Meet Dr Simon Clarke

In Step 2.10, Professor Glenn Gibson explained how microbes can impact the human microbiome. In this ‘Meet the expert’ video, I meet with Dr Simon Clarke who researches the mechanisms used by a notorious bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, to interact with host tissues.

It’s important to understand pathogen-host interactions to develop strategies for the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. You’ll find out more about in this in the next Step.

Throughout this course, you’ve met many microbiologists working in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Reading. If you’ve enjoyed hearing about their research, particularity with a medical focus, then you would like Heart Health: A Beginner’s Guide to Cardiovascular Disease.

This FutureLearn course, led by my colleague Dr Natasha Barrett, explains how the heart works, the causes of diseases such as heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure and heart failure and what you can do to avoid them. It includes hands-on practical activities which you can try at home (including an optional exercise where you can dissect a heart) as well as interviews with experts from the Institute for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research.