Dr Michael Ormsby
- Lecturer in One Health Microbiology/Antimicrobial Resistance (Veterinary Science & Education )
- Honorary Research Fellow (School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine)
telephone:
01413308213
email:
Michael.Ormsby@glasgow.ac.uk
pronouns:
He/him/his
Rm 329, Jarrett Building, University of Glasgow, 464 Bearsden Rd., G61 1QH
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3991-2336Biography
Education:
- BSc Hons Biological Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, 2011
- PhD Bacteriology, University of Glasgow, 2015
I completed my BSc (Hons) in Biological Sciences at Heriot-Watt University in 2011 before commencing a BBSRC industrial CASE PhD studentship at the University of Glasgow, later that year.
My PhD research was carried out in Dr Robert Davies' laboratory. The primary focus of this research was to use comparative phenotypic, proteomic and genomic approaches to characterise the fish pathogen, Yersinia ruckeri, in support of improved vaccine development.
Career History:
- Lecturer in One Health Microbiology/AMR, University of Glasgow, 2024 – present
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Stirling, 2021 – 2024
- Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Glasgow, 2020 – 2021
- Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Glasgow, 2015 – 2020
Following my PhD, I moved to the laboratory of Dr Donal Wall, also at the University of Glasgow, where I worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. This BBSRC-funded post involved examining the effect of the short chain fatty acid (SCFA) preservative propionic acid, on Adherent-invasive E. coli (AIEC) - a pathogen associated with Crohn’s disease. Adopting a multidisciplinary approach, we aimed to uncover any selective advantages that this common food additive may provide AIEC.
In 2020, I began working with Dr. Gill Douce. This Wellcome trust funded collaborative project (in conjunction with Dr. Robert Fagan [University of Sheffield] and Dr. Paula Salgado [Newcastle University]) involves examining the role of the S-layer in Clostridium difficile pathogenesis.
In 2021, I moved to the University of Stirling, where I worked with Professor Richard Quilliam. This NERC-GCRF funded SPACES project involved studying environmental microbiology and the ecology of plastic pollution. Specifically, we were interested in examining how dangerous enteric bacterial pathogens including E. coli, Salmonella spp., and Vibrio cholerae can attach to and persist on different materials, under environmental conditions. This project involved extensive collaboration with the Universities of Malawi and Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), including real-world studies in each country.
In 2024, I moved back to the University of Glasgow, to undertake a Lectureship position in the School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine (sBOHVM) within the One Health Research into Bacterial Infectious Diseases (OHRBID) group.
Research interests
My research interests lie at the interface of veterinary, environmental, and clinical microbiology and focus on several development, sustainability, public health, and disease-related topics. I have a strong research background in bacterial pathogen ecology, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and in the survival and cycling of enteric pathogens through different environmental matrices. My research focuses on understanding the relationship between pathogen evolution in the environment, and disease emergence in the clinic, creating a novel, cross-disciplinary research niche that firmly fits within the One Health philosophy. Additionally, I have a keen interest in the emergence of novel zoonotic pathogens. With increased urbanisation (primarily driven by climate change) bringing people and animals closer together, there is substantial risk of pathogen spread between groups. Concurrent with this, climate change is bringing more frequent rains (which increases run-off from agriculture, and sewer overflow events) and warmer temperatures (which widens the geographic area for pathogens to survive). I want to understand how the interaction between pathogens from different sources can lead to the emergence of more virulent bacterial pathotypes, and novel zoonotic diseases.
My research group uses a combination of culture-based and molecular approaches to answer fundamental questions regarding bacterial survival, persistence and evolution in the environment. We are particularly interested in how the increasing pressures of climate change can drive this.
Grants
Grants and Awards listed are those received whilst working with the University of Glasgow.
- Using transcriptomics to unravel the role of the C. difficile S-layer in immune signaling
Wellcome Trust ISSF ECR Catalyst Funding
2021 - 2022
- Elucidating the role of bacterial microcompartments in the pathogenesis of Crohns disease associated adherent-invasive Escherichia coli
Tenovus Scotland
2018 - 2019
Supervision
I am open to Undergraduate Students who wish to apply for the Microbiology Society Vacation Studentship to spend a summer gaining research experience
