Houghton Trust Trustee

Professor Mark Stevens

Professor Mark Stevens is Chair of Microbial Pathogenesis at The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh. His laboratory studies Salmonella, E. coli and Campylobacter infections in food-producing animals, with emphasis on the host and bacterial factors influencing persistence, pathogenesis and protection.

In particular, he has used novel genetic approaches and farm animal models to identify bacterial virulence factors with minimal animal use. He also studies the basis of host resistance to avian and zoonotic pathogens, both via genome-wide association studies to guide selective breeding and by analysis of host immune responses associated with natural and vaccine-mediated protection.

As Research Director at Roslin since 2015, he has played a key role in securing strategic investment from the Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council.

At the time of writing, he has published over 160 peer-reviewed articles and secured 36 competitive grants totalling £14.8M.

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology in 2017 and has served the Houghton Trust as both a Member (2011-2017) and Trustee (2017-present).