The Microbiologist Editorial Team
The Microbiologist Editorial Team is responsible for planning, sourcing and commissioning all contents of the digital magazine. Their job is to support authors and journalists, monitor writing progress, and act as a central point of contact for all contributors. To get in touch with the editorial team, please email us on info@the-microbiologist.com.
Paul Sainsbury
Editor in Chief
Paul initially trained as a journalist and has over twenty five years’ experience in marketing, PR and communications working for commercial companies such as Harrods and the Freeplay wind-up radio. His passion for science comms took him back to University and he completed a PhD at the University of Warwick. Paul is responsible for the editorial direction and development of The Microbioloigst. He particularly enjoys exploring new inspiring content in microbiology and the privilege of working with the extraordinary writers and editors featured in the magazine.
Matthew Koch
Features Editor
Matt studied for a PhD in Microbiology, where his thesis was focused on natural product discovery from the marine environment and the microbiota of deep-sea sponges. Matt has since pursued a career in science communications and worked as a Science Communications Officer for AMI before becoming the Features Editor for The Microbiologist, where he enjoys being able to stay on top of the latest research and widen his knowledge base of the greatest subject in the world.
Linda Stewart
News and Current Affairs Editor
Linda studied Pure & Applied Biology BA at St Anne’s College, Oxford, before completing an MSc in Conservation at UCL. After two years in a Water Service lab in Northern Ireland, she switched to a career in newspaper journalism, working as a general reporter at the Belfast Telegraph before becoming the regional daily’s first Environment Correspondent from 2008 until 2016. She was named Environment Correspondent of the Year 2011 and Feature Journalist of the Year in 2014 at the NI Media Awards. After serving as editor on a number of retail sector magazines, she is enjoying turning her journalism skills to delivering fresh and fascinating scientific news content in The Microbiologist.
Hannah Trivett
Under the Microscope Editor
Hannah completed her undergraduate degree in Microbiology at the University of Liverpool in 2020. During her degree, she completed a summer placement funded by The Wellcome Trust to characterise phenotypes of invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella. Hannah is currently undertaking a PhD in Medical Microbiology, exploring the advances in next-generation sequencing to detect gastroenteric pathogens directly from stool. Alongside her PhD, Hannah has been an active member of AMI as the Science Communication Officer for the Early Career Scientist (ECS) committee. She has played an integral role in organising ECS virtual and in-person conferences and producing content for The Microbiologist.
Abdelrahman Khattab
Global Section Editor - Africa & Middle East
Abdelrahman received a PhD in Microbiology from Al-Azhar University, concentrating on the microbial formation of bioproducts from wastes. His studies thereafter continued along the same lines, engaging in multidisciplinary projects. Abdelrahman was lucky to earn professional training in applied microbiology and renewable energy at The Ohio State University and the University of Texas at Austin, respectively. He also has extensive experience in microbiology teaching and mentoring, as well as enjoys exploring the latest research ideas and microbiology news.
André Antunes
Global Section Editor - Asia & Oceania
Dr André Antunes is an environmental microbiologist, having devoted most of his research life to the study of microbial communities in marine and extreme environments. He is particularly interested in microbial biodiversity, changes in microbial community structure across environmental gradients, adaptations to extreme conditions and in cross-disciplinary research in the fields of geomicrobiology and astrobiology.
Priscilla Carrillo Barragán
Global Section Editor - The Americas
Priscilla pursued a PhD programme in Environmental Science at Newcastle University, where her research focused on biofuel production as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. Priscilla’s expertise spans applied and environmental microbiology, molecular biology, global pollution, and waste valorisation. She aims to use this knowledge to address complex environmental issues and drive positive change for a healthier planet. Priscilla has also advised the British Parliament on microplastics pollution policy as a stakeholder of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Microplastics 2021. An integral part of Priscilla’s career is science communication, and she is excited to exchange microbiology knowledge with as broad and diverse participants as possible.
Chien-Yi Chang
Global Section Editor - UK & Europe
Chien-Yi Chang is a Lecturer in the School of Dental Sciences at Newcastle University. He was trained as a microbiologist and received his BSc and MSc in Taiwan. He then studied and received his PhD from the University of Nottingham in the UK. His research interest is to study fundamental questions concerning how bacteria sense and respond to their surroundings and stresses coming from other microbial competitors or hosts. He also has a great interest in new technology used to explore a broad and fascinating microbial world.
Swetha Ramakrishnan
Global Section Editor - USA & Canada
Swetha pursued her PhD in Microbiology, where her thesis was focused on microbial interactions between bacteria and fungi. Swetha had a short stint at life science consulting before switching back to research in a startup. She hopes to apply her academic training in microbiology to develop real world products. She is also stepping into a career in science communication, where she hopes to learn about the latest technologies and interact with the amazing people responsible for them.
