Meet our student cohorts 

Samantha McKeand

Sam will be joining the programme with my host institution as the University of Birmingham. Last year she completed an MSc in Microbiology and Infection at the University of Birmingham, where her research project focussed on a multi-drug resistant pathogen. She has been working as a research assistant at the university ever since. She is really looking forward to continuing research into antimicrobial resistance and pursuing a career in research.

Ross McInnes

Ross has just completed a BSc (Hons) Biochemistry and Microbiology degree at the University of Strathclyde, where he attained a First. A two and a half month ERASMUS exchange with Universität Hamburg in Germany piqued his interest in laboratory research. Ross completed his dissertation project within the Microbiology department at the University of Strathclyde where antimicrobials are a key research area. This was the point that Ross developed a keen interest in antimicrobials and antimicrobial resistance. His host institution will be the University of Birmingham. Ross would like to become a lecturer to inspire the next generation of scientists.  

Scott Grossman 

Scott completed his MChem Chemistry degree in 2017 at the University of York, where he attained first class honours. His final year research project was a year abroad scheme at the University of Sydney, where his focus was targeting tau aggregation in Alzheimer’s Disease. In the future he hopes to specialise in medicinal chemistry as a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer, specifically looking at drug development for antimicrobials. My host institution will be the University of Nottingham.

Ryan Kerr

Ryan completed his MSci Mathematics degree at the University of Birmingham in 2017. The course developed his interest in how mathematics applies to the real world. Having used modelling techniques during research in my degree, he wants to carry on performing research on current worldwide issues, and this programme offers everything he is looking for. He is looking forward to having the University of Birmingham as my host institution and also being able to be at the University of Nottingham.

Kevin Lyons

Kevin recently completed a four-year B.A. (Mod.) honours degree in Microbiology at Trinity College Dublin. During his undergraduate studies he became increasingly concerned about the emergence and spread of molecular mechanisms that make bacteria resistant to antibiotics, as well as increasingly aware of the urgent need to develop better strategies to combat resistant organisms. He has previously conducted two lab-based research projects, investigating several species of bacteria known to cause antibiotic-resistant infections in humans and other animals. He is delighted to be joining the programme, and his host institution will be the University of Nottingham.

Emma Banks

Emma has attained a first class BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences (Microbiology and Infectious Disease) degree from the University of Exeter. During her degree, she completed a professional placement year at Shell, Houston, TX, which involved using molecular biology to generate microbial routes to advanced biofuels. As an undergraduate, she developed strong interests in antimicrobial resistance and the molecular mechanisms that underpin bacterial pathogenesis. Emma is excited to channel her fierce love for microbiology into this PhD programme, for which her host institution will be the University of Nottingham. She ultimately aspires to pursue an academic career in applied microbiological research.

Gabriella Morley

Gabriella graduated from the University of Birmingham with honours in Medicine and Surgery (MBChB Hons). Through her work as a medical doctor she has developed a keen interest in antimicrobial resistance and stewardship. Gabriella is thoroughly looking forward to returning to the University of Birmingham and to contributing to the fight against drug resistant infections.

Maria Papangeli

Maria has recently completed her MSc in Molecular Genetics and Diagnostics at the University of Nottingham, for which she was awarded a Fanourakis scholarship. Her interest in Antimicrobial resistance was initiated during her 18 month BSc research project in Biotechnology and Genetics. Her host institution will be the University of Nottingham.

Sarah Element

After completing a BSc in Biological Sciences at the University of Birmingham, which included study in France, I worked as a science technician. I then decided to study for an MRes, also at UoB, before being accepted on to the Wellcome Trust doctoral training programme. My interest in infectious disease and the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance developed during my undergraduate degree and continued to grow during my postgraduate studies where I conducted a project on the use of efflux inhibitors as potentiators of existing antibiotics.

