Biography of Resistance

A useful, engaging opus — New York Times Book ReviewAntibiotic resistance is a global problem—a disease present in Karachi one day may arrive in Reno, Nev., the next—yet the same connectivity that has spread resistance has eased collaboration across borders. Mr. Zaman’s optimism…is welcome, though not always easy to share. Still, his sense of urgency is irresistible.  — Wall Street Journal”A vivid portrayal of our fight against an opponent that has been around for more than 3 billion years. Zaman, a professor of biomedical engineering and international health, portrays a conflict—between humans and harmful strains of bacteria—that has played out in plagues and epidemics over millennia.“  — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)“I was born under the antibiotic umbrella and took effective antibiotics for granted. Yet we still battle pneumonia, which still kills 800,000 children per year, due to a lack of access. Meanwhile, there is excess use of antibiotics, in humans and animals, causing the problem of drug-resistant infections. This book tells you the story of the people who set up the antibiotic umbrella and the challenge to keep it up—for all of us, together, as one humanity. Because no wall will ever protect us against drug-resistant infections.” — Stefan Swartling Peterson, chief of health, UNICEF“If you read one book this year, please make it this one. A breathtaking, inspiring, and very personal account of one of the greatest challenges of our time—drug-resistant infections—an issue that will undermine the whole of modern medicine unless we act, and we act now. This book is about what has made modern medicine possible—the ability to control and treat infections. This book fills one with hope that science can overcome the challenge, politicians can act, policies can work, and drug-resistant infections do not need to be the end of modern medicine. It is enthralling, engaging, and beautifully written.” — Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of Wellcome Trust“Biography of Resistance is a sweeping and engaging history of the tango humanity dances with bacteria—which both make human life possible and have the capacity to end it. Our efforts in the past hundred years to gain the upper hand have led to remarkable successes—but now may be backfiring as antimicrobial resistance looms as the biggest public health challenge of our time. Dr. Zaman’s story is timely and urgent.” — Kathleen Sebelius, former United States Secretary of Health and Human Services

Muhammad H. Zaman is Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor of Biomedical Engineering and International Health at Boston University. Prof. Zaman’s current research is focused on using quantitative tools to understand tumor metastasis, developing robust technologies for high-value healthcare problems in the developing world (particularly in maternal and child health), and working on health and innovation policy issues in developing nations. Technologies developed by Prof. Zaman are in various stages of implementation in several countries. In 2013, Scientific American named a technology from Zaman lab, PharmaChk, among the 10 technologies that will change the world.

He has won numerous awards for his research and teaching from IEEE, FEBS, American Society for Engineering Education, USAID, The US National Academy of Sciences, The University of Texas System, Boston University and other national and international organisations. Most recently, he was named Howard Hughes Professor by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and was elected as a Fellow of American Institute of Biological and Medical Engineering.

In addition to his research, Prof. Zaman is actively engaged in bringing quality engineering education to several developing nations. He is currently involved in setting up biomedical engineering departments at universities in Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, and Ethiopia. He is co-Director of the UN Africa Biomedical Initiative. He is a regular contributor on issues of drug quality control and global health for the Project Syndicate (his columns have appeared in newspapers in more than 20 countries), Huffington Post and writes a weekly column on innovation in health and education for leading Pakistan daily, Express Tribune.