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Conor Meehan

Senior Lecturer in Microbiology, Nottingham Trent University
I am a molecular epidemiologist who looks at the transmission of bacteria and viruses between humans. My work focusses primarily on Mycobacterium tuberculosis but also on many other pathogens.

I graduated from NUI Maynooth, Ireland with a BSc in computational biology and genetics followed by a PhD in NUI Galway researching HIV transmission and drug resistance. I then undertook a 3 year postdoctoral fellowship in Dalhousie University, Canada looking at how bacteria swap their genetic material and how the human microbiome communities evolve. After this, in 2014 I joined the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Belgium as a research fellow. There I led projects on Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other pathogens of the same genus, mostly looking at their transmission in high burden countries and how best to use genomics to improve public health initiatives. I am now a senior lecturer in microbiology at Nottingham Trent University within the AROM microbiology group where my group looks at both the evolution of bacterial pathogens and human associated microbiomes.

Which infectious disease is likely to be the biggest emerging problem in 2025?

Dec 26, 2024 09:07 am UTC| Insights & Views Health

COVID emerged suddenly, spread rapidly and killed millions of people around the world. Since then, I think its fair to say that most people have been nervous about the emergence of the next big infectious disease be that...

Gut microbiome: meet Roseburia intestinalis — the energy-producing bacterium that helps us fight against disease

Mar 18, 2024 09:01 am UTC| Health

The hundreds of species of microorganisms that comprise the microbiome all have different, unique roles. One of the important functions that takes place in the gut is the production of short-chain fatty acids. These...

Economy

U.S. Crude Oil Exports Surge Toward Record Highs Amid Global Supply Crisis

The United States came remarkably close to becoming a net crude oil exporter last week for the first time since World War Two, as American shipments surged to meet surging international demand. The dramatic shift was...

Chile's Kast Unveils 40-Point Economic Reform Package to Boost Growth

Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast introduced a sweeping economic reform package this week, outlining 40 measures aimed at reinvigorating the countrys economy and stabilizing employment. Addressing the nation for the...

China's Economy Surpasses Q1 2026 Growth Forecasts

Chinas economy outperformed expectations in the first quarter of 2026, with official GDP data released Thursday confirming a 5% year-on-year expansion ahead of the 4.8% analysts had forecast and a notable acceleration...

China's New Home Prices Continue to Fall in March Despite Signs of Recovery in Major Cities

Chinas new home prices extended their downward trend in March, according to fresh data released by the National Bureau of Statistics, though some of the countrys largest cities began showing modest month-on-month...

China's Economy Shows Resilience Amid Global Headwinds in March

Chinas industrial output climbed 5.7% year-on-year in March, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics, surpassing analyst forecasts of 5.5% from a Reuters poll of 36 economists. Despite the...

Politics

Russia Launches Deadly Missile and Drone Strikes Across Ukraine, Killing Three Including a Child

Russian forces launched a wave of missile and drone attacks on multiple Ukrainian cities in the early hours of Thursday, leaving three people dead among them a 12-year-old boy and wounding more than 20 others. The...

Federal Judge Dismisses DOJ Lawsuit Attempting to Block Hawaii's Climate Case Against Oil Giants

A federal judge in Honolulu has dismissed a Trump administration lawsuit that sought to prevent Hawaii from pursuing climate change litigation against major fossil fuel companies in state court. U.S. District Judge Helen...

Pentagon Taps Auto Giants to Supercharge U.S. Weapons Production

The Pentagon is in early discussions with major American manufacturers including automotive leaders General Motors and Ford Motor about redirecting a portion of their factory capacity and workforce toward producing...

U.S. Senate Blocks Resolutions to Halt $450 Million Weapons Sale to Israel

The U.S. Senate voted Wednesday to reject two resolutions that sought to block approximately $450 million in military equipment sales to Israel, including bombs and bulldozers. Republicans united in opposition to the...

DHS Shutdown Delays World Cup Security Planning Despite Full Funding Release

The U.S. government has successfully released all $625 million in federally approved security funding for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but an ongoing shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security continues to disrupt...

Science

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

Technology

Sam Altman Moves to Dismiss Punitive Damages in Sister's Sexual Abuse Lawsuit

Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, has filed a motion in St. Louis federal court seeking to strike punitive damages from a civil lawsuit brought by his sister, Annie Altman, who accuses him of repeated sexual abuse...

Samsung Races to Deliver Next-Gen HBM4E Memory Samples to Nvidia

Samsung Electronics is pushing hard to deliver engineering samples of its next-generation HBM4E high-bandwidth memory to Nvidia as early as next month, according to South Korean outlet ChosunBiz. The move signals Samsungs...

ASML Raises 2026 Revenue Outlook as AI Chip Demand Surges

ASML Holding N.V. lifted its full-year 2026 revenue forecast after the Dutch semiconductor equipment giant surpassed first-quarter profit and sales expectations. The results were fueled by accelerating AI-driven chip...

Federal Agencies Secretly Test Anthropic's AI Despite Trump Administration Ban

Despite a formal directive from President Donald Trump ordering federal agencies to stop using Anthropics artificial intelligence technology, multiple U.S. government bodies have been quietly evaluating the companys latest...

KKR's $820M Investment Fuels Samsung SDS AI Expansion, Sending Group Shares Soaring

Samsung Group stocks rallied sharply on Wednesday following KKRs announcement of a major strategic partnership with Samsung SDS, reigniting investor confidence in the conglomerates artificial intelligence and digital...