Professor Jodi Lindsay
Head of Department
Department: Comparative Biomedical Sciences
Research Groups: Antimicrobial Resistance, Host-Pathogen Interactions and Vaccinology
Jodi Lindsay is Professor of Microbial Pathogenesis, and Head of Department, Comparative Biomedical Sciences (CBS).
CBS leads teaching BMedVet years 1 and 2, Gateway, Graduate Entry year 1, Biomedical Science and Master's programmes at the Camden campus. Research in CBS covers a broad range of topics with impact on human and/or animal health, including cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, biomechanics, development, pharmacology, neuroscience, reproductive and immune biology.
Professor Lindsay joined RVC in 2025. Her research focuses on the evolution, genomics and epidemiology of bacterial pathogens, such as the staphylococci and MRSA.
Professor Lindsay has a PhD from the University of Western Australia, and post-doced at New York University Medical Center and the University of Sheffield. She joined St George’s Hospital Medical School in 1998, was tenured in 2005, promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2006, Reader in 2009 and Professor in 2012. At St George's, University of London/City St George's, University of London, Professor Lindsay was Director of Cross Cutting Research Themes and Deputy to the Deputy Principal (Research and Enterprise), and the Academic Lead for REF2021. She is a Visiting Professor at CSG. In 2025, she joined the Royal Veterinary College as Head of Department of CBS.
Jodi is a microbiologist and geneticist who collaborates widely with bioinformaticians, chemists, mathematical modellers, clinical microbiologists and infectious disease physicians, veterinarians and public health experts. Fundamental biology is translated to epidemiology, diagnostics, stewardship, infection control, public health and veterinary practice.
Jodi has previously Chaired the ESCMID study group on Staphylococci (ESGS), Chaired the Publishing Committee and been Council Member of the Microbiology Society, and sat on the UK Standards for Microbiology Investigations Steering Committee. Previously, she co-chaired the Gordon Research Conference on Staphylococci, sat on the BBSRC Biosciences for Health advisory committee, and has sat on various grant funding committees for DFG, JPI-AMR, EU FP7/Horizon2020 and NIH. She is an Editor of X-AMR, and previously was Reviews Editor and an Editor of Microbiology, and an Editor of BMC Infectious Diseases, each for 10 years.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global problem that threatens modern medicine. The most common cause of human AMR death is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In our lab we investigate the acquisition, stability, spread and selection of AMR genes in bacterial populations, and particularly in the staphylococci, in humans and animals. Similarly, we study the movement of additional important genes that determine the pathogenesis, host-specificity and success of pathogens. We apply our research by focusing on bacterial diagnosis, public health, selective pressures, and epidemiology. Mechanistically, we study bacteriophage and transduction, restriction modification, whole genome sequencing, bioinformatics, mathematical modelling and experimental evolution.
For example, our team led the discoveries of -
Genomics and gene transfer -
- Staphylococcus aureus pathogenicity islands (SaPI) that transfer toxin genes at high frequency
- The lineage population structure of S. aureus using whole genome data
- The main restriction-modification system of S. aureus, Sau1, which is lineage specific
- AMR genes move at extremely high frequency between bacteria during colonisation of the host
- Sub-inhibitory concentrations of antimicrobials enhance AMR gene transfer
- The genomics and evolution of the canine pathogen S. pseudintermedius.
- The mathematical dynamics of bacteriophage infection and generalised transduction/horizontal gene transfer
- A novel chromosomal region encoding multiple genes that control the transfer of AMR genes into MRSA
Epidemiology -
- The phi3 prophage and immune evasion genes association with human rather than animal S. aureus
- MRSA prevalence and spread in companion animals
- Fluoroquinolone stewardship association with MRSA decline in incidence in UK NHS hospitals
- Undersampling limits AMR detection in the diagnostic lab
- Associations between AMR resistance and antimicrobial usage across Europe
Publications are available from -
Google Scholar - https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=ZesDPi4AAAAJ&hl=en
Web of Science - https://publons.com/researcher/4116514/jodi-lindsay/
ORCiD - https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5219-1625
Editor of "Staphylococcus: Molecular Genetics" 2008, Caister Academic Press.
Lectures, project supervisor, and PhD student supervisor and examiner.
Invited speaker at >100 national and international conferences.
Expert, Science Media Centre. Multiple interviews television, radio, newspapers, professional magazines.