I am interested in how bacteria form persister cells to survive antibiotics. My research is wet lab-based and carried out using a population-wide focus. I am interested in if/how persistence evolved, whether it is heritable, and if so, what drives persistence. My background is in parasitology where I completed a Masters by Research in Veterinary Parasitology at the University of Bristol. I switched to studying bacteria due to my fascination with how organisms can inhabit hosts and survive in extreme environments - and for bacteria, survival even during antibiotic treatment (without needing genetic resistance)! There is still no definitive 'bacterial persistence' gene that has been identified which makes studying this elusive bacterial trait even more exciting to research.
In my spare time I love working on outreach projects with Jesus College. I am an A-level mentor for the Seren Network and often give talks for Jesus College's Seren Network Summer Schools.
