Rate My Professor Roberto La Ragione

Professor Roberto La Ragione is the Interim Pro-Vice Chancellor and Executive Dean for the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Surrey and Professor of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology in the School of Veterinary Medicine. He graduated in 1995 with a BSc (Hons) and obtained an MSc in Veterinary Microbiology from the Royal Veterinary College, University of London. In 1996, he joined the Veterinary Laboratories Agency for a PhD on the pathogenesis of E. coli in poultry, followed by a postdoctoral position at Royal Holloway, University of London, studying E. coli virulence factors and vaccine development. Since 2001, his work at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (formerly VLA) focused on E. coli O157:H7 colonization in farmed animals, leading projects funded by Defra, BBSRC, MRC, EPSRC, AHRC, Innovate UK, and EU. Appointed Head of Pathogenesis and Control at AHVLA in 2005, he joined the University of Surrey as Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Microbiology in 2009, becoming Professor in 2010. Subsequent roles include Associate Dean for Veterinary Strategy (2012), Head of the Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases and Director of the Veterinary Pathology Centre (2014), Deputy Head of the School of Veterinary Medicine (2019), Head of the School of Biosciences and Medicine (2021), and his current position (2024).

His research interests center on host-microbe interactions, pathogenesis of food-borne pathogens including E. coli, Salmonella, and Brachyspira, antimicrobial resistance transmission, and alternatives to antibiotics such as vaccines, prebiotics, and probiotics. He developed novel in vitro models like 3D cell culture and organ culture for studying interventions, the first commercial avian pathogenic E. coli vaccine (PoulVacE), and Salmonella vaccines contributing to reduced prevalence in livestock and humans. Key publications include "Screening for Bacillus Isolates in the Broiler Gastrointestinal Tract" (2005, 605 citations), "Competitive exclusion by Bacillus subtilis spores of Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis and Clostridium perfringens in young chickens" (2003, 439 citations), and "Virulotyping and Antimicrobial Resistance Typing of Salmonella enterica Serovars Relevant to Human Health in Europe" (2010, 297 citations). Awards include Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists (FRCPath, 2010), RCPath College Medal (2023), Honorary Associateship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (2020), FRSB, CBiol, FIBMS, CSci, and Associate European College of Veterinary Microbiology. He chairs the Humanimal Trust and the Royal College of Pathologists Veterinary Pathology SAC, serves on the APHA Science Advisory Board and FSA ACMSF AMR sub-committee, and was past president of the Med-Vet-Net Association and Veterinary Research Club.