Photo of Dr Taya Forde

Can you tell us about your background?

I originally trained as a veterinarian at the University of Montreal – one of Canada’s five vet schools. During my veterinary studies, I became fascinated with infectious diseases, particularly those affecting wildlife, as well as zoonoses (diseases affecting animals and people). I decided that the best route to a career in infectious disease epidemiology was through graduate studies, and so I went on to do a PhD at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (Canada’s newest vet school). The focus of my PhD was the use of molecular and genomic tools for wildlife health monitoring. I loved the mix of field, lab and genomic analyses – not to mention lots of weekends cross-country skiing!

For the first ~6 years of fellowship research at the University of Glasgow (Marie Curie and Canada NSERC, followed by a BBSRC Discovery Fellowship) my focus was on anthrax at the One Health interface in Tanzania: establishing diagnostic and surveillance capacity, and studying the molecular epidemiology. I transitioned to a lectureship position in SBOHVM in 2021.

What is the focus of your research?

My research interests are quite broad, but all relate to bacterial infectious diseases. In addition to my research on anthrax, some of my recent work has included studying emerging bacterial pathogens in Canadian Arctic wildlife; developing rapid sequencing-based diagnostic tools for bloodstream infections; and exploring the molecular epidemiology and population structure of Streptococcus agalactiae. I am currently co-leading a project investigating the role of fish farming in antimicrobial resistance in the aquatic environment in north-east Thailand, and involved in research on extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in hospital settings in northern Tanzania.

What do you find most interesting about your work?

I really love the diversity of studies that I am involved in, and enjoy being able to work with so many fantastic collaborators from around the world, and in our shared lab space at the OHRBID Lab. Graduate student supervision is probably one of the most rewarding aspects of my job – it’s so gratifying to see students overcome the many challenges associated with research to succeed in their studies and go on to exciting new roles.

Why did you decide to do come to SBOHVM?

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to visit the University of Glasgow for a few months during my PhD to learn bioinformatics analyses. I thoroughly enjoyed Scotland and the research group at SBOHVM (IBAHCM at the time). When it came time to decide on next-steps following my PhD, I applied for fellowships with other researchers at the University of Glasgow, which I was lucky enough to receive.

What advice would you give to anyone doing or considering PhD?

I think the three most important factors to succeeding in a PhD are 1) finding a project you’re genuinely excited about; 2) finding a supervisor and research group who will support you and with whom you get along well; 3) perseverance. Four years is a long time! It’s not for everyone, but I believe these three factors are essential ingredients for success.

Tell us about your future plans.

I’m really excited about the project I have just started with collaborators in Thailand, the University of Glasgow and the University of Stirling: FarmAquaNet. Antimicrobial resistance is going to be one of the major global health challenges we face over the coming decades, and its environmental dimensions remain under-studied. Water is increasing recognised for its role in the transmission and development of antimicrobial resistance. Our work aims to understand how aquaculture is contributing to this issue, and to work towards co-creating solutions with stakeholders to minimise its impacts.

First published: 17 July 2025

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