Photo of Professor Nicola Williams

Professor Nicola Williams BSc (hons), Ph.D

Professor of Bacterial Zoonotic Disease Livestock & One Health

    Research

    Research Interest 1

    Nicola has 15 years research experience on bacterial zoonoses (including antimicrobial resistance) in wildlife, food and companion animal species, investigating reservoirs, survival in the environment, fitness and transmission between animals and to humans, using a combination of conventional microbiology and molecular biology and next generation sequencing. She has a large portfolio of research on foodborne pathogens, antimicrobial use and resistance (£>5 million to date), and has funding from UK research councils, the UK Food Standards Agency and Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra), industry (pharmaceutical, poultry producers, retailers) and EU (FP7 & EMIDA). Through her work she actively collaborates with colleagues in 10 EU countries, as well as Thailand, Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia and the US. She has published over 50 papers in peer-reviewed journals, many of which are on bacterial zoonoses, antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance.

    Research Grants

    Chicken or Egg: Drivers for Antimicrobial Resistance in Poultry in India (DARPI)

    DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY (BEIS) (UK)

    July 2018 - March 2022

    Mapping the patterns and drivers of antibiotic use and environmental resistance in the Argentine beef industry.

    BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

    August 2019 - March 2024

    EVSNET – Equine Veterinary Surveillance Network for the UK Equine Population

    THE HORSE TRUST (UK)

    August 2020 - August 2025

    One Health Research Network for the Horn of Africa (HORN)

    BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

    October 2017 - March 2023

    Does AMR in livestock contribute to AMR in people in NE India? An interdisciplinary study.

    DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY (BEIS) (UK)

    July 2018 - June 2021

    Bench fees for Dr. Dominic Mureithi

    COMMONWEALTH SCHOLARSHIP COMMISSION (UK)

    November 2021 - October 2024

    A whole supply chain hurdle approach to control Campylobacter

    BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

    September 2016 - June 2019

    Bench fees for Veysel Bay

    TURKISH EMBASSY (LONDON)

    November 2015 - October 2018

    Bench fees for Veysel Bay

    TURKISH EMBASSY (LONDON)

    November 2015 - October 2018

    The emerging problem of antimicrobial resistance in equines: Investigating carriage and infections with multidrug resistant bacteria in horses

    THE HORSE TRUST (UK)

    August 2016 - October 2021

    Susceptibility of broiler chickens to Campylobacter: impacts of the gut environment and immune status on colonisation

    BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

    October 2012 - February 2016

    Campylobacter control - novel approaches in primary poultry production: acronym: CamCon

    EUROPEAN COMMISSION

    May 2010 - April 2015

    National surveillance of antimicrobial consumption and resistance in companion pet animals.

    DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS (UK)

    June 2014 - March 2019

    The role of Clostridium difficile, Clostridium perfringens and microbial community flora diversity in the equine gastrointestinal tract in hospital-acquired diarrhoea in horses

    PET PLAN CHARITABLE TRUST (UK)

    October 2007 - July 2009

    Antimicrobial use and carriage of antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli and staphylococci in dogs and horses in the community: molecular mechanisms of resistance and risk to humans

    DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS (UK)

    August 2007 - November 2016

    Thailand campylobacter and chicken projects

    BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

    June 2012 - June 2016

    Antibiotic use in food-producing animals in the UK

    DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS (UK)

    April 2010 - February 2012

    Value in People Award 2005.

    WELLCOME TRUST (UK)

    October 2005 - September 2009

    Development of accurate predictive models for the assessment of the survival of Campylobacter jejuni C.coli under food relevant conditions

    FOOD STANDARDS AGENCY (UK)

    April 2011 - January 2015

    Can Volatile Organic Compounds be used to detect Campylobacter infection in Poultry Houses?

    ROBOSCIENTIFIC LIMITED (UK)

    October 2012 - March 2013

    Molecular characterisation of Extended Spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in broiler chickens and abattoir workers in Romania

    BRITISH SOCIETY FOR ANTIMICROBIAL CHEMOTHERAPY (UK)

    September 2012 - February 2013

    The epidemiology of campylobacter infection in dogs in the context of the risk of infection to humans.

    DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS (UK)

    July 2005 - November 2009

    Contact-network studies between dogs, and between dogs and humans.

    VETERINARY LABORATORIES AGENCY (UK)

    October 2004 - April 2008

    Does feeding raw meat diets expose our pets and households to antimicrobial resistant bacterial pathogens?

    BRITISH SMALL ANIMAL VETERINARY ASSOCIATION (UK)

    July 2015 - September 2015

    Investigating Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamase producing bacterial infections in companion animals.

    BRITISH SMALL ANIMAL VETERINARY ASSOCIATION (UK)

    April 2013 - March 2014

    Application of whole genome sequencing to fully characterise Campylobacter isolates from the IID1 and IID2 studies.

    FOOD STANDARDS AGENCY (UK)

    January 2014 - February 2015

    Antimicrobial use and risk of resistance; an epidemiological study of antimicrobial-reistant E.coli and staphylococci in the horse.

    BRANSBY HOME OF REST FOR HORSES

    June 2007 - May 2010

    Veterinary Pathogen Genomics – One Genome for every 50 years of the RCVS Trust

    ROYAL COLLEGE OF VETERINARY SURGEONS TRUST (RCVS) - (UK)

    July 2008 - June 2011

    Motivations and drivers of antimicrobial prescribing practises in farmed animals

    DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS (UK)

    June 2012 - March 2016

    Research Collaborations

    Dr William Miller

    External: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

    Collaboration on multilocus sequence typing projects on Arcobacter spp and Campylobacter spp, as well as on the whole genome sequencing of a Arcobacter butzleri bovine strain.

    Dr Chris Sherlock

    External: The University of Lancaster

    Analysis of data sets, providing data sets for research projects and developing new statistical techniques.

    Professor Seamus Fanning

    External: University College Dublin, Ireland

    Collaboration on antimicrobial resistance projects using phenotyping array and exchange of techniques.

    Professor Martin Woodward

    External: Veterinary Laboratories Agency

    Molecular epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance.

    Professor Tom Humphreys

    External: University of Bristol

    On the steering group for their DEFRA-funded antimicrobial resistance project and collaborate on other projects involving campylobacter.

    Veterinary Surveillance Team (WEMH)

    External: The Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA)

    The epidemiology of Salmonella spp in badger social groups.

    Dr Luca Guildabassi

    External: Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University Copenhagen, Denmark

    Collaboration on research on typing and evolution of methicillin-resistant staphylococci in animals and veterinary personnel.