I am an NIHR academic clinical lecturer specialising in infectious diseases and microbiology, and a clinical microbiologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital. My principal research interest is in how bacteria which are usually found in the nose or mouth cause brain infections, as well as the host inflammatory response to these infections when they occur. I am currently examining why, when some bacterial species reach the brain, they drive the focal accumulation of pus (brain abscess and intracranial empyema) and why others cause diffuse inflammation (meningitis), particularly comparing two related species, Streptococcus intermedius and Streptococcus pneumoniae.
I have contributed to national guidance and scientific leadership in this area: I was a registered stakeholder in the development of the current NICE guideline on bacterial meningitis and meningococcal disease, sit on the Scientific Advisory Committee for the Lancefield International Symposium on Streptococci and Streptococcal Diseases and am part of the Streptococcal Adaptive Platform (STRAP) trial’s Microbiology and Translational Science Working Group. In March 2026 I provided expert commentary on the Kent meningococcal B outbreak across national media, including BBC Radio 4, BBC News, Sky News, the Guardian and Observer, and wrote an invited editorial for the BMJ.
In addition to my scientific work, during my lectureship I am working to improve the experience of clinical-academic trainees, and clinical trainees interested in research. I am working to increase mentorship for early and mid-career clinical researchers working in Infection, as well as fostering the formation of peer networks and role modelling to support women and trainees with caring responsibilities.
Affiliations
Teaching
I teach at both LSHTM and UCL. At LSHTM, I teach on Diagnostic Bacteriology, am a tutor and examiner for IDM205 ‘Healthcare-Associated Infections’, and was module organiser for 3121 Core Bacteriology & Virology on the MSc in Medical Microbiology (2024–2026). At UCL, I lecture undergraduates on 'How Bacteria Cause Disease' and provide tutorials as part of the 'Infection and Defence' course.
I also supervise MSc research projects at LSHTM and UCL, including recent work on the genomic analysis of the Streptococcus anginosus group.
I am interested in how we could leverage the existing teaching of laboratory microbiology in academic settings to improve laboratory training for trainees in clinical Infection specialties. I am working to describe the microbiology laboratory training landscape, particularly the impact of the move to consolidated laboratories on trainees' time and experience in the laboratory, with a view to informing future approaches to microbiology laboratory training.
I was awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Learning & Teaching with distinction in 2025, and am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Beyond teaching, I have a longstanding interest in mentoring; I am a mentor for the Social Mobility Foundation and recently established a peer-mentoring scheme for clinical academic trainees at LSHTM.
Research
My principal research interest is in pyogenic streptococcal infection, particularly the pathogenesis of the Streptococcus anginosus group (formerly milleri group) and pyogenic infection of the brain and lung more broadly. I am particularly interested in understanding why Streptococcus intermedius dominates in SAG brain and lung infection, despite all three organisms causing a similar burden of invasive infection of the head and neck, and the host-pathogen interactions between S. intermedius and neutrophils that result in it causing focal accumulation of pus. I am also studying the epidemiology of S. intermedius and wider S. anginosus group infection in adults and children, including its burden and risk factors, and the population structure and genomics of the bacteria themselves, using population-level data, genomic analysis and systematic review.
I was awarded an ESCMID project grant to undertake work exploring the epidemiology, genome and virulence of Streptococcus intermedius, with particular focus on brain abscesses, and an Academy of Medical Sciences starter grant to develop mutagenesis approaches to explore the determinants of pathogenicity in this organism.
I have clinical research interests in the microbiology of paediatric infection, with ongoing projects on:
- Presentation, management, outcome and microbiology of intracranial suppurative infection
- Molecular and metagenomic diagnosis of CNS infection
- Recurrent meningitis
- Central line associated bloodstream infection and salvage of infected lines
Selected Publications
