<p> Annual report (2008/2009) of the Canadian Antimicrobial Resistance Alliance (CARA)</p><p>(CARA-official website is www.can-r.ca), based in Medical Microbiology University of Manitoba and Clinical Microbiology, Diagnostic Services Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. </p><p>In 2008/2009 CARA continued to be a national and international leader studying antimicrobial resistant infections. Highlites of the groups activities and accomplishments in 2008/2009 include; submission of 48 ICAAC/IDSA/ICC/ASM abstracts (33 were accepted); the growing participation of our infectious diseases/medical microbiology fellows (eg. Dr. Andrew Walkty [now on staff and active research member], Dr. Philippe Lagace-Wiens [now on staff and active research member], Dr. Oscar Larios, Dr. Sergio Fanella and Dr. Jared Bullard); the strong and growing collaboration with Dr. Mike Mulvey’s antimicrobial resistance group at the National Microbiology Laboratory-NML; the full integration of Dr James Karlowsky back into our research group; the quality of research from our graduate students and BSc medicine student (Kristjan Thompson is our current student);bringing Dr Heather Adam back to Winnipeg (after finishing her 3 year post-doc in Toronto July 2009) as a microbiologist at DSM and researcher within CARA; the success of our national surveillance study CANWARD (under the guidance of Dr. Daryl Hoban) assessing antimicrobial resistance in Canadian hospitals (CARA published a supplement of these data in Can J Infect Dis Med Micro 2009); the collaboration with Dr Alfred Gin regarding antimicrobial usage in Canada; the collaboration with Drs Sheryl Zelenitsky, Robert Ariano (both at the University of Manitoba) and DR. Ayman Noreddin (University of Minnesota) regarding pharmacodynamics/Monte Carlo simulations; the growing collaboration with Cangene Corporation/Richardson nutriceuticals here in Winnipeg; the productive collaboration with Dr Frank Schweizer (an outstanding chemist at the Fort Garry campus, university of Manitoba) where we are discovering/developing aminoglycoside fusion antibiotics, we now have 4 patents and 3 grants from CIHR/NSERC and finally the growing success of CARA’s official website www.can-r.ca. </p><p>A huge thank you to our leaders and supporters for creating an excellent environment allowing CARA to thrive. </p><p>George G. Zhanel Professor-Medical Microbiology and Research Director Canadian Antimicrobial Resistance Alliance (CARA) </p>