Lecturer in Medical Microbiology within the School of Biomedical Sciences.
Graduated in Microbiology from University of Central Lancashire in 2001, followed by a PhD in Molecular Microbiology from King's College London in 2006 investigating antibiotic resistance in periodontal disease. Worked as a Post-Doctoral Researcher at University College London: Eastman Dental Institute across three projects: investigating mobile genetic elements in the oral metagenome, hypervirulence in Clostridioides difficile, and pathogenicity in Staphylococcus aureus. In 2012, he undertook a Lectureship in Microbiology at Anglia Ruskin University before joining the University of Plymouth in 2015.
Research activities focus on the the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance through mobile genetic elements, and the development of novel antimicrobial therapies through the Plantimicrobials project looking at new antimicrobials from plants.
Current PhD students

• Madeleine Steer (PhD candidate – co-supervisor with Professor Richard Thompson). Quantifying the influence of waste water treatment on the release of microplastics to the environment, 2018-present (Funding: NERC Industrial CASE with UKWIR).
• Darshana Srivastava (PhD candidate - Director of Studies, with co-supervisors Professor Mathew Upton and Dr Lee Hutt). Plantimicrobials: Botanical epiphytic bacteria as a source of novel bioactive compounds for the treatment of pathogenic infections. 2023-present.

Recently completed PhD students

• Dr Matthew Koch (co-supervised with Professor Mat Upton). Deep-sea discovery – mining marine environments for novel biologics, 2017-2022. (Funding: Society for Applied Microbiology)
• Dr Poppy Hesketh-Best (co-supervised with Professor Kerry Howell). Investigating the microbial ecology of deep-sea sponges, 2017-2022. (Funding: Faculty of Science & Technology, University of Plymouth)

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Member of the Microbiology Society Member of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Member of Applied Microbiology International (formerly SfAM)

Journal Reviewer:

• Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
• FEMS Microbiology Ecology
• Journal of Medical Microbiology
• Environmental Microbiology
• Environmental Pollution
• Microbiology journal
• Frontiers in Microbiology
• The Pharmaceutical Journal

Grant Reviewer:

• Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
• Health Research Board, Ireland

External Examiner:

• Edinburgh Napier University - Applied Microbiology programme and Microbiology & Biotechnology programme
• Abertay University - MPhil/PhD examiner
• Anglia Ruskin University - MPhil/PhD examiner
• University College London - MPhil/PhD examiner

I have supervised over 10 MSc and 70 undergraduate project students in areas covering antibiotic resistance in clinical and environmental bacteria, molecular analysis of resistance mechanisms, novel antimicrobial therapies and bacterial pathogens.


Current PhD students

• Madeleine Steer (PhD candidate – co-supervisor with Professor Richard Thompson). Quantifying the influence of waste water treatment on the release of microplastics to the environment, 2018-present (Funding: NERC Industrial CASE with UKWIR).
• Darshana Srivastava (PhD candidate - Director of Studies, with co-supervisors Professor Mathew Upton and Dr Lee Hutt). Plantimicrobials: Botanical epiphytic bacteria as a source of novel bioactive compounds for the treatment of pathogenic infections. 2023-present.

Completed PhD students

• Matthew Koch (2017-2021) with Professor Mat Upton and Professor Kerry Howel. Discovery of novel antimicrobials from deep sea sponges 
• Poppy Hesketh-Best (2017-2021) with Professor Kerry Howell and Professor Mat Upton. Bioactivity and ecology of bacteria from deep sea sponges

Current Group Members

• Nicole Ashley Orellana (UG year-long placement student 2023-24)

Recent Group Members

• Thomas Garry (UG year-long placement student 2022-23)
• Ioanna Giannakidou (UG summer placement student 2022)
• Stephanie MacLean (UG year-long placement student 2021-22)
• Ellie Rowlands (UG summer placement student 2021)
• Rachael Burton (UG summer placement student 2020)
• Benedict Paulukiewicz (UG summer placement student 2019)
• Agnes George (UG year-long placement student 2017-18)

Teaching general microbiology, molecular genetics, infectious diseases and antibiotic resistance, plus research methods, understanding and development across all levels (foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate). Also supervise both undergraduate and postgraduate project students, as well as co-supervise PhD students.
Winner of the 'Made a Difference' award, Anglia Ruskin University, 2015
Winner of the 'Most Dedicated Project/Dissertation Supervisor'award for the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the UPSU SSTAR awards, University of Plymouth, 2019
Programme Lead:

• MSc Biomedical Science (Cancer Biology, Clinical Neuroscience, and Infection & Immunity pathways)

Module Leader:

• BIOM5005 Research Design and Development
• BIOM5006 Research Project

Research project supervision:

• BHCS3001 Personal research Project for BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science & BSc (Hons) Human Biosciences programmes
• BIOM5006 Research Project for MSc Biomedical Science programme

Other Teaching Involvement:

• BHCS001 Infection, Immunity and Therapeutics 
• BHCS1006: Infection and Immunity
• BHCS2002: Evidence-Based Practice in Biomedical Science
• BHCS2006: Infection, Immunity and Disease
• BHCS2027: Placements and Employability
• BHCS3003: Clinical Microbiology
• BHCS3008: Current Developments in Biomedical Science (infection topic)
• BHCS3030: Biomedical Science Placement
• BIOM5001: Molecular Biology: Genomics, Transcriptomics and Proteomics
• BIOM5008: Infection and Immunity
• FMD003 Learning Skills for Healthcare