Planetary Health

Planetary Health

Our research is shaped by the need to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) on a global scale.

Our experts specialise in the health of the planet and environment, and find new ways of working towards the responsible use and disposal of antimicrobial drugs. A core strength of our research is how we progress understanding about the link between the health of humans, animals and ecosystems.

We explore how the environment is affected, from a microscopic level through to the biodiversity of the planet. We collaborate internationally to encourage informed antimicrobial use in treating illness and infection in people and animals, with an adaptable approach to each country.

One of the largest contributors to AMR is food production. Our team looks at ways to reduce the general use of antimicrobials in animal and plant husbandry whilst also increasing their sustainable use.

Planetary Health - primary investigators

Name Role Keywords
Professor William Gaze Professor of Microbiology Environment, policy, microbiome, evolution ecology, public health, agriculture, evidence
Dr Lihong Zhang Research Fellow Antibiotic resistance, molecular microbiology, environmental microbiology, medical microbiology, microbial ecology
Professor Steve Hinchliffe Professor of Geography and Co-Director of Wellcome Centre for Cultures and Environments of Health One health, risk, microbiome, social relations
Professor Neil Gow Professor of Microbiology and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Impact) Antifungal drug transit, fungal cell wall, drug resistance mechanisms, Candida species, Candida auris, echinocandins novel antifungal therapies, combination therapy and immunotherapies
Dr Aimee Murray Lecturer Culturing, molecular methods (qPCR, cloning, functional metagenomics), next-generation sequencing, metagenome analyses, evolution experiments
Professor Lora Fleming Director of the European Centre for Environment and Human Health and Chair of Oceans, Epidemiology and Human Health Public health, epidemiology; oceans and human health; environment and human health
Professor Charles Tyler Professor of Environmental Biology/ Academic Lead Environmental contaminants, physiological processes, genetic techniques, genomic techniques
Dr Anne Leonard Lecturer Environment, policy, microbiome, ecology, public health, evidence
Professor Stuart Townley Professor in Applied Mathematics Systems modelling, analysis and management
Professor Henry Buller Professor of Geography, Head of Exeter Geography Social science approaches, one-health pathways, antimicrobial reduction in Thailand, antimicrobial use in livestock systems in Tanzania

Dr Mike Allen

Associate Professor of Single Cell Genomics Antibiotics resistance, molecular microbiology, environmental microbiology, medical microbiology, microbial ecology, feed/energy conversion, oceans and human health; environment and human health, technology development

Professor Sarah Gurr

Chair in Food Security Antifungals, fungicide resistance, evolution, global movement and stewardship of antifungals

Dr Phil Mitchelmore

Clinical Lecturer in Respiratory Medicine Bronchiectasis, Cystic Fibrosis, lung disease, cross-infection, microbiome, antimicrobial resistance

Dr Michiel Vos

Senior Lecturer in Microbiology Microbiology, evolutionary ecology, population genomics, bacterial genome evolution, ecology of antibiotic resistance and virulence genes