigational antimicrobials as well as agents with antimicrobial activity (e.g., preservatives, antiseptics, disinfectants, sterilizers)
  • Discovering novel antimicrobials (holder of several patents) and assessing the properties
  • Efficacy and biological evolution and influence of select vaccines
  • Research using pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modeling and Monte Carlo analyses to provide optimal treatment and prevention of infections is occurring
  • Assessing the medical and economic outcomes of infections as well as studying the relationships between antimicrobial usage/stewardship including in dermatology (oral and topical) as well as vaccination and the development of antimicrobial resistant infections
  • Both community-associated and healthcare-associated infections and pathogens are of interest including respiratory infections (including Streptococcus pneumoniae, influenza and COVID-19 infections), urinary tract infections, skin/soft tissue infections, intra-abdominal infections, nosocomial infections in hospitalized patients as well as in intensive care units, bacteremic infections, Extended Spectrum b-lactamase (ESBL) producing and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) including community-associated CA-MRSA, vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), Clostridium difficile, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and antifungal resistant infections.

Research themes

  • Antimicrobial resistant infections
  • Diagnostics
  • Discovery and development
  • Pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics
  • Treatment and prevention of infection
  • Vaccines

Consulting interests

Discovery and development of agents used to prevent and/or treat infectious diseases including diagnostics, antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, antiparasitics, antituberculers, antiseptics, preservatives, disinfectants, sterilizers, agents with antimicrobial activity and vaccines.

Keywords

  • Agents with antimicrobial activity
  • Antimicrobials
  • Antimicrobial Resistance
  • Diagnostics
  • Pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics
  • Prevention of infection
  • Treatment of infection
  • Vaccines

Research groups

Canadian Antimicrobial Resistance Alliance (CARA, www.can-r.com)

Biography

Dr. George Zhanel is a professor in medical microbiology/infectious diseases at the Max Rady College of Medicine and Research Director of the Canadian Antimicrobial Resistance Alliance (CARA).

He is the founding and chief editor of the Canadian Antimicrobial Resistance Alliance (CARA) website (www.can-r.com).

Dr. Zhanel has published over 1,000 papers, chapters and abstracts in the areas of treatment and prevention of infectious diseases, pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics and discovery and development.

He has presented over 1,000 lectures as an invited speaker at international, national, and local in Canada, United States, Central and South America, Western and Eastern Europe including Russia, Australia, Southern and Northern Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

Dr. Zhanel has been involved in treatment guideline development for a variety of infectious diseases and is also interested in antimicrobial usage/resistance in humans, animals and food (one health) and the impact of antimicrobial exposure on human and animal microbiomes. 

He has received or been nominated for more than 80 teaching awards including the Canadian Association for Medical Education (CAME) merit teaching award in 2020.

Dr. Zhanel is a member of the Who’s Who in Medical Sciences Education (WWMSE).

Education

  • PhD in Medical Microbiology, University of Manitoba (1994)
  • Doctor of Clinical Pharmacy (magna cum laude), University of Minnesota (1986)
  • Bachelor of Sciences in pharmacy, University of Manitoba (1984)

Awards

  • Eighty-five nominations or awards for teaching excellence - University of Manitoba (1988-present)
  • Canadian Association of Medical Education (CAME) merit award for teaching excellence (2020)
  • Who’s Who in Medical Sciences Education (WWMSE)

 

Dr. George Zhanel In the news

Contact us

Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
Max Rady College of Medicine
Room 543 - 745 Bannatyne Avenue
University of Manitoba (Bannatyne campus)
Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9 Canada

204-789-3299
204-789-3926