We are delighted to share that two of our colleagues have been awarded the title of full professor through the University of Oxford’s annual recognition exercise. Katrina Lythgoe is now Professor of Infectious Disease, and Roberto Salguero-Gomez holds the title of Professor of Ecology. These distinctions reflect their outstanding contributions to research, teaching, and academic leadership in their respective fields.
Katrina Lythgoe - Professor of Infectious Disease
Katrina’s research focuses on the evolution of viral infections, with the aim of developing better predictive models of how viral populations adapt to change. She is particularly interested in the evolutionary and ecological processes operating across different scales — from within and between individuals, to entire populations. This perspective helps to explain how viruses respond to challenges such as transmission to a new host, zoonotic jumps, or interventions like vaccination and treatment. More recently, her work has moved towards designing tools and strategies to optimise genomic surveillance of viruses across diverse settings and at different stages of an outbreak.
Roberto Salguero-Gomez - Professor of Ecology
Rob takes an interdisciplinary approach to uncovering the global rules that shape ecology and evolution. Leading a vibrant research group, he combines fieldwork, laboratory studies, and computational analyses to tackle big-picture questions about life on Earth. By examining species’ life cycles and the drivers of demographic variation across the tree of life, his research offers important insights into biodiversity, resilience, and the challenges facing ecosystems worldwide.
Martin Maiden, Head of Department says
“I am delighted to congratulate Katrina and Rob on their well-deserved recognition. These awards are a testament to the impact they have made in their fields and within our department. Together, their work demonstrates the power of integrating evolutionary and ecological perspectives to address pressing global challenges in health and the environment. We are proud to celebrate their achievements and look forward to their continued contributions as Professors”
