Molecular epidemiology of zoonotic and emerging pathogens, surveillance and disease control.

I am interested in the epidemiology of zoonotic veterinary pathogens, antimicrobial resistance and emerging disease. My current research project investigates the molecular epidemiology of Shiga-toxin positive non-O157 enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli on cattle farms throughout the UK, using genome sequencing technology to examine the relationship between bovine and human clinical isolates.

I graduated from the University of Cambridge with BA (Hons) Pathology in 1991 and Vet MB, MRCVS in 1994. Following a year at the University of Oxford studying the epidemiology of human infectious disease, I spent a short period in mixed clinical practice before moving to the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Medicine, Edinburgh in 1996 to study for a doctorate. My thesis investigated the early immune response to Fasciola hepatica infection in cattle. I subsequently worked as a post-doctoral researcher within Professor Mark Woolhouse’s group, on projects examining the risk of zoonotic disease importation by pets into the UK and the molecular epidemiology of antimicrobial resistant commensal and pathogenic Escherichia coli in beef cattle. From 2005-2015 I took a ten year career break to raise a family. I have since returned to research with a Wellcome Trust Career Re-entry Fellowship (2015-2022), investigating the epidemiology of Shiga toxin positive non-O157 E.coli on farms throughout the UK. I am interested in infectious disease epidemiology, surveillance and control.