Dr Clare Hamilton

I am a Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Disease Control at Moredun Research Institute and my current research projects focus on zoonotic parasites of veterinary and public health importance, particularly Toxoplasma gondii and Cryptosporidium parvum.

Following my undergraduate degree in Zoology from the University of Edinburgh, I joined Moredun as a research assistant in the parasitology division. Whilst in that role, I completed a Masters by Research (University of Edinburgh) in the optimisation of detection methods for C. parvum in shellfish. I moved on from Moredun to gain a PhD (Trinity College Dublin) in research on Toxocara canis before taking up a postdoc position (Dublin City University) working on liver fluke. Following this, I held a lecturing position at University College Dublin teaching parasitology and immunology to veterinary students. I re-joined Moredun in 2013 and managed a collaborative research project with Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in St. Kitts (West Indies), investigating the epidemiology and genetic diversity of T. gondii in the Caribbean.

Currently, my research interests are in: foodborne pathogens (specifically foodborne toxoplasmosis); molecular epidemiology of C. parvum and T. gondii; detection of protozoan parasites in water; and the role of host and pathogen in virulence of T. gondii.

Within EPIC, I am interested in:
• novel and improved approaches to genomic surveillance of C. parvum, to inform on potential transmission routes of the parasite on-farm.
• investigating novel technologies to improve diagnosis of infectious ovine abortion.