Dr Jane Freeman

Profile

I am a Clinical Scientist in Microbiology within Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust and have been a Visiting Researcher at the University of Leeds since 2015.

I work within the Healthcare Associated Infections (HCAI) Research Group, a multi-organisational (LTHT, UoL, PHE) research team lead by Professor Mark Wilcox.

I obtained my PhD from the University of Leeds in 2001 on "Antibiotics and Clostridium difficile"

I undertook Post-Doctoral work on C. difficile infection from 2001-2005 at the University of Leeds

I trained as a Clinical Scientist in Microbiology in Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust and was registered with the Health Care Professions Council in 2013.

Research interests

My research career has taken me from pure scientific research through to more applied health research projects and I have >20 years experience in C. difficile research, with >50 publications in field. My main research interests are:

Antimicrobial resistance in C. difficile

Epidemiological surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (The Closer Study: A 5 year Pan-European programme of surveillanceto monitor antibiotic Resistance and Prevalent Clostridium difficile ribotypes)

Susceptibility testing of novel antimicrobials against C. difficile

Multidrug resistance in C. difficile

Resistance mechanisms and fitness

C. difficile infection - in vitro gut models

Established the in vitro gut models of C. difficile infection (CDI) that have formed a major part of the research programme of Prof Wilcox' group.

Evaluation of novel antimicrobial compounds

Development of  antimicrobial resistance

Population dynamics and fitness

Microbiome and C. difficile

Antimicrobials and dysbiosis

markers of dysbiosis

C. difficile infection in paediatrics

C. difficile treatments:

Lead on laboratory testing for clinical trials involving novel C. difficile treatments

Qualifications

• Ph.D Antibiotics and Clostridium difficile
• B.Sc (Hons) Medical Microbiology (1st Class)
• Registered Clinical Scientist

Professional memberships

• Healthcare Professions Council
• British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
• European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
• Society for Anaerobic Microbiology

Student education

I supervise PhD and Masters level students and am involved in teaching undergraduate B.Sc and Medical students.

I am interested in widening participation and access to careers in Medicine and Health.

Research groups and institutes

• Leeds Institute of Medical Research at St James's
• Infection and antimicrobial resistance
• Healthcare Associated Infection Research Group