Hugh White
BSc, MSc, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher in Molecular Microbiology
Hugh is a postdoctoral researcher working in the Infectious Disease Genomics group and based primarily in the John Radcliffe Hospital. He is interested in bacterial genomics and ecology, specifically in when bacterial species can acquire novel traits and expand into ecological niches and why.
Starting his academic career with a BSc in Zoology, Hugh continued his studies with an MSc in Evolutionary and Behavioural Ecology, before specialising in bacterial ecology during his PhD funded by the BBSRC SWBio doctoral training partnership. His doctoral research aimed to identify the primary processes involved in the maintenance of distinct bacterial clades, focussing on the importance of key ecological traits in maintaining clade distinctiveness.
His current work will focus on setting up a comprehensive library of clinical microbiological samples as part of the Bugbank study (https://www.bugbank.uk/), and building upon work investigating the transition from a commensal to a pathogenic lifestyle in Staphylococcus aureus.