Faculty Profile

Vincent TamVincent H. Tam

Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Translational Research
Department of Pharmacy Practice and Translational Research
Professor of Pharmaceutics (Joint Appointment)
Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Office: 
University of Houston College of Pharmacy
Health 2, Room 4041
4349 Martin Luther King Boulevard
Houston, TX 77204-5039

Contact: vtam@uh.edu - 832-842-8316

Dr. Vincent Tam is a leading translational researcher in antimicrobial therapeutics, committed to advancing patient care through innovative and scientifically rigorous solutions to combat antimicrobial resistance. His work focuses on improving the standard of care by developing next-generation therapies designed to outpace evolving resistance mechanisms. Dr. Tam’s research stands at the intersection of clinical relevance and scientific innovation, positioning him as a top-tier contributor in the fight against global AMR.

Antimicrobial resistance is not a distant threat—it is a present, growing crisis impacting patient care today. Our team is leading an NIH-funded project focused on developing personalized antimicrobial therapies—a collaborative effort with clinical partners at one of the leading hospitals in the Texas Medical Center. By integrating pharmacokinetics, microbiology, and patient-specific data, we aim to optimize treatment strategies for drug-resistant infections in real-world settings. This work represents a critical step toward precision medicine in infectious diseases—and a model for how translational research can directly enhance patient care.

Research Interests: Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of antimicrobials, Mathematical modeling and simulation of biological processes, Mechanisms of bacterial resistance

  • B.Sc. (Pharm), National University of Singapore, Singapore
  • Pharm.D., Albany College of Pharmacy, Albany, N.Y.
  • Board Certified Infectious Diseases Pharmacist (BCIDP), Board of Pharmacy Specialties

NCBI Profile
  • Chua HC, Tam VH. Optimizing clinical outcomes through rational dosing strategies: roles of pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modeling tools. Open Forum Infect Dis 2022; 9(12): ofac626
  • Kesisoglou I, Eales BM, Merlau PR, Tam VH, Nikolaou M. Deciphering longitudinal optical-density measurements to guide clinical dosing regimen design: a model-based approach. Comput Methods Programs Biomed 2022; 227: 107212
  • Bai B, Eales BM, Huang W, Ledesma KR, Merlau PR, Li G, Yu Z, Tam VH. Clinical and genomic analysis of virulence-related genes in bloodstream infections caused by Acinetobacter baumannii. Virulence 2022; 13(1): 1920-7
  • Tam VH, Merlau PR, Hudson CS, Kline EG, Eales BM, Smith J, Sofjan AK, Shields RK. Optimal ceftazidime/avibactam dosing exposure against KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae. J Antimicrob Chemother 2022; 77 (11): 3130-7
  • Bai B, Chen C, Zhao Y, Xu G, Yu Z, Tam VH, Wen Z. In vitro activity of tigecycline and proteomic analysis of tigecycline adaptation strategies in clinical Enterococcus faecalis isolates from China. J Glob Antimicrob Resist 2022; 30: 66-74
  • Tam VH, Hudson CS, Merlau PR, Shields RK. Hydrolytic activity of KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates. J Chemother 2022; 34(5): 345-6
  • Zidaru A, Sofjan AK, Devarajan SR, Tam VH. Clinical outcomes of cystic fibrosis patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa bloodstream infections. J Glob Antimicrob Resist 2022; 29: 551-2
  • Zidaru A, Phe K, Lasco TM, Tam VH. An integrated approach to evaluate different tetracycline derivatives for formulary decisions. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2022; 79(6): 467-71
  • Garcia CR, Malik MH, Biswas S, Tam VH, Rumbaugh KP, Li W, Liu X. Nanoemulsion delivery systems for enhanced efficacy of antimicrobials and essential oils. Biomater Sci 2022; 10(3) 633-53
  • Kesisoglou I, Tam VH, Tomaras AP, Nikolaou M. Discerning in vitro pharmacodynamics from OD measurements: a model-based approach. Comput Chem Eng 2022; 158: 107617

Awards

  • Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity-Professor Level, University of Houston, 2024-25
  • Fellow, Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists, 2024
  • American College of Clinical Pharmacy Therapeutic Frontiers Lecture Award, 2024
  • American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Foundation Literature Award for Sustained Contributions, 2019
  • Fellow, Infectious Diseases Society of America, 2018
  • Pharmacotherapy Paper of the Year Award, Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists, 2014
  • American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Best Practices Award, Team Member, Center for Antimicrobial Stewardship and Epidemiology at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, 2010
  • University of Houston Excellence in Research and Scholarship Award, University of Houston, 2008
  • Best Poster Award, Sixth International Symposium on Antimicrobial Agents and Resistance, 2007
  • Young Investigator Award, Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists, 2006
  • Young Investigator Award, American College of Clinical Pharmacy, 2006
  • Resident of the Year, Southeastern Michigan Society of Health-System Pharmacists, 2000

Research Coverage