FY2026 HMDP VISITING EXPERT IN REAL-TIME METAGENOMICS FOR CLINICAL APPLICATION IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES: PROF JONATHAN DAVID EDGEWORTH

Prof Edgeworth is a Consultant Microbiologist with the Department of Infectious Diseases at Guy’s and St Thomas Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, UK, Honorary Professor of Clinical Infectious Diseases, Kings College London, and Director of Centre for Clinical Infection and Diagnostics Research (CIDR). 

He is a key leader in a UK national programme that applies metagenomic sequencing to identify respiratory infections and support national surveillance of outbreaks and future pandemics. His lab has developed a comprehensive, same-day clinical metagenomics workflow encompassing the entire diagnostic process, from sample collection and wet-lab mNGS procedures, to bioinformatic analysis, clinical reporting, and interpretation that informs treatment decisions. The workflow is currently undergoing validation at multiple hospital sites across the UK. Adapting this established workflow to our local healthcare context would significantly enhance our diagnostic capabilities.

The focus of Prof Edgeworth’s team is to conduct research providing evidence to help control antimicrobial resistance and healthcare-associated infections, particularly by improving the speed and utility of infectious diseases diagnostics. This research is informed by longstanding experience delivering a daily infection consult service to the intensive care service that hosts nationally commissioned extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation and high consequence infectious diseases units. Their group’s core strength lies in conducting patient-focused research, including observational and surveillance studies, interventional clinical trials, and diagnostic evaluation studies. These are tightly integrated with the creation of comprehensive clinical datasets, which they use to develop robust phenotypes, conduct clinical impact assessments, and perform health economic evaluations.

Programme: Jonathan Edgeworth [PDF, 264.00 KB]

Contact person: Loh Fei Kean (NCID)

Email: loh.fei.kean@nhghealth.com.sg