Recipharm has announced its 2020 International Environmental Award will be presented to Dr Amy Pruden, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, USA.
Dr Pruden is recognised for her work documenting antibiotic resistance genes as environmental contaminants. Her most recent research focuses on advancing practical means of antibiotic resistance monitoring, mitigation and risk assessment in wastewater, recycled water and other water systems.
Lars Backsell, Chairman of the Board of Recipharm said: “We are delighted to present the 2020 award to Dr Amy Pruden. Her work, which has given deeper understanding of the microbial ecology of water systems, is widely recognised and highlighted. Her work concerning antibiotic resistance is particularly interesting since this is a known challenge for the pharmaceutical industry, healthcare and agriculture sectors. Dr Pruden’s research in this area is invaluable and will no doubt go a long way to identifying exactly how antibiotic use impacts risks in relation to antimicrobial resistance.”
Dr Pruden also serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Environmental Science & Technology and has published more than 175 peer-reviewed manuscripts and book chapters on bioremediation, pathogens and antibiotic resistance. She is also known for her work in advancing the study of environmental microbiomes and designing water systems to prevent the colonisation of pathogens such as Legionella.
Dr Pruden said: “I am very honoured to receive this award and thank Recipharm for this recognition. Our success has really been a team effort, as tackling environmental and public health challenges requires expertise from many disciplines and perspectives. I especially would like to thank my many students for all of their hard work and dedication and I hope that this award offers some inspiration for the future.”
