Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) has appointed three internationally recognised senior academics within the Tropical Disease Biology Department to strengthen its world-leading translational research in novel therapeutics for global health.
Dr Jeremy Burrows, Professor Tanya Parish, and Dr Ami Patel will bring unique expertise in medicinal chemistry, drug discovery, vaccinology and antibody-based therapeutics into LSTM, enhancing its ability to tackle some of the world’s most pressing health challenges.
The appointments form part of LSTM’s ambitious expansion of The Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics (CDD) supported by UK Research and Innovation’s £9.8m Expanding Excellence in England (E3) fund. The investment will build new UK capacity in global health therapeutics research, accelerate the discovery of life-saving tools, and strengthen partnerships with industry and global health organisations.
Professor Steve Ward, Director of the Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics at LSTM, said: “The appointment of Ami, Jeremy and Tanya marks a major step forward for LSTM. With their expertise in biologics, tuberculosis, anti-microbial resistant (AMR) pathogens and malaria drug discovery, we are significantly strengthening our ability to deliver the new tools the world urgently needs. This is exactly the kind of capacity building the E3 investment was designed to achieve, and we are excited to see the impact of their work in the years ahead.”
Dr Jeremy Burrows is currently Vice President and Head of Research Drug Discovery at Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), where he has led international collaborations to deliver new generations of antimalarial compounds. He will be joining LSTM as a Professor of Global Health Therapeutics in Summer 2026. A medicinal chemist by training, Dr Burrows brings decades of experience in drug discovery and partnerships across global health.
Dr Jeremy Burrows said: “I have dedicated my career to discovering medicines for diseases that disproportionately affect under-served communities. LSTM’s mission and partnerships align perfectly with that commitment, and I am excited to contribute to its efforts to bring forward the next generation of life-saving treatments.”
Professor Tanya Parish, currently professorial faculty at the University of Washington School of Medicine and a Principal Investigator at Seattle Children’s Research Institute, is a global authority on tuberculosis biology and drug discovery. She will join LSTM early in 2026 as a Professor of Global Health Therapeutics (Antimicrobials). Her research spans fundamental studies of mycobacterial physiology to the development of new treatments for drug-resistant TB and AMR pathogens.
Professor Tanya Parish said: “Tuberculosis remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, and new treatments are urgently needed. I am excited to join LSTM as their mission directly aligns with my motivation to apply microbiological expertise to solve global health problems. I look forward to working alongside and collaborating with leading scientists to accelerate the discovery of novel drugs for tuberculosis and other drug-resistant pathogens.”
Dr Ami Patel will join LSTM as Reader of Infection Pharmacology & Therapeutics (New Modalities) from The Wistar Institute in Philadelphia, where she led pioneering work on DNA vaccines and monoclonal antibodies for viral and bacterial pathogens. Her research focuses on developing next-generation immunotherapies against emerging infectious diseases.
Dr Ami Patel said: “I am thrilled to be joining LSTM at such a pivotal time. The challenges posed by emerging infectious diseases demand innovative solutions, and LSTM’s collaborative and impact-driven approach provides an ideal environment to translate new vaccine and antibody technologies into real-world health benefits.”
All three researchers will be presenting at LSTM’s upcoming Expanding Excellence (E3) Research Showcase on 23rd September which features a wide range of talks on the world leading research the area of global health, drugs and diagnostics development.
LSTM has also used the E3 fund to create new roles dedicated to growing capacity and developing skills including:
- Technician Commitment Coordinator Claudia McKeown.
- Senior Lecturer, Capacity Development in Translational Science Dr Enrique Salcedo-Sora.
- Lecturer, E3 Capacity Development Dr Sophie Owen.
Find out more about E3 on our website or sign up for the Expanding Excellence (E3) Research Showcase.