Affiliation: Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA), Department of Bacteriology

Currently Head of the Department of Bacteriology at the Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA), a UK government agency responsible for identifying, managing and controlling incidences and outbreaks of endemic and exotic diseases and in animals, plants and bees. The Bacteriology Department delivers a portfolio of surveillance, testing, reference and research activities and works extensively internationally. Having worked at APHA since 2002 a key focus has been brucellosis, and I continue to head up OIE and FAO Reference Laboratories for Brucellosis and was previously Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference & Research on Brucellosis. However I have also worked extensively on many other veterinary or zoonotic bacterial pathogens with an overarching focus on diagnostics, molecular typing, evolution and taxonomy. Prior to current post undertook a variety of management and science roles at APHA and supporting other UK Government departments and worked extensively overseas supporting improved animal infectious disease diagnostics. Before arriving at APHA held a number of posts in academia and government research laboratories with a particular focus on streptococcal pathogens of animals and man. Co-author of c.130 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters to date.