Postgraduate research students

My PhD aims to establish a more detailed, quantitative understanding of the evolution of anthelmintic resistance in natural parasitic gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) populations under different farm management conditions, with main focus on Teladorsagia circumcincta which is the most common sheep GIN in the UK. 

Gastro-intestinal nematodes are parasitic worms that are globally important pathogens of humans and animals. In the farming sector, GINs are ubiquitous and lead to welfare impacts, clinical disease and large-scale production losses. Billions of people and many millions of animals are treated with anthelminthic drugs as the primary means of controlling these infections. However, in the case of livestock parasites, resistance has evolved to all compounds in general use, leading to significant costs to farmers from poor worm control, and in some cases challenging the economic viability of livestock production. Despite extensive research into the issue, the genetic basis of anthelmintic resistance (AR) to most drug classes remains poorly understood, undermining attempts to understand its evolution and spread, which would inform sustainable parasite control. Traditional genetics approaches are likely underpowered in the face of the high genetic diversity of GIN populations, especially since AR is genetically complex.

To study the evolutionary dynamics of AR in Te. circumcincta we’re banking on modern genomic approaches such as genome wide analyses to provide high resolution that will enable detection of multiple genetic markers involved in AR. The newly assembled Te. circumcincta chromosome-scale genome will be critical in all these analyses.  These findings will then be validated on a group of farms with different parasite management regimes.

Funding

This work is funded by BBSRC NorthWestBio Doctoral Training Programme through University of Glasgow, School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine and is being implemented in collaboration with Moredun Research Institute and Wellcome Sanger Institute.

Academic history

2023 - present:         PhD. Genomic evolution of anthelmintic resistance; University of Glasgow

2020 - 2021:             MSc. Tropical Animal Health; Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp.

2012 - 2016:              BSc. Microbiology; University of Kabianga, Kenya.

• Professor James Cotton
• Dr Fiona Kenyon
• Dr Stephen Doyle
• Dr Jennifer McIntyre
• Dr Roz Laing