A research center in the Milken Institute School of Public Health received an $18.6 million grant to continue studying antibiotic-resistant infections, according to a public health school release Thursday.

The award will extend research efforts in the Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group – a program in the Biostatistics Center that develops countermeasures against antibiotic-resistant bacteria – for the next seven years, the release states. Researchers will also use the funding to improve tests that identify antibiotic-resistant bacteria and study how to enhance usage of existing antibiotics, according to the release.

Scott Evans, the director of the Biostatistics Center and leader of the statistical and data management center for the Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group, said “challenges” involved with studying antibiotic resistance necessitate statistical “innovation” to improve care for people with antibiotic-resistant infections.

“We are delighted to have the opportunity to continue our scientific collaborations with our clinical and laboratory colleagues in the ARLG, which has a key role in research that will ultimately improve the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of antibiotic-resistant infections,” Evans said in the release.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria and fungi infect more than 2.8 million people and cause more than 35,000 deaths in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control’s website.