Dorina Timofte

Professor Dorina Timofte is a distinguished academic and researcher serving as Professor in Veterinary Clinical Microbiology at the University of Liverpool School of Veterinary Science. She leads the Veterinary Microbiology Diagnostic Laboratory (VMDL), which provides essential diagnostic services for referral hospitals (Equine, Small animals and Farm animals) at Leahurst & Liverpool, as well as for external veterinary practices. Her leadership extends to multiple prestigious roles including Vice President of the European College of Veterinary Microbiology (2024-2027), Chair of the Education Committee of the European College of Veterinary Microbiology Executive Committee, and Director of the ECVM Training Centre at the University of Liverpool.

Professor Timofte's research focuses on the surveillance and molecular epidemiology of multidrug-resistant bacteria, particularly healthcare-associated infections in human and veterinary hospitals. She has pioneered work in characterizing antimicrobial resistance mechanisms in companion and farm animals, with a particular emphasis on Enterobacteriaceae. Her research bridges veterinary and human health through a One Health approach, examining the genomic epidemiology of interspecies transmission of multidrug-resistant bacteria. She has led significant efforts to standardize laboratory procedures across veterinary microbiology laboratories in Europe through her leadership in ENOVAT (European Network for Optimization of Veterinary Antimicrobial Treatment).

Professor Timofte's recent publication record demonstrates consistent high-impact contributions to the field, with numerous articles in leading journals covering topics from antimicrobial stewardship to rapid diagnostic technologies. Her work on ESKAPE pathogens in veterinary hospitals, molecular characterization of resistance mechanisms, and application of FT-IR spectroscopy for pathogen identification represents the cutting edge of veterinary clinical microbiology.

• Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists (FRCPath) by Published Works (2023)
• Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (FRCVS) for Meritorious Contributions to the Profession (2023)
• PRECISI2016 from the Romanian Ministry of Education and Scientific Research (2016)
• Visiting Professor at Faculty of Veterinary Science Iasi (2011)
• Best Young Researcher award from the Romanian Ministry of Education and Scientific Research (2002)

As an educator, Professor Timofte provides substantial teaching for veterinary students through clinical rotations in diagnostic pathology and bacteriology, with 288 hours of small group teaching annually. She integrates the diagnostic laboratory experience directly into student learning, providing practical aspects of clinical microbiology as required by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. Her teaching receives consistently positive feedback from students. She also supervises honors projects and has guided research on topics including neonatal infectious arthritis in lambs and antimicrobial resistance in horses.

Professor Timofte leads the Veterinary Microbiology Diagnostic Laboratory, which utilizes modern technologies such as proteomics and genomics for rapid identification of infectious agents and antimicrobial resistance genes. She chairs the Biosecurity and Infection Control Committee in the School of Veterinary Science and coordinates the Environmental Surveillance Programme, which is critical for detecting nosocomial pathogens in the hospital setting. Her leadership has been instrumental in establishing the first European College of Veterinary Microbiology residency standard training programme at Liverpool.