March 31, 2023
Dr. Paul Plummer, professor of veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine, the Anderson Chair in Veterinary Medicine, and associate dean of research and graduate studies in the College of Veterinary Medicine has been appointed chair of the U.S. Presidential Advisory Council on Combatting Antimicrobial Resistant Bacteria (PACCARB).
PACCARB provides advice, information, and recommendations to the U.S. Secretary of Health & Human Services regarding programs and policies intended to support and evaluate the implementation of U.S. government activities related to combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Since its inception seven years ago, PACCARB has held 23 public meetings, 11 formal reports, and countless hours of discussion. Last week, the council approved its latest report “Preparing for the Next Pandemic in the Era of Antimicrobial Resistance: A Report with Recommendations.”
Plummer also serves as the executive director of the National Institute of Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Education (NIAMRRE). The national institute seeks to improve the understanding of antimicrobial resistance to reduce its societal impact. Based at Iowa State University, NIAMRRE seeks to improve health for people, animal, and the environment.
Board certified in large animal medicine from the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and the European College of Small Ruminant Health Management, Plummer leads an independent, extramurally funded research laboratory with a significant focus on zoonotic pathogens of livestock, antimicrobial resistance/stewardship/use, and livestock welfare. His laboratory uses a combination of experimental approaches that range from field work and sampling to benchtop genetic manipulation of bacteria.
While at Iowa State, Plummer has received both the Iowa State University Early Career Achievement Award for Research Excellence and the College of Veterinary Medicine Early Career Achievement in Research Award. He received the Zoetis Distinguished Veterinary Teacher Award in 2014.
Plummer earned his DVM degree from the University of Tennessee and he received a PhD in veterinary microbiology from Iowa State. He did a large animal medicine and surgery internship at Texas A&M University and was a large animal medicine resident at the University of Tennessee.
