Working across disciplines to tackle antibiotic resistance

Can you provide a brief overview of Uppsala Antibiotic Center – what do you work with at the centre and what are the main objectives and expected outcomes?

“At the Uppsala Antibiotic Center (UAC), we work across disciplines to tackle antibiotic resistance. We bring together researchers from, for example, medicine, biology, pharmacy, chemistry, technology, and social sciences at Uppsala University and SLU, among others. At UAC we believe that no single field can solve this problem alone.”

“With our activities, we want to strengthen collaboration, train the next generation of AMR scientists, and raise awareness in society about the importance of antibiotics. Our main goal is to build a community that works together toward more sustainable antibiotic use, and learn from each other in every interaction.”

What are your target groups and how can different target groups engage with the center?

“We reach out to many groups, from researchers, students, and healthcare professionals, to companies, policymakers, and the public. Each group connects with us in its own way:

• Researchers and academics can join our network, teach at our activities, co-supervise and mentor PhD students, or apply for small collaboration grants.
  
  
• Students can take our courses, join our research school, participate in our mentoring program, or come to our career events.
  
  
• Companies and organizations often take part in our workshops and conferences to meet researchers and exchange ideas.
  
  
• The public can follow our outreach projects and our podcast, The AMR Studio, where we share real stories from the AMR field.

The goal is to make it easy for anyone interested in antibiotic resistance to find a way in.”

How does the work at Uppsala Antibiotic Center relate to One Health?

“The One Health perspective, as well as the multidisciplinary nature of antibiotic resistance, is at the core of everything we do.

“Antibiotic resistance doesn’t stay within human health; it moves between people, animals, and the environment. Our work reflects that connection as we encourage our researchers and students to think beyond their discipline and to collaborate across veterinary, environmental, and medical fields. We encourage our members to understand the full picture, not just one part of it.”

What are some key challenges and opportunities in the center’s work with research, education, innovation, or awareness on antibiotic resistance?

“One big challenge is that AMR research can feel fragmented, with people working on similar questions but rarely meeting, even when they are in the same city or university.  That’s where we see a real opportunity that our center tackles: creating spaces for collaboration and shared learning.”

“Another challenge is education. We need to train people who can move between fields and understand the complexity of AMR, specialists with a generalist touch, one could say. I see a lot of curiosity from students and early-career researchers, which gives me hope.”

“And of course, awareness is still key. Antibiotic resistance is a slow-moving crisis that it doesn’t make headlines every day, but it affects us all. Keeping it on the public and political agenda takes constant effort. Bacteria will never stop evolving, and resistance is an issue that can only be managed, rather than solved.”

Are there any upcoming activities from the center that you would like to highlight?

“Our center is now expanding its reach, and we have recently opened membership to the wider AMR community at Uppsala. All PhD students, researchers, early-career academics, or professors with an interest in AMR can now officially join UAC.”

“We’re currently preparing for the Uppsala Antibiotic Days 2026, which will be held at the Uppsala University Main Building in June. This conference is our flagship event, now in its third edition. The event offers a chance for researchers, policymakers, and industry partners to meet and share progress.”

“We also run smaller workshops, seminars, and career activities throughout the year, and we’re continuing to grow The AMR Studio podcast, where we highlight the people behind the research.”

“There’s always something happening at UAC, and we love seeing new faces join the conversation!”

Links:

Visit the web page of Uppsala Antibiotic Center: Uppsala Antibiotic Center - Uppsala universitet