Dr. Jennifer Le

Infectious Diseases

Jennifer Le, Pharm.D., BCPS-ID

Associate Professor of Clinical Pharmacy
Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Telephone: (858) 534-3692
Email: jenle@ucsd.edu

Research Summary:

Dr. Jennifer Le's primary research interests encompass the safe use of antimicrobial agents, their pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, and outcomes associated with resistant infections in neonatal and pediatric populations. As a board certified pharmacotherapy specialist in infectious diseases, Dr. Le maintains a clinical practice site at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center and Miller Children's Hospital.
Some of her current research projects include: nephrotoxicity associated with vancomycin in children; optimizing outcomes of Gram-negative infections; complications associated with S. aureus bacteremia in children; effects of delayed initiation of antifungal therapy in critically-ill infants with candidemia; and complications associated with outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy.

Academic Achievements

Education: B.S. in Biology (1995) UCLA; Pharm.D. (2000) UCSF; ASHP-accredited Residency in Pharmacy Practice (2001) Long Beach Memorial Medical Center and Miller Children's Hospital; Board certification in pharmaceutical sciences with added qualification in infectious diseases (2007) (BCPS-ID); APhA-certified in pharmacy-based immunization delivery (2008).
Awards and Honors: K23 Award from NIAID (2010-2015); New Investigator Award from ACCP (2007); Faculty Service of the Year Award at Western Univ. (2009); member of Rho Chi Honor Society.
Leadership Experience: Secretary/Treasurer for the Infectious Diseases Practice and Research Network of ACCP; Editorial Advisory Board Member for the CSHP's Journal.

Teaching

* Intro to Clinical Pharmacokinetics (SPPS 212A).
* Digoxin Pharmacokinetics (SPPS 212B).
* Anticonvulsants Pharmacokinetics (SPPS 212C).
* Co-Chair Pharmacy Therapeutics (SPSS 212C).

Key Contributions to Pharmaceutical Sciences

* Effective use of antimicrobial medications in pediatric and adult hospitalized patients.
* Participate in antimicrobial stewardship programs at Miller Children's Hospital and Long Beach Memorial Medical Center
* Clinical research in antimicrobial medication utilization in the inpatient settings

Selected Recent Publications

(PubMed List)
Le et al. (2004). Urinary tract infections during pregnancy. Ann of Pharmacotherapy 38:1692-1701.
Le et al. (2005). Therapeutic management of bronchitis. American J of Managed Care 5:S3-10.
Le et al. (2006). Adverse drug reactions in pediatrics over a 10-year period. Pediatrics 118:555-62.
Le et al. (2006). Management of community-associated methicillin-resistant S. aureus infections in children. Pharmacotherapy 26:1758-70.
Le et al. (2008). Impact of empiric antibiotic use on the development of infections caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase bacterial pathogens in the neonatal intensive care unit. Pediatric Infectious Diseases Journal 27:314-318.
Le et al. (2009). Nephrotoxicity associated with conventional amphotericin B in neonates. Pediatric Infectious Diseases Journal 28:1061-1063
Le et al. (2010). Clonal Dissemination of Klebsiella pneumoniae Carbapenemase KPC-3 in Long Beach, California. J Clin Microbiol 48:623-5
Le et al. (2010). Insights from the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacist: Consensus Review of Aerosolized Antimicrobial Agents Using Evidence-based Pharmacotherapy. Pharmacotherapy 30:562-584.

Potential Collaborative Programs with the Pharmaceutical Industry

* Identify opportunities for research surrounding optimal antimicrobial use and dosing in patients, especially children, with resistant infections
* Develop service interventions and novel practice models that will improve utilization of antimicrobial medications in hospitalized patients