PhD Studentship: Antimicrobial Resistance in a Global One Health Context: Understanding Links Between Animals and Humans

Primary supervisor - Prof Alison Mather

Bacterial pathogens and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) present a grave threat to human health and wealth, as well as the health of animals. Brazil is a major global player in the production of animal protein, being the world’s third largest producer of chickens and the largest exporter of chicken meat, and the world’s fourth largest producer of pigs. This project will examine the drivers and evolutionary factors influencing AMR and potential transmission of bacterial pathogens between animals and humans in Brazil and the UK. This will build on our established and productive collaboration with Professor Andrea Micke Moreno at the University of São Paulo.

This multidisciplinary project will utilise comprehensive genomic, metagenomic and statistical approaches to understand the complex interplay of microbial pathogens, antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This project will predominantly be computational, with the possibility to include some laboratory work, depending on student interest. You will benefit from existing links with policymakers and industry in both the UK and Brazil, who will have an interest in the results of this work, and from the experience of generating and communicating data to diverse stakeholders. You will develop skills in study design and state-of-the-art bioinformatics, statistics and genomic epidemiology.

You will join an interdisciplinary team that will support your training and development. Quadram Institute Bioscience provides a stimulating and supportive environment for research on bacterial genomics, microbiology, and the microbiome, Earlham Institute has world class expertise in the development of bioinformatics tools, and you will also work with collaborators at the University of São Paulo. You will have intellectual input into shaping the project and there will be opportunities to collaborate with partners both within and outside the institute to develop further skills and impact of the project.

The Microbes, Microbiomes and Bioinformatics (MMB) Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) is open to UK and International candidates with relevant undergraduate degrees for entry in October 2024 and offers the opportunity to undertake a fully-funded 4-year PhD research project supported by the UKRI Medical Research Council in microbiology and microbial bioinformatics.

Our unique and comprehensive training programme empowers students to feel comfortable running sophisticated computer analyses alongside laboratory work and emphasises problem-based learning in microbial bioinformatics, professional development and research skills. All MMB DTP students undertake a Professional Placement.

Interviews for shortlisted candidates will take place on Wednesday 15 May 2024.

The MRC DTP is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. Students are selected without regard to age, disability, gender identity, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, ethnicity, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation or social background. We value curiosity, independence of thought, plus an aptitude for research that combines laboratory work and bioinformatics.

For information on eligibility and how to apply: www.uea.ac.uk/phd/mmbdtp