Dr Ines Moura

Profile

I performed my PhD studies at the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS-Italy) investigating mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance in Clostridium difficile as part of a Marie Curie ITN. I later joined the National Reference Laboratory of Antimicrobial Resistance (INSA, Portugal) as postdoctoral researcher where I extended my knowledge in antimicrobial resistance to other Gram-positive and Gram-negative nosocomial pathogens.

In 2016, I joined the Healthcare Associated Infection (HCAI) Research group, lead by Professor Mark Wilcox where I focus on gut microbiome studies, and antimicrobial resistance of healthcare pathogens.

Responsibilities

• Postdoctoral Researcher

Research interests

Since joining the HCAI, I have continuing to work with C. difficile, and extended my research interests to gut microbiome studies. Some of these studies involve the in vitro model of the human colon used in our group to investigate drug induced dysbiosis of the intestinal microbiome and propensity to induce C. difficile infection. I have hands-on expertise in 16S sequencing, shotgun metagenomics and real-time PCR. This experience supported past and ongoing collaborations with different researchers across the University, and with external partners, sucha as the University of Oxford, and the NHS, to establish how new technologies can be integrated into medical microbiology.

Recently, I have collaborated with the UKHSA, supporting the development of the COVID-19 sequencing facility in Leeds.

Qualifications

• PhD in Microbiology and Public Health Sciences
• MSc in Genetics
• BSc in Genetics and Biotechnology

Professional memberships

• ESCMID
• SFAM
• Society for Anaerobic Microbiology

Student education

Supervisor of final year research projects for Microbiology students since 2019

Research groups and institutes

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