I am teaching focused, so whilst I I don’t currently have active research projects, I supervise undergraduate students in final year laboratory projects, and taught masters research projects. These currently align with strategic goals including discovery of antimicrobial producing organisms from the natural environment, and use of mesenchymal stem cell conditions media as an anti-bacterial agent.
I have worked in a number of disciplines; oral microbiology, specifically Candida virulence and interactions with oral bacteria within biofilms, and the role of the oral microbiome in health and disease; tissue engineering, development and evaluation of a 3D oral mucosal tissue model for biofilm infection analysis. This also encompasses host immunological responses to infection.
I am interested in oral biofilms and microbial interactions, but also wound microbiology – particularly biofilm associated and those implicated in chronic wounds and medical devices. My current teaching priorities are with pastoral student wellbeing and support, as Senior Tutor, and alleviating anxiety around public speaking and presentations.
My experiences during the PhD have built on and developed a number of practical skills, including general microbiology – aerobic/anaerobic culture, adherence/biofilm development and evaluation, microscopy CLSM, SEM, antimicrobial testing, molecular biology (DNA/RNA/qPCR), cell/tissue culture (2D and 3D tissue model), and cell responses, and a limited experience of dental materials.