Prof Timothy Walsh

Professor of Medical Microbiology and Antibiotic Resistance, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford 

Nationality – Australia 

Prof Tim Walsh has been studying antimicrobial resistance (AMR) mechanisms for over 25 years and publishes regularly in Nature and Lancet journals. Notably, in his career he has discovered and named two of the most notorious antibiotic resistant genes – NDM-1 and MCR-1.

His work also helped discover the mobile tigecycline gene (tetX variant). As director of BARNARDS, a Gates Foundation initiative, he leads efforts to understand the neonatal sepsis burden across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), focusing on sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, while also examining the impact of affordable antibiotic access.

His investigations extend to diverse areas, from studying insect roles in post-surgical infections in Pakistan to analysing colistin trade's global implications in agriculture. Joining the University of Oxford in 2020, Walsh co-established the Ineos Oxford Institute of Antimicrobial Research.

His research interests encompass various facets of AMR, including its drivers across One Health sectors, neonatal sepsis management in LMICs, and the clinical and economic burden of AMR including access in LMICs. Additionally, Walsh is on numerous advisory roles, including the Fleming Fund and WHO Strategic and Technical Advisory Group for AMR. Walsh’s work was recognized with an OBE in 2020 and a DSc from the University of Bristol in 2022. Walsh also holds an honorary position at the China Agricultural University, Beijing.