University of Liverpool
Our Lab Group
Meet the team!
Dr Jamie Wheeler
PI
I am a Wellcome Early Career Researcher and a University of Liverpool research fellow focussing on biofilm development in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Prior to starting my own research group, I was a Postdoctoral Research Associate (2019-2024) in the microbial physics group at the University of Sheffield.
Before that, I received my PhD (2019) from the University of Oxford, where I studied bacterial motility in developing biofilms under the joint supervision of Dr William Durham and Prof Kevin Foster.
You can find out more about me and our work on my departmental webpage.
Maryam Abdulkarim
PhD Student
I studied BSc Microbiology in Nigeria, where I developed an interest in bacterial pathogenesis and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). I went on to complete an MSc in Antimicrobial Resistance at the University of Sheffield, where my research at the Microbial Physics Lab focused on type IV pili-mediated chemotaxis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Following my MSc, I continued working on this project as a laboratory technician at the University of Sheffield, and later as a research assistant with Dr. Jamie Wheeler at the University of Liverpool. I am now continuing this work as a PhD student. Alongside my research, I am actively engaged in AMR advocacy with student-led organisations in Africa.
My current research focuses on the behaviour of biofilm-associated Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a WHO priority pathogen, and its response to antibiotic exposure. Using microfluidic systems to precisely control chemical environments, combined with high-throughput single-cell tracking, the project investigates a recently discovered phenomenon known as ‘antibiotic taxis’, where surface-attached bacteria actively migrate towards antibiotics. By applying these experimental approaches, I aim to better understand the mechanisms driving this behaviour and explore its implications for biofilm formation, chronic infection, and AMR.
Soroush Zeaei
PhD student (jointly supervised by Dr Mack Durham, University of Sheffield)
I completed my Master’s in Mechanical Engineering at Tarbiat Modares University. My Master’s project focused on motile sperm separation using microfluidics. We studied sperm swimming behaviour in microfluidic chips and separated motile sperm to assist in IVF procedures.
My project focuses on studying bacterial motility, specifically Flavobacterium johnsoniae, using microfluidics. I am studying its response to different chemical gradients to better understand how it moves toward plant roots, which secrete different root exudates, and how to increase its association with plant roots.