After graduating from my undergraduate degree at Cardiff University in 2004, I began an MSc in Medical and Clinical Microbiology with a project involving the use of iron protoporphyrin IX as an endogenous photosensitiser in photodynamic therapy. Following this, I spent a year working in a semi-automated category 3 prion laboratory before completing a PhD in the microbiology which aimed to determine variations in the nasal microbiota of healthy volunteers and those presenting with chronic rhinosinusitis. 

For several years, I worked as a postdoctoral research associate with the aim of developing and validating an in vitro biofilm model representative of the healthy human throat that could be used for the analysis of the ecological effects of novel antimicrobials and probiotics on the host microbiota. This research led to the discovery of a number of previously unclassified oropharyngeal bacteria.    

I am currently a senior lecturer in the School of Health Sciences (DPO) where I teach pharmaceutical microbiology, covering aspects of infectious disease and antimicrobial resistance. I am also the year 4 MPharm SWAPS lead tutor. Prior to this, I taught on the PGT MSc in medical microbiology, for which I was also the deputy programme director. 

PHAR11002 Gastrointestinal system, liver and kidneys

PHAR22001 Immunity, infection and respiratory system 

PHAR44001 Advanced Therapies 1: Infection 

Affiliated Staff:

Dr Andrew McBain

Dr Ruth Ledder

Collaborators:

Mr Kanna Gnanalingham - Consultant Neurosurgeon, SRFT

In vitro bacterial biofilm modelling (including continuous culture systems)

Antimicrobial Resistance and antimicrobial sensitivity testing

Next generation sequencing and amplicon sequence bioinformatics

BSc (Hons), Microbiology - University of Cardiff

MSc (dist), Medical and Clinical Microbiology - Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

Ph.D - University of Manchester

SFHEA - Higher Education Academy (University of Manchester)