I am a Research Scientist in Professor Daniel Figeys’ group at the Quadram Institute, where my research focuses on understanding how xenobiotics interact with human gut microbial communities and modulate their functional dynamics.

I obtained my PhD from Queen’s University Belfast. My doctoral research focused on human milk microbiology, with a particular emphasis on optimizing culture-based approaches to isolate and characterize diverse microbial communities, including bacteria, fungi, and bacteriophages, from human milk. I investigated their metabolic functions and potential health implications with the aim of enhancing the safety, quality, and therapeutic value of human milk banking practices.

Prior to my PhD, I worked in the human nutrition and dietary supplements industry as Head of Research and Development, where I developed expertise in food safety, product development, regulatory compliance, and applied nutritional science.

Key publications

Li, R., Shenker, N., Gray, J., Megaw, J., Weaver, G. and Cameron, S.J., 2025. Microbiological analysis of donor human milk over seven years from the Hearts Milk Bank (United Kingdom). Food Microbiology, 126, p.104661. DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2024.104661.