Awardee 2006 for Excellence in Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases


Roland Leclercq born 1949 in Paris, France; MD, PhD, Professor of Microbiology, Head of the Department of Microbiology and of a research group at the University Hospital of Caen, France, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to our understanding of antimicrobial resistance mechanisms, especially in Gram-positive organisms, their epidemiology and clinical implications. He reported and elucidated resistance mechanisms to lincosamides, glycopeptides, aminoglycosides, macrolides and streptogramins, and demonstrated that multiresistance in Staphylococcus aureus from cystic fibrosis patients was due to hypermutable strains. In addition to being a successful researcher Roland Leclercq is a restless and dedicated teacher.

Research Interests
Roland Leclercq’s research focus is on antimicrobial resistance in Gram-positive organisms. In particular, he reported the major types of resistance to glycopeptides in enterococci and a variety of new mechanisms of resistance to macrolides and related antibiotics in streptococci and staphylococci. More recently, he studied the adaptation of Staphylococcus aureus to its host via hypermutability and its influence on antibiotic resistance. He also participated in the development of new antimicrobials and anticipated development of resistance by describing mechanisms of resistance to some of these drugs in laboratory-generated mutants. Beyond the basic aspects of mechanisms of resistance to antimicrobials, his studies extend to the clinical relevance of the findings and epidemiological aspects.