Catriona S Baker
Researcher
Optimising DNA extraction and whole-genome sequencing workflows for pathogens, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, to improve antimicrobial resistance (AMR) prediction and infectious disease diagnostics.
Developing and optimising antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) workflows to investigate antimicrobial resistance.
Leading public engagement and science communication for the Modernising Medical Microbiology (MMM) Unit, including social media and blog content through Bash the Bug, helping to make our research accessible to wider audiences.
Delivering public engagement activities through science festivals, school visits and workshops, bringing microbiology and antimicrobial resistance research to a range of audiences.
Previously Team Lead for the COVID-19 Infection Survey, a collaboration between the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the University of Oxford.
Also a keen photographer! 📸
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Recent publications
Validation of an optimized Oxford Nanopore sequencing workflow versus Illumina for mycobacteria from primary MGIT culture
Journal article
Baker CS. et al, (2026), Microbiology Spectrum
Validation of an optimised Oxford Nanopore sequencing workflow versus Illumina for mycobacteria from primary MGIT culture
Preprint
Baker CS. et al, (2026)
Characterizing the performance of an antibiotic resistance prediction tool, gnomonicus, using a diverse test set of 2,663 Mycobacterium tuberculosis samples
Journal article
Westhead J. et al, (2025), Microbial Genomics, 11