A clinical pharmacist in infectious diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Northeastern University professor Brandon Dionne knows the importance of antibiotics.
Much of his career has focused on preserving them for future generations by working with pharmacy students and consulting physicians on best practices to avoid antibiotic resistance.
“I became interested in infectious diseases when I first read about the increasing prevalence of ‘superbugs’ that are resistant to many of our antibiotic options due to misuse or overuse,” Dionne says.
“I’m passionate about educating the public about steps to reduce disease transmission as well as which conditions need antibiotics,” and which don’t, he says.
The Infectious Diseases Society of America recently recognized Dionne’s contributions to the field by naming him to its 2025 class of fellows.
Calling the fellowship “one of the highest honors in infectious diseases,” the society says it “recognizes individuals whose careers reflect deep curiosity, scientific excellence and a commitment to compassionate care and health equity.”
“They are advancing science, expanding access to care and strengthening the systems we rely on to protect public health,” Dr. Tina Tan, the society’s president, said when the class of 167 fellows was announced in May.
For Dionne, an associate clinical professor in Northeastern’s department of pharmacy and health systems sciences, the infectious diseases fellowship provides another opportunity to educate professionals and the public about how they can stem the spread of disease through the right treatments.
“Antibiotic resistance is driven by misuse for conditions that don’t need antibiotics, like bronchitis, or overuse through longer than necessary durations in conditions like urinary tract infections, where three to five days is typically sufficient,” he says.
Dionne says the focus should be on antimicrobial stewardship, which promotes the appropriate use of antibiotic, antifungal and antiviral medications. “It’s important to help reduce the emergence of ‘superbugs’ and preserve antibiotics for future generations,” he says.
Employed at Northeastern for nine years, Dionne is a board-certified infectious diseases pharmacist and American Academy of HIV Medicine-certified HIV pharmacist. He has played a leading role with the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, serving as the national chairperson for the Infectious Diseases Practice and Research Network.
Originally planning to become a virologist and study the uses of viruses against drug-resistant bacteria, Dionne says he realized his passion lay with the clinical side of medicine.
“The profession of pharmacy allowed me to combine my interest in antibiotics with clinical care through post-graduate residency training in infectious diseases,” he says.
In addition to teaching pharmacy courses at Northeastern, Dionne instructs pharmacy students going through clinical rotations at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, serves as residency coordinator for the Brigham’s infectious disease residency program, and attends rounds with infectious disease physicians and fellows.
Dionne says he’s honored that the Infectious Diseases Society of America’s board of directors approved his nomination for the fellowship.
“It recognizes my efforts in practice, research, and teaching in the field of infectious disease,” he says.