MrFrank Williams

Bacterial genetics:

Advances in whole-genome sequencing have enabled high-resolution study of bacterial evolution. My interests focus on mobile genetic elements - plasmids, transposons and other horizontally transferred DNA, that disseminate traits such as antimicrobial resistance across lineages and species. These elements display evolutionary dynamics distinct from the core chromosome, and characterising their mobility and genomic interactions remains a central research focus.

Microbiome Dynamics:
The human microbiome consists of the microbial communities that inhabit our bodies, and their composition and function can have wide-ranging effects on health. I’m particularly interested in how these communities operate in the maternal context, including their role in reproductive health and pregnancy outcomes. My focus is on understanding how factors such as antibiotics, infections and other environmental pressures can alter microbial balance, and how these shifts may influence susceptibility to disease and overall maternal well-being.

Antimicrobial resistance:
I’m interested in the processes that drive the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance, from within individual hosts to broader population scales across the globe. Using genomic and surveillance data, I aim to deepen the current understanding of how resistance emerges, spreads and persists across different contexts, and how surveillance can be improved to track these dynamics effectively.