Meet the speakers
Chair
Dr Peter Kinnevey, Assistant Professor in Microbiology and IPC, Dublin Dental University Hospital
Dr Peter Kinnevey is an Assistant Professor in Microbiology and Infection Prevention and Control at the Dublin Dental University Hospital, Trinity College Dublin, where he also serves as Infection Prevention and Control Lead. His research focuses on the molecular epidemiology and genomic surveillance of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, particularly MRSA and Enterococcus faecium, and on the use of whole-genome sequencing to investigate transmission, population structure and the spread of antimicrobial resistance.
He is Principal Investigator of the HRB-funded “From Farm to Harm” project, which is examining vancomycin-resistant and vancomycin-susceptible Enterococcus faecium across Irish healthcare and veterinary settings using a One Health genomic approach. His wider research interests include healthcare environmental reservoirs, infection prevention, outbreak investigation and the application of genomic technologies to antimicrobial resistance surveillance.
Speakers
Dr Liam Burke, Associate Professor, School of Medicine
Liam completed his PhD studies the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 2013. Since 2018 he is a Principal Investigator in the Antimicrobial Resistance and Microbial Ecology Group (ARME), within the Discipline of Bacteriology, at University of Galway School of Medicine. His primary research interests are antimicrobial resistant bacteria and zoonotic pathogens. His research has a One Health focus, characterising genetic mechanisms of resistance and virulence in bacteria, and understanding their spread between humans, animals, and environments. He is PI and primary supervisor of PhD candidate Emily Cronin on the CACHE project (CPE acquisition and from hospital environments), a collaboration between the University of Galway and Ireland’s National CPE Reference Laboratory (Galway Reference Laboratory Service – GRLS). He is also co-PI and co-supervisor of PhD candidate Dr Saied Ali on the ERADICATE project (genomic characterisation and disinfection of CPE from human hospital environments), led by Prof Deirdre Fitzgerald-Hughes at RCSI.
Phillip Jessmon, Product Specialist, Bruker
Philip Jessmon, PhD, is the Product Specialist for the IR Biotyper across the Americas at Bruker. A scientist and commercial leader with more than 15 years of experience spanning biomedical research, medical writing, molecular diagnostics, and laboratory consulting, he specializes in translating complex scientific technologies into practical clinical value. In his current role, Dr. Jessmon supports the scientific and commercial strategy for the IR Biotyper, working with laboratories, clinical stakeholders, and industry experts to advance applications in microbial strain typing, outbreak investigation, and infection prevention and control. He earned his PhD in Anatomy and Cell Biology, has authored multiple peer-reviewed scientific publications, and continues to speak at many national and international conferences.