Claire Laxton

Claire graduated top of her class with a BSc Pharmacology from the University of Manchester before joining the programme at Nottingham. She decided to pursue a PhD during her undergraduate ‘year in industry’ at the Medical Research Council Unit in The Gambia in West Africa, whilst working on a research project monitoring the antibiotic resistance of common bacterial strains colonising neonates. She hopes that this programme will help her combine her interests in microbiology, infectious disease and pharmacology, and prepare her for a career within antimicrobial drug/device development

Alice Lanne

Alice will be joining the programme with her host institution as the University of Birmingham. She has just attained a first in her four year MBiolSci in Biochemistry at the University of Sheffield during which she also received the University of Sheffield GlaxoSmithKline prize awarded for outstanding performance in her project work. Alice says that she is excited by the prospect of undertaking a PhD in antimicrobial resistance at a world class University.

Alistair Middlemiss

Alistair is coming from the University of East Anglia having received a first in his four-year MSci Microbiology. Alistair says he has a passion for microbiology, particularly in antimicrobials and antimicrobial resistance and has an aspiration to work in the health sector as a consultant microbiologist. His host institution will be the University of Birmingham.

Danielle Scales

After receiving her BSc Pharmacology & Physiology from the University of Manchester, Danielle worked as a microbiologist in the pharmaceutical industry and developed an interest in antimicrobial resistance. She has just completed an MSc Microbiology & Infection at the University of Birmingham, where her research project focused on a multi-drug resistant pathogen. Her host institution will be the University of Nottingham.

Emily Whittle

Emily is keen to pursue a career in research and developed an interest in antimicrobial resistance during her studies at the University of Bristol where she has just completed her BSc (Hons) Medical Microbiology degree. During the programme her host institution will be the University of Birmingham.

Farhana Alam

Farhana is already at the University of Birmingham having just completed her MSc Molecular Biotechnology. She graduated from St Hugh's College, University of Oxford with a BA in Biological Sciences and stayed there to complete a PGCE, before entering the teaching profession. Her interest in antimicrobials and antimicrobial resistance developed during her undergraduate degree and continued during the 6 years she spent teaching Secondary Science. Farhana says that the Masters degree has allowed her to reconnect with academic research and she has an ambition to become a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer.

Frances Smith

Frances has just attained a 2:1 in her integrated MBiolSci in Biochemistry and Microbiology at the University of Sheffield and will be hosted at the University of Nottingham. She conducted a 7 month research project based around antibiotic resistance as part of her Masters and is looking forward to continuing that research into antimicrobials and antimicrobial resistance.

Jessica Gray

Jessica is coming from the University of East Anglia where she attained a starred first in her BSc Biological Sciences degree and developed an interest in molecular microbiology and antimicrobial resistance. Her host institution will be the University of Birmingham. Jessica says that her aspiration is to be a postdoctoral researcher with an integrated focus on molecular microbiology, health and science communication.

Nicola Osborne

Nicola is joining having just finished a BSc (Hons) Biomedical Sciences degree at Newcastle University and her host institution will be the University of Nottingham. Her interest in microbiology and started at school and developed further in antimicrobial resistance during a summer studentship at Queen’s University Belfast Centre for Infection and Immunity and an Erasmus exchange in Germany.

Samuel Fenn

Samuel received a first class BSc (Hons) Microbiology degree in 2014 from the University of Nottingham where he developed a particular interest in antimicrobial resistance. Since completing his degree, Samuel has been working as a research technician in the Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Unit at the University of Sheffield. He will be returning to the University of Nottingham as his host institution.

Tom Armstrong

Tom has just finished his MChem Chemistry at the University of York where he attained a First. During that time he undertook two placements, one with the British Heart Foundation and the other at the Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine which he says gave him an insight into what working in a research environment is like and he plans to pursue an academic career in medicinal chemistry. His host institution will be the University of Nottingham.

William Richardson

William is a University of Birmingham Graduate having just finished his final year in BSc Biochemistry. He has an interest in issues such as food security and antimicrobial resistance and is looking to pursue a career in either biotechnology or biopharmaceuticals. His host institution will be the University of Nottingham.