Dr Monique Williams

Tuberculosis (TB) is estimated to kill approximately 1.5 million people each year, making Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of TB, one of the world’s most important pathogens. In addition, infections caused by non-tuberculosis mycobacteria (NTMs) are increasing world-wide, and they are a significant cause of disease in patients with underlying lung conditions, such as chronic obstructive lung disease and cystic fibrosis, and immune compromised individuals. Mycobacterial infections therefore have an important impact on human health.  
Our research is aimed at better understanding the physiology of mycobacteria and includes work on both pathogenic and environmental species. A major interest is iron containing cofactors (e.g. iron – sulphur clusters) and the importance of iron during infection and in environmental reservoirs (NTMs). One of the goals of our work is to identify enzymes important for survival of mycobacteria that can be targeted for the development of new drugs and diagnostic tools.