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Cepheid
Editorial Team
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November 17, 2025
ANTIMICROBIAL STEWARDSHIP
Video
Vanessa Carter’s Journey: Inspiring Action Against AMR
When a personal health crisis becomes a global mission, the impact is extraordinary. Vanessa Carter, a patient with extensive lived experience overcoming antimicrobial resistance (AMR), knows this firsthand. Her journey has sparked a passion for patient advocacy and the fight against AMR.
At age 25, Vanessa survived a devastating car accident that resulted in significant injuries. After years of surgeries, she faced a new battle: a persistent infection caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). That diagnosis marked the beginning of her journey into AMR advocacy—a mission that continues today.
Vanessa’s experience underscores a critical truth: timely, accurate diagnostics save lives. “Diagnostics shouldn’t be a mystery—they’re a lifeline,” she says. Early testing could potentially have prevented complications and shortened her recovery. Today, through her organization, The AMR Narrative, Vanessa empowers patients and communities to take action against antibiotic resistance.
Her message is clear: industry, clinicians, and patients must work together. “Go beyond the lab and into the lives of patients,” she advised Cepheid’s leaders. “Design tools that are clinically effective, accessible, affordable, and culturally relevant. Engage with patients early—understand their realities, fears, and hopes. We must take it personally and work together because lives depend on it.”
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