Mathew Upton

Academic profile

Professor Mathew Upton

Associate Head of School (Research)
School of Biomedical Sciences (Faculty of Health)

The Global Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. Mathew's work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

Goal 03: SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-beingGoal 09: SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation, and InfrastructureGoal 14: SDG 14 - Life Below Water

About Mathew

August 2018 – Professor of Medical Microbiology, University of PlymouthJune 2018 – Founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Amprologix Ltd (@amprologix)
April 2014 – July 2022 Co-founder and Director at Spectromics Ltd (http://www.spectromics.com/)
May 2013 – Reader in Medical Microbiology, University of Plymouth
June 2011 – Senior Lecturer in Medical Microbiology, University of Manchester
June 2001 – Lecturer in Medical Microbiology, University of Manchester
Following BSc and PhD studies in Newcastle, I completed a number of postdoc projects in Aberdeen, Antarctica, Bristol, Liverpool and New Zealand, before taking up a lectureship in Manchester.
Lead for Antibiotic Resistant Pathogens Research Group
Current lab members:
  • Dr Grant January (PDRA) – Newton Fund/MRC/SAMRC – South Africa-UK Antibiotic Accelerator
  • Dr Katie Muddiman - Senior Technician in AMR
  • Jack Kay (Royal Commission of 1851 Industrial PhD candidate)
  • Neil Powell (NIHR Fellowship PhD candidate)
  • Sean Kelly (PhD candidate)
  • Jazmin Conway (One Ocean Hub, GCRF PhD candidate – co-supervisor with Professor Kerry Howell)
  • Kudzai Hwengwere (ARIES PhD candidate - co-supervisor with Professor Kerry Howell and Prof Mel Clark, BAS)
  • Braith Grey (PhD candidate - co-supervisor with Dr Tina Joshi)
  • Matthew McKracken (PhD candidate - co-supervision with Dr Tina Joshi)
  • Darshana Srivastava (PhD candidate - co-supervision with Dr Phil Warburton

Supervised Research Degrees

I have supervised nearly 30 PhD students and over 70 MSc research projects. These projects have all been in the field of medical microbiology and have involved collaborators at UK universities, UKHSA (formerly Public Health England & HPA) and NHS Trusts.

Current PhD students (Director of studies)
Neil Powell (2020-2024) - Penicillin allergy patient classification

Jack Kay (2020-2023) - Discovery and design of of novel antimicrobial peptides

Sean Kelly (2021-2025) - Emerging human respiratory pathogens

Sophie Tauber (2023-2027) - Developing a novel vaccine for Group B Streptococcus


Current PhD students (Co-supervisor)
Jazmin Conway (2021-2024) - Marine biodiscovery for AMR

Kudzai Hwengwere (2021-2025) - Antarctic marine microbial ecology and natural product discovery

Braith Grey (2021-2024) - Toward a low-cost, rapid point-of-care biosensor for detection of Antibiotic Resistant Urinary Tract Infections

Matthew McKracken (2022-2025) - Biocide resistance in human pathogens

Darshana Srivastava (2023-2027) - Novel antimicrobials from flowering plants

Current ResM students (co-supervisor)
Alistair White (2022-2024) - Novel molecular diagnostics for AMR


Recent PhD Graduates (Director of studies)
Matthew Koch (2017-2021) - SfAM PhD Studentship Discovery of novel antimicrobials from deep sea sponges
Abdu Aldarhami (2015-2019) - Novel antimicrobials for therapy of Gram positive infections
Nizar Saeedi (2014-2018) - Pathogenenesis of ST127 uropathogenic E coli
Rob O'Hara (2015-2018) - Epidemiology of ST127 uropathogenic E coli


Recent PhD Graduates (co-supervisor)
James Butler (2018-2022) - Novel antimicrobial surfaces to reduce healthcare associated infections
Poppy Best (2017-2021) - Bioactivity and ecology of bacteria from deep sea sponges
Sam Gould (2015-2018) - 3D models to study oral infections
Connor Wood (2015-2018) - Superinfection of influenza virus
Barbara Durante (2015-2018) - Immunological effects of antimicrobial peptides

Teaching

Areas of teaching interest relate to medical microbiology, bacterial genomics and antibiotic resistance.
MSc Biomedical Sciences
Contributing to modules BIOM5003 (Contemporary Aspects of Infection and Immunity), BIOM5005 (Project Design and Development), BIOM5006 (Research Project), BIOM5008 (Clinical Microbiology), BIOM5010 (Personalised Medicine).
BSc Biomedical Sciences.
Contributing to Modules BIOM3001, BIOM3003, BIOM3015, BIOM3016.