PhD Student Rhod joined LBEP as a PhD student in 2025, where he is aiming to develop a rapid metagenomic pipeline to improve the diagnostics of challenging equine infections. His work also focuses on optimising pathogen detection in clinical samples with low bacterial loads through host DNA depletion methods. His research interests lie in One Health, veterinary medicine and zoonotic diseases, with a particular focus on how sequencing can be used to benefit disease surveillance and public health. He completed his integrated Masters degree in Veterinary Biosciences at the University of Glasgow in 2023. During his studies he undertook a placement at the Moredun Research Institute, investigating the immune response of sheep to gastrointestinal nematodes and contributed to a project that aimed to improve animal welfare through the introduction of technology into the sheep farming industry. He also completed a research project at the University of Glasgow Veterinary Diagnostic Unit, focusing on the molecular detection of the parasite Giardia duodenalis from faecal samples of sheltered dogs. This article was published on 2026-04-07
