DrDinesh Aggarwal

I am an NIHR Clinical Lecturer in Infectious Diseases and a practicing clinician in Infectious Diseases and Microbiology. I completed my medical training at the University of Cambridge and UCL, followed by a Wellcome Trust Clinical PhD Fellowship at the University of Cambridge and the Wellcome Sanger Institute under the supervision of Professor Sharon Peacock and Dr Ewan Harrison. My doctoral research applied high-throughput whole-genome, 16S rRNA gene, and shotgun metagenomic sequencing to investigate transmission dynamics, carriage, and virulence of SARS-CoV-2 and Staphylococcus aureus.

During my PhD, I published three first-author papers in Nature Communications and another in Lancet Microbe, with findings directly informing UK government advisory bodies including SAGE-UK, SAGE-EMG, and the SAGE Care Home Working Group during the COVID-19 pandemic. My genomic evaluation of travel quarantine efficacy was featured in the Nature Communications Editor Highlights and led to the award of the Silver Research Medal from the Royal College of Pathologists.

I have since transitioned to applying human challenge models and cohort studies to better understand host–pathogen interactions and pathogen adaptation, with a focus on S. aureus and translational insights that inform clinical practice. I continue to utilise microbial genomics and metagenomics to explore the ecological basis of pathogen carriage, adaptation, and response to infection.

Alongside my research, I maintain a strong focus on social equity in medicine. I have published on disparities in recruitment to medical specialties and sit on the UK Malaria Expert Advisory Group, where I advocate for improved malaria prevention strategies among travellers.