Deborah Williamson

Professor Deborah Williamson is Dean of Medicine and Head of the School of Medicine at the University of St Andrews, UK, where she also holds the position of Professor of Medicine within the School of Medicine and the Department of Medical & Biological Sciences. She brings extensive leadership experience from academic and public health institutions across Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, and is a globally recognized clinician-scientist in infectious diseases.

Her research focuses on leveraging genomics and innovative technologies to combat infectious diseases such as syphilis, gonorrhea, SARS-CoV-2, and Salmonella. With over 300 journal publications and significant research funding, her work contributes to global public health and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in health and well-being.

The recent publications highlight a consistent focus on molecular diagnostics, pathogen genomics, and public health implementation. Her research spans clinical microbiology, serological assay evaluation, quality assurance in diagnostics, and immune responses to viral infections. The work is collaborative, translational, and globally impactful, especially in low-resource and regional settings.

Scientific Awards:

• L'Oreal-UNESCO Women in Science Fellowship

Professor Williamson actively advises research teams and has secured significant funding for her work. She continues to mentor early-career researchers and is deeply involved in advancing medical education at St Andrews. Her leadership integrates clinical service, research innovation, and academic training.

She leads a dynamic research group focused on infectious disease genomics and collaborates widely across international networks, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. Her lab contributes to large-scale surveillance initiatives, including the GenomeTrakr project for Salmonella enterica.