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Jeffrey M. Rybak, PharmD, PhD
Jeffrey M. Rybak, PharmD, PhD

Jeffrey M. Rybak, PharmD, PhD

Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty

Departments

Education

Postdoctoral Fellowship – University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), Memphis, Tennessee
PhD – College of Graduate Health Sciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), Memphis, Tennessee
Residency (Infectious Diseases) - University of Kentucky HealthCare, Lexington, KY
Residency (Pharmacy Practice) - University of Kentucky HealthCare, Lexington, KY
PharmD - Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy, Detroit, Michigan

Honors & Awards

  • 2019  Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists Young Investigator Research Award Grant
  • 2017  American College of Clinical Pharmacy Research Institute Futures Grant Junior Investigator Award

Research Interests

My primary research interest is in revealing the molecular and genetic underpinnings of antifungal stress response and resistance in pathogenic fungi such as Candida auris and Aspergillus fumigatus in order to advance the treatment of invasive fungal infections, with a particular emphasis on the following aspects:

  • Identification of novel targets for antifungal therapy and therapeutic enhancement strategies
  • Application of next-generation sequencing technologies to identify clinical infections caused by isolates posing greater risk of therapeutic failure
  • Development of molecular tools to advance the study of pathogenic fungi

Selected Publications

Rybak JM, Munoz JF, Barker KS, Parker JE, Esquivel BD, Berkow EL, Lockhart SR, Gade L, Palmer GE, White TC, Kelly SL, Cuomo CA, Rogers PD. Mutations in TAC1B: a novel genetic determinant of clinical fluconazole resistance in C. auris. mBio May 12;11(3):e00365-20, 2020. doi: 10.1128/mBio.00365-20

Esquivel BD, Rybak JM, Barker KS, Fortwendel JR, Rogers PD, White TC. Characterization of the Efflux Capability and Substrate Specificity of Aspergillus fumigatus PDR5-like ABC Transporters Expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. mBio Mar 24;11(2):e00338-20, 2020. doi: 10.1128/mBio.00338-20

Smith JR, Rybak JM, Claeys KC. Imipenem-Cilastatin-Relebactam: A Novel β-Lactam-β-Lactamase Inhibitor Combination for the Treatment of Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Infections. Pharmacotherapy Feb 15, 2020. doi: 10.1002/phar.2378

Rybak JM, Ge W, Wiederhold NP, Parker JE, Kelly SL, Rogers PD, Fortwendel JR. Mutations in hmg1, challenging the paradigm of clinical triazole resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus. mBio Apr 2;10(2):e00437-19, 2019. doi: 10.1128/mBio.00437-19

Rybak JM, Doorley LA, Nishimoto AT, Barker KS, Palmer GE, Rogers PD. Abrogation of triazole resistance upon deletion of CDR1 in a clinical isolate of Candida auris. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2019 Mar 27;63(4):e00057-19, 2019. doi: 10.1128/AAC.00057-19. Print 2019 Apr

Rybak JM, Fortwendel JR, Rogers PD. Emerging threat of triazole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus. J Antimicrob Chemother Apr 1;74(4):835-842, 2019. doi: 10.1093/jac/dky517

Nishimoto AT, Rybak JM, Rogers PD. Biotechnology and Pharmacogenomics. In: Chyka, PA, Boucher, BA, Franks, AS, Waddell, JA (Eds.): APhA’s Complete Review for Pharmacy, 12th ed., American Pharmacists Association, 2017 (in press).

Rybak JM, Dickens CM, Parker JE, Caudle KE, Manigaba K, Whaley SG, Nishimoto AT, Luna-Tapia A, Roy S, Zhang Q, Barker KS, Palmer GE, Sutter TR, Homayouni R, Wiederhold NP, Kelly SL, Rogers PD. Loss of C-5 Sterol Desaturase Activity Results in Increased Resistance to Azole and Echinocandin Antifungals in a Clinical Isolate of Candida parapsilosis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother Aug 24;61(9):e00651-17, 2017. doi: 10.1128/AAC.00651-17. Print 2017 Sep

Peters BM, Luna-Tapia A, Tournu H, Rybak JM, Rogers PD, Palmer GE. An Azole-Tolerant Endosomal Trafficking Mutant of Candida albicans Is Susceptible to Azole Treatment in a Mouse Model of Vaginal Candidiasis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother May 24;61(6):e00084-17, 2017. doi: 10.1128/AAC.00084-17. Print 2017 Jun

Whaley SG, Berkow EL, Rybak JM, Nishimoto AT, Barker KS, Rogers PD. Azole Antifungal Resistance in Candida albicans and Emerging Non-albicans Candida Species. Front Microbiol Jan 12;7:2173, 2017. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.02173. eCollection 2016. Infect Dis Ther Mar;5(1):1-15, 2016. doi: 10.1007/s40121-016-0103-4

Brade KD, Rybak JM, Rybak MJ. Oritavancin: A New Lipoglycopeptide Antibiotic in the Treatment of Gram-Positive Infections. Infect Dis Ther Mar;5(1):1-15, 2016. doi: 10.1007/s40121-016-0103-4

Autry EB, Rybak JM, Leung NR, Gardner BM, Burgess DR, Anstead MI, Kuhn RJ. Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Analyses of Ceftaroline in Adults with Cystic Fibrosis. Pharmacotherapy Jan;36(1):13-8, 2016. doi: 10.1002/phar.1681

Tennant SJ, Burgess DR, Rybak JM, Martin CA, Burgess DS. Utilizing Monte Carlo Simulations to Optimize Institutional Empiric Antipseudomonal Therapy. Antibiotics (Basel) Dec 11;4(4):643-52, 2015. doi: 10.3390/antibiotics4040643

Rybak JM, Marx KR, Nishimoto AT, Rogers PD. Isavuconazole: Pharmacology, Pharmacodynamics, and Current Clinical Experience with a New Triazole Antifungal Agent. Pharmacotherapy Nov;35(11):1037-51, 2015. doi: 10.1002/phar.1652

Zasowski EJ, Rybak JM, Rybak MJ. The β-Lactams Strike Back: Ceftazidime-Avibactam. Pharmacotherapy Aug;35(8):755-70, 2015. doi: 10.1002/phar.1622

Rybak JM, Roberts K. Tedizolid Phosphate: a Next-Generation Oxazolidinone. Infect Dis Ther Feb 24, 2015. Epub

Rybak JM, Marx K, Martin CA. Early experience with tedizolid: clinical efficacy, pharmacodynamics, and resistance. Pharmacotherapy Nov;34(11):1198-208, 2014. doi: 10.1002/phar.1491. Epub 2014 Sep 30

Rybak JM, Barber KE, Rybak MJ. Current and prospective treatments for multidrug-resistant Gram-positive infections. Expert Opin Pharmacother Oct;14(14):1919-32, 2013. doi: 10.1517/14656566.2013.820276. Epub 2013 Jul 22.

Last update: September 2020

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