Contact
Biography
I am Professor of Bioinformatics at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham. Previously, I was a research fellow at the Imperial College London (2011 - 2016). I obtained my Ph.D. degree in Structural Biology and Bioinformatics from the University of Rome Tor Vergata.
Expertise Summary
My current research interests are in understanding the mechanisms of insurgence and propagation of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). To this purpose, in my research, I adopt a holistic One Health approach based on collecting heterogeneous data from complex, interconnected anthropogenic environments, via multi-sensing, omics (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, etc.), clinical records, population and environmental data and metadata. Within my research group, I oversee the development of big data and cloud-powered analysis solutions based on bioinformatics and AI to combine such heterogeneous information and data mine novel correlations. My goal is to identify drivers and mechanisms underlying the insurgence and spread of new genetic variants of resistant pathogens and novel AMR traits across animals, environment, humans, and food.
In addition to contributing to a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying AMR, my research aims to support the development of novel solutions to implement surveillance, monitoring, early warning, diagnostics and treatment selection.
Grants
2024-2027 Novel global One Health surveillance approach to fight AMR using Artificial Intelligence and big data mining. Principal Investigator (PI), funded by MRC - EC-JPIAMR2023-DISTOMOS-144, JPIAMR - Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance (EU).
2023-2026 Monitoring the gut microbiome via AI and omics: a new approach to detect infection and AMR and to support novel therapeutics. Principal Investigator (PI), Funded by BBSRC
2023-2026 Tackling the Pandemic of antibiotic-resistant Infections: An Artificial Intelligence Approach to new druggable therapeutic targets and drug discovery. Principal Investigator (PI), Funded by MRC
2022-2024 Fighting Infection And AMR In Broiler Farming: Artificial Intelligence, Omics And Smart Sensing For Diagnostics, Forecasting, Treatment Selection And Gut Microbiome, Principal Investigator (PI), Funded by BBSRC
2021-2023 Towards Net Zero Dairy Farming through AI and Machine Vision (DAIRYVISION), Principal Investigator (PI), Funded by InnovateUK and Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology. Partners (China): NERCITA - Beijing Research Centre for Information Technology in Agriculture; HAMEI - Heilongjiang Agricultural Machinery Engineering Institute; CAU - China Agricultural University; TAH - Tianjin Jialihe Animal Husbandry Group Co. Ltd.; HDB - Harbin Wandashan Dairy Breeding Co. Ltd. Partners (UK): Peacock Technology Ltd, Harper Adams University
2020-2021 Fighting Covid-19 in Bangladeshi and Rohingya populations with endemic bacterial diarrhoea and antimicrobial resistance, Principal Investigator (PI), Funded by Research England and GCRF. Partners: North South University, IEDCR, UNICEF, ideSHi, University of Maryland (USA).
2019 - 2023 FARMWATCH: Fight AbR with Machine learning and a Wide Array of sensing TeCHnologies, Principal Investigator (PI), Funded by InnovateUK and Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology. UK partners: Nimrod Veterinary Products Ltd; Chinese partners: Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment of Ministry of Health, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, New Hope Liuhe Limited Company, Dongwa Software Company)
2019-2020 CARE Bangladesh: Cholera Antibiotic REsistance in Bangladesh: big data mining and machine learning to improve diagnostics and treatment selection. Principal Investigator (PI), Funded by GCRF. Partners: North South University, Icddr,b UNICEF, BCSIR, University of Maryland (USA)
2018- 2020 Reducing, Refining and Monitoring the Impact of Antibiotic Use in the Control of Bovine Mastitis. Co-Investigator (Co-I). Funded by Innovate UK. Partners: QMMS
2017-2020 Y-Ware. "Young-stock Welfare & Performance - Decision Making Platform". Co-investigator (Co-I), Funded by Innovate UK. Partners: PrognostiX
2011-2015 EU-FP7-PEOPLE-IEF Senior Fellowship - VECTRAP. "Sex determination pathway in the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae". PI.
Current opportunities in my group:
https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/jobs/currentvacancies/ref/MED140121X1
http://jobs.nottingham.ac.uk/MED127419X2
http://jobs.nottingham.ac.uk/MED360719
http://jobs.nottingham.ac.uk/NARFB2019X71