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Harnessing microbiology to tackle global challenges

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Biography

After qualifying in Medicine from Manchester University I specialised in Medical Microbiology and Virology and obtained my MD for work on Candida albicans. Prior to my university appointment I was director of the Chester Public Health Laboratory, Consultant Medical Microbiologist and Consultant in Communicable Disease Control. I am a fellow of both the Royal College of Pathologists and the Faculty of Public Health of the Royal College of Physicians. Until my retirement from clinical practice, I was also a consultant in clinical virology at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

My primary interests are in emerging infectious diseases especially those transmitted through food, water or the environment. I have published over 400 articles, books and book chapters on topics such as Norovirus, dengue fever, Ebola, Zika virus, cholera, the evolutionary genetics of cryptosporidium, the impact of inadequate access to safe water and sanitation on health and on covid-19. In 2023 I was included in Web of Science list of the most cited researchers.

I am a researcher within the UK NIHR Health Protection Research Unit on Emergency Preparedness and Response and currently lead the NIHR funded research programme on improving resilience of health services in low income countries to Extreme Weather Events (RESHAPE which stands for RESilience in HeAlth Post-Extreme weather events).

I have sat on several national and international expert advisory committees including the WHO guideline development group on drinking water quality and the WHO WASH and public health emergencies working group. During the covid crisis, I was a member of the WHO Health Emergencies Program Experts Advisory Panel for Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Preparedness, Readiness and Response to COVID-19.

During the COVID pandemic I was a sought-after expert with over 50,000 appearances or mentions in the on-line, print and broadcast media world-wide and has written for newspapers and the lay press.