U of T Grad Recognized by World Health Organization for Highlighting Antibiotic Resistance
A University of Toronto graduate has won an international award from the World Health Organization for a video animation showing the dangers of antibiotic resistance.
Nitai Steinberg, a graduate of the Institute of Medical Science’s Biomedical Communications program, is the winner of the student prize in the World Health Organization’s inaugural Health for All Film Festival.
Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, announced the winners Tuesday at a virtual awards ceremony broadcast from Geneva, Switzerland.
Steinberg beat out applicants from around the world to win the award, which comes with a prize of $5,000 U.S.
“Antimicrobial resistance is the ability of bacteria to break down antibiotics and render them ineffective. This is a major threat to human health,” says Steinberg, who graduated with a master’s from the biomedical communications program in 2019.
“Modern medicine depends on antibiotics. Without them, many diseases could no longer be treated. Invasive surgeries and organ transplants would not be possible.”
Steinberg created the film under the supervision of Jodie Jenkinson, director of U of T’s Biomedical Communications program, which is based at University of Toronto’s Mississauga campus.
To create the video animation, Steinberg received financial support from Jenkinson’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Insight Grant.
The video animation is about five minutes long. It shows how frequent usage of antibiotics leads to an increase in antibiotic resistant bacteria.
“It is really important that people understand the scientific theory behind diseases and behind health policies. Without this knowledge, without this understanding, it is really hard to expect anyone to change,” says Steinberg.
Steinberg says his goal in creating the animation video was to address common misconceptions about antibiotic resistance.
He says that after a person takes antibiotics, the sensitive bacteria in their body die, but the resistant bacteria keep living and frequent antibiotic use makes them more and more prevalent.
Antibiotic use by people means higher numbers of resistant bacteria in the environment, which means higher antibiotic resistance everywhere, he says.
Jenkinson, who conducts novel research into the role that visual complexity plays in learning, says that film and animation are powerful media for conveying understanding of abstract scientific concepts.
“Difficult concepts such as the natural selection of antibiotic resistant bacteria are more easily explained through visuals. Visualizations coupled with narration are better understood. Music connected to visuals can emphasize ideas such as randomness and sound cues can emphasize importance,” she says.
One of the judges involved in the competition, Dr. Ruediger Krech, WHO’s Director of the Department of Ethics and Social Determinants of Health, said the work had a powerful impact.
“You’ve inspired and intrigued us and this can only be done by someone who knows both the science and the filmmaking,” said Krech.
