Dan Knight

Dan Knight is an Adjunct Research Fellow at the School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia (UWA), and a Genomic Epidemiologist & Senior Bioinformatician at the Pathogen Genomics and Surveillance Unit, Department of Microbiology, PathWest Laboratory Medicine WA. He also holds an Honorary Research Fellowship at UWA’s Institute for Respiratory Health.

His research focuses on public health genomics, genomic epidemiology, and antimicrobial resistance, with a primary focus on Clostridium difficile and other pathogens like Shigella, SARS-CoV2, and Vibrio. His work emphasizes a One Health approach, integrating human, animal, and environmental health perspectives.

Recent publications highlight his contributions to understanding C. difficile transmission dynamics, zoonotic origins, and antimicrobial resistance patterns globally. Key research includes genomic analyses of C. difficile in feral horses, soil contamination studies, and surveillance of AMR in Australian clinical isolates.

He leads major grants including a Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) (2024–2026) and an Emerging Leader Fellowship (2023–2025). Awards include the 2022 Fellowship of the Australian Society for Microbiology (FASM) and the 2021 Raine Research Prize.

He serves as an Associate Editor for Anaerobe and has organized key conferences like the West Coast Microbiome Network symposiums. His editorial roles and active involvement in professional societies reflect his leadership in microbial genomics and infectious disease research.