I am a research associate in microbial biotechnology working within the Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences research centre at Ulster University. I have interests and expertise in molecular microbiology, microbial biotechnology, and antimicrobial resistance. In addition to my research portfolio, I have significant experience in the commercialisation of microbial biotechnology. I am currently focused on two research projects; The Tolerate EU Project and STAMPs.

The Tolerate EU Project is a Horizon Europe consortium project investigating if microbial genes and taxa identified in ancient DNA samples dating back up to 600,000 years can be utilised for the bioaugmentation of agricultural crops to mitigate the effects of climate change (https://tolerate-eu-project.com/). 

STAMPs is a Invest NI funded Proof of Concept study where I am a research co-investigator. The project is focusing on the development of a novel sensitiser-peptide conjugates developed at Ulster University for application initially in skin infections such as diabetic foot ulceration. This project has been spun out of work I carried out as part of the EPSRC funded program grant “Beyond Antibiotics” being run in collaboration with The University of Oxford, University College London, and several commercial partners.

Prior to becoming involved with my current projects I led projects investigating microbial biosurfactant technology with regards to applications in food technology, cosmetics, and biomedical applications such as antimicrobial and anti-cancer therapeutics. Before joining Ulster University, I led a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) at Queen’s University Belfast, UK investigating microbial driven inflammatory lung disease. I did my Ph.D. in the field of marine microbiology and quorum sensing at The University of Nottingham, UK.