David Livermore

David Livermore is a Professor of Medical Microbiology at the University of East Anglia (UEA) since 2011, with 70% affiliation to UEA and 30% to Public Health England (PHE). He holds additional roles as a Visiting Professor at King Saud University and Honorary Professor at Queen Mary University, London. His career spans over four decades, including leadership roles at PHE’s Antibiotic Resistance Monitoring & Reference Laboratory and contributions to global resistance surveillance.

Education:

• BSc (1st Class Hons) Microbiology, Heriot-Watt University (1978)
• PhD in Medical Microbiology, University of London (1983)

Research Interests: Focuses on antibiotic resistance mechanisms (e.g., β-lactamases, carbapenemases), epidemiology of resistance, rapid diagnostic methods, and antibiotic stewardship. Key contributions include studies on CTX-M enzymes, NDM-1, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistance. Current work emphasizes developing rapid diagnostic tests to optimize patient therapy and combat resistance.

Grants & Projects: Led major initiatives such as:

• INHALE: Molecular diagnostics for hospital-acquired pneumonia
• Rapid sepsis diagnosis (SepsiSeq)
• Point-of-care tests for gonorrhoeae and Mycoplasma genitalium

Roles & Awards: Serves on UK government committees (e.g., Antimicrobial Resistance Diagnostics Sub-Group) and editorial boards (e.g., Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy). Recognized for contributions to PHE’s resistance surveillance and WHO-related reports.