Derek Sloan

Derek Sloan is a Reader and Consultant in Infectious Diseases at the School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, within the Infection and Global Health Division. He also holds an honorary position as Senior Lecturer at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Institute of Global Health, University of Liverpool.

Education:

• PhD in Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool (2013)
• Doctor of Medicine, University of Liverpool
• Master in Science, University of Chester
• Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, University of Liverpool
• MRCP (UK), Royal College of Physicians, Glasgow
• Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Science (Immunology), University of Glasgow

Derek's research focuses on clinical therapeutics in global health, with emphasis on tuberculosis, HIV co-infection, antimicrobial resistance, and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) modeling. His work spans both high- and low-income countries, particularly Malawi and Uganda, addressing critical public health challenges through innovative diagnostics and treatment strategies. He has contributed to outbreak responses, including the UK’s Ebola response in West Africa in 2015.

His recent publications reflect a strong trend in developing AI-driven diagnostic tools for TB, modeling antimicrobial resistance in East Africa, evaluating novel TB drugs like BTZ-043 and bedaquiline, and assessing the impact of dolutegravir in HIV treatment. His research integrates clinical data, microbiology, and computational modeling to improve patient outcomes.

Scientific Awards:

• Conference on Retroviruses & Opportunistic Infections Young Investigator Award (2014)
• Conference on Retroviruses & Opportunistic Infections Young Investigator Award (2013)
• European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Travel Grant (2013)
• BIS/MSD Travel Bursary (2006)
• University of Cape Town Scholarship (2011)

Derek Sloan has supervised several graduate students, including Rotimi Owolabi and Dr. Andrew McCallum, and has led or co-led major funded projects from the Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council, European Commission, and EDCTP. His team collaborates extensively across the UK, Malawi, Uganda, and Tanzania, focusing on improving diagnostics, treatment safety, and antibiotic stewardship. He has been Principal Investigator on grants related to TB in the context of COVID-19 and antimicrobial resistance, and continues to lead cutting-edge research in infectious disease therapeutics and global health innovation.