Ida Sey

An ambitious early career scientist, passionate about medical microbiology and making a difference in public health, with a specific interest in One Health and the antimicrobial crisis. I have been actively involved in quality improvement and research projects in clinical and research mcirobiology laboratories. I am proud to have been published twice in Frontiers, and to have an exceptional academic track record, winning a prestigious scholarship from MRC/MRF in 2015, the Provost’s Prize for English in 2015 and Trust Bank’s Student of the Year in 2014. 

Prior to commencing my doctoral studies,  I was a member of the leadership team for the Microbiology platform at MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM. I have a BSc in Medical Sciences from the University of Edinburgh, where I conducted a systematic review on diarrhoea and malaria, for which I was awarded the Honours Project Prize by the Deanery of Biomedical Sciences in 2020 and subsequently published in Frontiers in Medicine as the first author. I also hold an MSc in Control of Infectious Diseases from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where I conducted another systematic review and meta-analysis on the deployment of the Hepatitis B vaccine. In the laboratory, I am skilled in detecting and analysing clinically relevant bacteria, processing and analysing bacteria from environmental sources and parasite culture and microscopy, including speciation. I also have experience in quality improvement for the clinical laboratory, specifically infection prevention and control, and blood culture yields.  I have developed protocols for cutting edge technologies new to my laboratory, where, as the supervisor, I worked towards the establishment of international laboratory standards in accordance with good laboratory practice. As the laboratory supervisor, I furthered my training in leadership and management and  completed a course on the subject. My passion for science communication is evidenced by my mentorship of students and outreach to laypeople. I am excited to continue making a positive impact on public health and contributing to the scientific community through my doctoral research.

My current work is centred around the use of whole genome sequencing for the detection and management of hospital associated infections. 

My previous experience has included medical microbiology and infection prevention and control, as well as advocacy work around antimicrobial resisatnce (AMR) and One Health.