Dr Ian Cadby, Lecturer in One Health approaches to Antimicrobial Resistance in Bristol Veterinary School, is among 68 UK researchers to have been awarded a £1.47 million UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship. The award aims to help researchers lead studies into global issues and support the commercialisation of their innovations in the UK.

Dr Ian Cadby’s research will investigate how tick-borne pathogenic bacteria, which can cause disease in humans and animals – resulting in enormous losses to global livestock industries, can remodel human and animal cells for their survival.

Surprisingly, understudied, Dr Cadby’s project will aim to understand how tick-borne bacteria are able to escape immune responses and reprogramme animal cells, converting them to a home for bacterial proliferation during infection.

Understanding how these bacteria can reprogramme host cells will not only pave the way to developing novel approached to combat these infections and treat disease, but also provide insights into fundamental aspects of human and tick immune cell function.

Dr Cadby said "I'm extremely honoured to have received this prestigious award and would like to thank the UKRI for this fantastic opportunity, and Bristol Veterinary School and my collaborators for their support.”

Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, UKRI Chief Executive, said: “UKRI’s Future Leaders Fellowships provide researchers and innovators with long-term support and training to develop ambitious, transformative ideas.

“The programme supports the research and innovation leaders of the future to transcend disciplinary and sector boundaries, bridging the gap between academia and business.  

“The fellows demonstrate how these awards continue to drive excellence, and to shorten the distance from discovery to prosperity and public good.”