Brendan Wren studied for a PhD in Physical Chemistry at Leicester University, before changing subject area to Medical Microbiology and moving St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London. In 1999 he became Professor of Microbial Pathogenesis at The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and has been Head of the Pathogen Molecular Biology Unit since 2001. His research interests include determining the genetic basis by which bacteria cause disease especially foodborne pathogens such as Campylobacter jejuni, Listeria moncytogenes, Clostridium difficile and the enteropathogenic Yersinia. His research group exploits a range of post genome research strategies to gain a comprehensive understanding of how these pathogens function and how they interact with their respective hosts. More recent interests include emerging infectious diseases and understanding the evolution of bacterial virulence.