Sustained Contributions Award

ASHP Foundation Applauds Garey's 20-plus Years of High-Quality Scholarship in Biomedical Literature

Dec. 11 — The author or contributor on more than 275 peer-reviewed journal articles, University of Houston College of Pharmacy Professor Kevin W. Garey, Pharm.D., M.S., FASHP, FIDSA, FCCP, BCIDP, was recognized with the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP) Research and Education Foundation’s 2023 Literature Award for Sustained Contributions at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting & Exhibition Dec. 3-7 in Anaheim, Calif.

The award to Garey, who serves as chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice & Translational Research and Robert L. Boblitt Endowed Professor of Drug Discovery, "recognizes a pharmacist with a 20-year record of publishing high quality and impactful peer-reviewed biomedical literature."

Over his 24 years of scholarship, Garey focused his early research efforts on surgical site infections, with investigations into invasive candidiasis and Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) infection (CDI) dominating his work over the past decade. His findings in these areas have been incorporated into national and international practice guidelines, as well as being recognized with multiple awards at the national and international levels.

Surgical Site Infections

Among Garey’s early publications on surgical site infections was use of broader-spectrum antimicrobials to overcome emerging resistance. Significant papers published early in his career included investigating the appropriate timing of antibacterial vancomycin for surgical prophylaxis in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy in 2006, risk assessment of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus in the Annals of Pharmacotherapy in 2006, and comparative efficacy of vancomycin to cefuroxime in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in 2008. These and other published results were incorporated into the surgical prophylaxis national treatment guidelines published in ASHP’s official publication, the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, in 2013.

Candida Fungal Infections

Garey’s "big break" into the area of candidiasis – infections caused by Candida fungal species - came in 2006 with his multi-institutional study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases showing delays in initiation of antifungal agent fluconazole increased deaths. Cited more than 1,300 times and recognized with two national awards, the paper caused a paradigm shift in the treatment of candidemia including citations in the U.S., European, Australian, and Brazilian national guidelines. This paper and follow-up articles helped advance the careers of several fellows and mentees as well as drew the interest and grant funding from biotechnology companies developing rapid diagnostic tools for candidemia.

Clostridioides difficile Infection

Garey’s shift to the study of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) was spurred by an outbreak of a hypervirulent strain of the bacterium in the obstetrics ward at his clinical site. The investigation, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, also launched Garey’s C. difficile research team that has published more than 150 peer-reviewed articles on CDI. Based on Scopus Research Discovery data, Garey’s group is now recognized as the fourth most influential research laboratory in the world.

Among the many published CDI and antimicrobial resistance research highlights by Garey and his collaborators are:

• The discovery of a human gene that increases the risk of primary and recurrent CDI;
• Novel drug discoveries, including work with a DNA polymerase antibiotic, ibezapolstat, currently in phase 3 clinical trials;
• Multiple observational and clinical trials that have influenced U.S. and European practice guidelines;
• A multi-site surveillance program to detect the next epidemic strain resulting in identification of the novel ribotype 255 strain;
• Development of a CDI quality of life instrument (Cdiff32) now routinely used in CDI clinical trials; and
• Research funding from such entities as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and companies in the pharmaceutical/biotechnology sectors.

In-demand Expertise

Garey’s expertise in these areas also contributed to his invitation to serve as a member and author of the Infectious Diseases Society of America’s Clinical Practice Guidelines for CDI and a member of its Standards and Practice Guidelines Committee, which produced numerous practice guideline updates in collaboration with the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and other professional health care organizations.

In addition, Garey’s laboratory continues to train students, residents, postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty, and laboratory alumni are engaged in successful careers across the U.S. and the world.

Crowded Display Case

In recognition of his high-impact publications, Garey has built a long list of accolades from ASHP and other organizations. Among these are the Selected Best Papers in Mycology from the Interscience Conference of Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in 2006, Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists Impact Paper in Infectious Diseases (SIDP) Pharmacotherapy Award in 2007, ASHP Drug Therapy Research Award in 2007, Journal of Hospital Infection Best Review Paper of 2009, and the SIDP Impact Paper in Infectious Diseases Pharmacotherapy Award in 2012.

Garey is now the second UHCOP faculty member to win this award. His colleague, Vincent H. Tam, Pharm.D., BCIDP, FIDSA, received the Literature Award for Sustained Contributions in 2019.