Personal Statement
Nicholas Evans is a Professor in Infection Biology (Department of Infection Biology and Microbiomes, Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool). He primarily contributes to teaching & research of Veterinary Infectious Diseases/Microbiology and leads the teaching of Infectious Diseases to Veterinary Science BVSc students (coordinating 2 modules equivalent across Years 1-3).

Nick completed a University of Manchester CASE PhD in 2004 which largely focused on Microbial Genetics / Molecular Biology / Biochemistry and included industrial placements at the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control. He next joined the University of Liverpool Veterinary School as a Postdoctoral Researcher funded through DEFRA and Industry where he developed a keen interest in veterinary microbiology, largely focusing on spirochetes and ruminant diseases. Subsequently he was awarded a BBSRC ‘Postdoctoral Researcher Co-Investigator’ post at the Veterinary School (2008) and went on to be appointed as a Lecturer in 2011, Senior Lecturer in 2016 and gained a personal chair in 2023. He leads a research group investigating spirochetal diseases.

Research Overview
Nick Evans has a keen interest in veterinary microbiology mostly focusing around pathogenic spirochetes and ruminant infectious diseases. Current funded research projects focus on treponemes responsible for digital dermatitis, a severe infectious disease causing lameness in ruminants. These studies include investigations into spirochete genomics and proteomics, spirochete survival in the environment, bacterial molecular epidemiology and transmission as well as describing antimicrobial susceptibilities. Further interests include understanding how spirochetes (focusing on both treponemes and leptospires) cause damage to their host during disease, host specificity and vaccine development. Nick has 22 years of infectious diseases research experience and an expanding research portfolio (PI/Co-I on >£5.5M research funding since 2008) with research substantially funded by the BBSRC as well as receiving funding from disinfectant, antibiotic and vaccine industries and the UK dairy and livestock levy boards.