Originally from north London, England, Dr. Amanda Claire Brown is a Research Associate at Cornell University. Her research answers fundamental questions about the genetic requirements of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of human tuberculosis. This data is usedto aid rational design for new antibiotics that are effective at killing drug-sensitive and multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB, and XDR-TB), and additionally to identify drugs/ drug combinations which result in shortened treatment duration. Amanda conducts high-throughput screening of new potential inhibitors using ‘whole cell and macrophage infection’ assays, and she uses bacterial molecular genetic tools to elucidate drug mode of action, gene functionality and essentiality. She has also worked on establishing the introduction of whole genome sequencing of pathogens extracted directly from patient specimens into diagnostic microbiology, demonstrating feasibility usingeight pathogens, including small and large genome bacterial species, and RNA and DNA viruses.

Dr. Amanda has a Masters degree in Microbiology, from Birkbeck College, University of London; and a PhD in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, from the University of Nottingham, gained in 2002, although her experimental PhD work was carried out at Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Herts. Prior to joining Cornell in 2014, Amanda worked in both London (from 2003-2012 at Barts & the London School of Medicine and Dentistry under Prof. Tanya Parish) and Oxford (from 2012-2014 at Oxford Gene Technology under Sir Prof. Ed Southern), plus she spent a year (2011-2012) at the University of Sydney, Australia.

Amanda has co-edited two books on mycobacteria, written two book chapters,and published numerous papers on the basic biology and genetics of M. Tuberculosis; as well as authored articles describing the successful whole genome sequencing of M. Tuberculosis directly from sputum, and Chlamydiatrachomatis directly from urine and vaginal swabs.

Genetic requirements of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of human tuberculosis; Bacterial molecular genetic tools to elucidate drug mode of action, gene functionality and essentiality; Genome sequencing of pathogens extracted directly from patient specimens into diagnostic microbiology; Molecular Biology and Biochemistry.