John Conly, MD, is a physician trained in infectious disease, and is a professor in the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary. Recently the Head for the Department of Medicine at the University of Calgary, Dr. Conly was the founding Co-Chair of the Canadian Hospital Epidemiology Committee, past President of the Canadian Infectious Disease Society, past Chairman of the Board for the Canadian Committee on Antibiotic Resistance and a previous Vice Chair for the Canadian Expert Drug Advisory Committee. He is currently a Board member for the Canadian Foundation for Infectious Diseases and the Editor-in-Chief for the Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology. He has received numerous career honours including the Joe Doupe Young Investigator Award from the Canadian Society for Clinical Investigation, an Award of Excellence from the Riverdale Hospital, and the Distinguished Service Award from the Canadian Infectious Diseases Society. With over 120 peer-reviewed publications in his career, and over $10,000,000 in funding secured in the last five years alone, Dr. Conly has achieved substantial results in furthering his research agenda focused on innovative infection control. (From w21c.org)
Clinical Interests: Antibiotic resistant organisms; Community Associated MRSA Infections; Nosocomial Infections
Research Interests:
Molecular epidemiology (development and application of molecular subtyping techniques (PFGE, AP-PCR, long PCR ) for microorganisms of epidemiologic significance – MRSA, Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, E. gallinarum, S. epidermidis, C. difficile, ESBL) AP-PCR fingerprinting as a tool for rapid species identification of enterococci.
Hospital epidemiology (investigation and control of MRSA and VRE and other MDROs; quality improvements relating to surgical site infections; development of innovative electronic surveillance using hospital computing system; continuous quality management and cost-containment in infection control; central venous line and arterial line-related infections in the Critical Care Unit.
Epidemiology of antimicrobial utilization – institution/region/province based and pharmacoeconomics (development of innovative strategies to achieve cost savings for antimicrobials – dose minimizations, vancomycin restriction, mandatory consults).
Control of antimicrobial resistance – epidemiology of antimicrobial usage; methods for quality improvements related to antimicrobial prescribing at provincial/ national level (Canadian Co-ordinating Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance).
Pharmacoeconomics (development of innovative strategies to achieve cost savings for antimicrobials – dose minimizations, vancomycin restriction, mandatory consults).