Dr Andries van Tonder

I am a versatile postdoctoral researcher with extensive experience in Mycobacterial genomics. The primary focus of my research is investigating the transmission dynamics of various bacterial species including Mycobacterium bovis in a multi-host system and non-tuberculous Mycobacteria in a hospital setting.  Alongside my research I also have an interest in developing reproducible bioinformatics workflows using state of the art tools such as Nextflow.

I graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Biology and a MRes in Bioinformatics from the University of York in 2006 and 2007 respectively.  Following three years working as a genome analyst at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, I moved to the University of Oxford as a research assistant in the Brueggemann lab in the Department of Zoology.  This position transitioned into a DPhil in Clinical Medicine focusing on pneumococcal genomics and evolution.  Following my graduation in 2017, I took up a post as a postdoctoral fellow in the Parkhill group at the Wellcome Sanger Institute working on Mycobacterium bovis transmission dynamics and evolution, and non-tuberculous mycobacteria in cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis patients.  In June 2019, the Parkhill group moved to the Department of Veterinary Medicine where I’m currently based.