My primary area of interest is in molecular epidemiology and in particular investigating bacterial pathogen populations in the interface between humans and agricultural animals. I use molecular techniques such as next generation sequencing to investigate how bacterial populations change in response to selection pressures. One example is the unintended consequences of antimicrobial use on E. coli and Salmonella populations in the gut flora of cattle and swine. I am also interested in using whole genome sequencing to compare bacterial populations and improve upon current typing techniques. The increase of human community acquired cases of Clostridium difficile has led to the investigation of C. difficile as a potential foodborne pathogen and identified the need for an improved typing method for strains commonly found in animals and humans.
