Dr Manon Pritchard
Research Associate
- Welsh speaking
Overview
My research has been focused on elucidating the mode of action of antibiofilm polymer therapies for the treatment of multi-drug resistant bacteria. I currently work on conventional microbiological assays, imaging and modelling (including drug screening, atomic force-, confocal and scanning electron microscopy), but also work “across the conventional boundary” of the biological and engineering sciences. In this I work with engineers and bio-informatics to utilise technologies to study the interaction of polymer therapies with bacterial surfaces and biopolymers to study how we might perturb and treat biofilm infections. This includes dynamic-light scattering, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, small angle neutron scattering and rheology. I have gained an understanding of translational research leading to a series of successful publications. Currently, I examine both undergraduate and postgraduate dental students, providing seminars and lectures on microbiology.
Biography
Career overview
- 2018-present: Sêr Cymru II Research Fellow
- 2014-2018: Post-doctoral research associate with an honorary clinical contract
- 2011- 2014: EU-funded KESS PhD student, Cardiff School of Dentistry, Wales (GDP 0.2 fte)
- 2010-2011: Dental Foundation Year 2:
- SHO Maxillofacial Surgery on-call (Prince Charles Hospital, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales)
- SHO Paediatric Dentistry (Cardiff School of Dentistry, Wales) - 2009-2010: Dental Foundation Year 1 (General Dental Practitioner, 29 Park Crescent, Barry, Wales)
Education and qualification
- 2011-2014: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Cardiff School of Dentistry, Wales
"OligoG alginate nanomedicine mediated disruption of mucin barriers and microbial biofilms" - 2013: Member of the Faculty of Dental Surgeons (MFDS), Royal College of Edinburgh
- 2004-2009: First Class Honours, Bachelor of Dental surgery (BDS), Cardiff School of Dentistry, Wales
Honours and awards
2017 Medical Impact and Innovation award, Cardiff University (Research Group award)
2015 Poster prize: Cardiff and Vale UHB Research and Development Conference. Cardiff, UK (1st prize awarded).
2013 Poster Prize: European Tissue Repair Society. Reims, France (1st prize awarded).
2012 Poster prize: Welsh Microbiology & Infection Translational Research Group (2nd prize awarded).
2012 Oral Presentation: Cardiff University 27th Annual Life Sciences Postgraduate Research Day. Cardiff, UK (1st prize awarded).
2012 Cesare Romano Award for Cystic Fibrosis Research (New Therapies): 35th European Cystic Fibrosis Conference. Dublin, Ireland.
2006 Freda Berg Prize in Oral Biology: School of Dentistry, Cardiff, UK.
2006 Undergraduate Scholarship for ‘Best performance in first year’: Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
2005 Louis Cohen Prize for Anatomy: School of Dentistry, Cardiff, UK.
Professional memberships
- General Dental Council (GDC)
- Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh
- Cardiff Institute for Tissue Engineering & Repair
- European Tissue Repair Society (ETRS)
Committe membership
- Review Editor on the Editorial Board of the ‘Oral Surgery' Section of Frontiers in Oral Health.
- Research Committee, Cardiff School of Dentistry.
- European Tissue Repair Society
- Welsh Dental Committee
Publications
We are currently unable to retrieve the list of publications. Visit our institutional repository.Teaching
Teaching commitments
PhD student: "Developing novel technologies to model the effects of therapies on bacterial biofilms" Jennifer Adams (European Social Fund, KESS2)
MD student: The paediatric cystic fibrosis lung: understanding the evolving microbiome, antimicrobial resistance and novel approaches to treatment
MSc Implantology 2011-present: Lecturing, examining and marking on the cellular and molecular biology module
MSc Implantology 2015-present: Supervision of dissertation projects (5 students to date)
Dental undergraduates: Seminar teaching in oral microbiology, exam marking and viva examiner
Teaching courses
2014: Advanced Teaching Skills: Stimulating, Lively and High Yield Learning through the. Use of Interactive and Innovative Teaching Approaches: Harvard University, USA
Research funding
- Venture Life Group plc. Co-I.Measurement of mouthwash anti-viral activity against COVID-19 (MOMA), £73,501 (08/07/2020-08/02/2021)
- GW4 Seed corn funding. Co-I.Precision maggot therapy against key cystic fibrosis pathogens, £4,793.97 (01/09/2020-31/03/2021)
- Sêr Cymru Infrastructure accelerator award. Co-IGel documentation or gel imaging system for multidisciplinary users across the Oral and Biomedical Science Theme, School of Dentistry, Cardiff University. iBright Imaging system CL1500 – ThermoFisher Scientific, £16,712.48 (01/06/2020-28/02/2023)
- European Social Fund, KESS2 PhD. Co-I. Developing novel technologies to model the effects of therapies on bacterial biofilms, £88,634 (01/10/2019 to 31/09/2022)
- Sêr Cymru II Fellowship, PI. The development of in vitro models of respiratory biofilm assembly to develop novel antimicrobial therapies, £165,000 (01/06/18 to 31/05/21)
- Industrial collaborative project, Qbiotics, Co-I. Novel therapeutics for the treatment of multi-drug resistant wound infections, £281,715 (01/10/2016 to 31/12/2018)
- Industrial collaborative project, Qbiotics, Co-I. Screening of EBC-46 analogues using in-vitro biofilm models, £3,000 (18/05/2015 to 01/09/2015)
- Travel grant, European Cystic Fibrosis Society, PI. Fluorescent conjugation for localisation in a mucoid pseudomonal biofilm, £300 (10/06/15 to 13/06/15)
- Small Angle Neutron Scattering experiments, ILL, Grenoble, Co-I. Investigating the solution conformation and mechanism of action of alginate oligosaccharides, £19,699 (20/11/2012 to 23/11/2012)
- European Social Fund, KESS PhD Scholarship. A study of the ability of OligoG alginate nanomedicines to disrupt bacterial biofilms, £91,000 (01/10/2011 to 31/09/2014)