I have previously studied the use of genomics techniques to investigate the molecular basis and epidemiology of penicillin resistance in Neisseria meningitidis and the process of molecular evolution in Haemophilus species.

More recently, I have become increasingly interested in the application of advanced molecular and proteomics technologies in microbiology, in particular, in the analysis of protein expression and post-translational modifications in microorganisms under stress conditions, for example in the host environment and/or during growth as biofilms.

As a complement to this work, I am currently working on a proteomic analysis of differential gene expression in animal pathogen Streptococcus uberis.

I am also interested in mechanisms of resistance to antimicrobials, in particular in Gram-negative bacteria, and the development of new antimicrobial agents. I have recently become involved in the characterization of novel inhibitors of metallo-beta-lactamases, important mediators of beta-lactam antibiotic resistance in multidrug-resistant bacterial species.

I presently hold a full-time position in the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences (PaBS) at the University of Brighton (UK), where my research is primarily aimed at combining cutting-edge proteomics and informatics with the latest genomics-based approaches in medical and veterinary microbiology.

I currently supervise Ph.D. students who work at the interface between biochemistry and microbiology. Current Ph.D. students in the group are involved in studies of the protein-protein interactions involved in the activity of bacterial colicins in Escherichia coli and the use of Next Generation Sequencing approaches for the analysis of changes in the fungal and bacterial microbiota of the mammalian gut in response to stressors.

I also have interests in mechanisms of resistance to antibiotics, the development of novel antimicrobial agents and the use of proteomics and biological mass spectrometry for the study of microbial stress responses.

I am always happy to hear from enthusiastic and motivated individuals. Please contact me if you wish to discuss a potential PhD project in any of these or related areas.