Dr Rekha Pai Mangalore

AMR IMPACT THEME
  • AMR Therapeutic Solutions
EXPERTISE
  • Precision dosing using TDM and pharmacometrics
  • Biosensors for real-time antibiotic monitoring
  • Translational research and clinical implementation
  • Sepsis and infections in critically ill
  • Antimicrobial stewardship
  • Infection prevention

Dr Rekha Pai Mangalore is an Infectious Diseases Physician at Alfred Health and adjunct lecturer, Monash University. She completed her PhD in 2024 on beta-lactam antibiotic therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) in critically ill patients, supported by the NHMRC Postgraduate Research Scholarship. Her research led to the development and implementation of Victoria’s first hospital-integrated beta-lactam TDM service, which she now leads. She holds governance roles at Alfred Health, including on the Drugs and Therapeutics Committee, Adverse Drug Reaction Committee, and Sepsis Working Group. Rekha is actively engaged in translational research advancing model-informed precision dosing and the integration of biosensor technologies to enable real-time monitoring of antibiotic concentrations at the bedside.

Rekha is a Board Member of the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases (ASID) and Chair of its Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Her work has been recognised through the Alfred Research Trust Grant, the ASID Council Scholarship, the IATDMCT Travel Award, the ASID International Travel Award and Monash University’s Postgraduate Publication Award and Postdoctoral Bridging Fellowship. She has presented at major international conferences and contributes to national and global initiatives in antimicrobial optimisation and personalised therapy.

Rekha’s research centres on precision antimicrobial therapy, with a focus on optimising beta-lactam dosing in critically ill and immunocompromised patients through therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM), pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) modelling, and implementation science. Her work bridges clinical infectious diseases, critical care, and translational pharmacology, and has led to the successful implementation of a hospital-wide TDM service. She is actively involved in national and international collaborations to advance model-informed precision dosing, use of biosensors for continuous monitoring and contributes to the development of clinical guidelines that support personalised antibiotic use. Rekha’s research capabilities span quantitative and mixed-methods research, implementation science, and multidisciplinary collaboration across infectious diseases, intensive care, pharmacy, and laboratory medicine.

AMR FOCUS
  • Individualised dosing to prevent emergence of resistance
IMPACT
  • Implementation of personalised beta-lactam dosing in critically ill patients
  • Translation of therapeutic drug monitoring into routine clinical practice
  • Improved target attainment and safer antibiotic use through precision dosing
  • Contribution to international guidelines for antimicrobial optimisation