Dr Vincenzo Torraca

Dr Vincenzo Torraca


I am currently a  Lecturer in Microbiology at the University of Westminster and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). I am also Co-course Leader for the BSc (Hons) Medical Sciences programme.

I was previously an Assistant Professor and Wellcome ISSF Fellow at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, a Marie Curie Research Fellow at Imperial College London and a Marie Curie PhD Fellow at Leiden University.

I was awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching (LSHTM), a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology (Leiden University), a MSc in Molecular and Cellular Biology (Salerno University) and a BSc in Molecular and Computational Biology (Salerno University).

My research focuses on host-pathogen interactions, genomic epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance for globally relevant bacterial pathogens, such as Shigella, E. coli, Salmonella, and Mycobacterium.

For details, visit my ORCID profile.


My current work focuses on host-pathogen interactions, genomic epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance for globally relevant bacterial pathogens, such as Shigella, E. coli, Salmonella, and Mycobacterium.

In the lab, I use a combination of wet lab, computational biology and model organisms (zebrafish, Dictyostelium) to address how pathogens develop antibiotic resistance or establish long-term infections of the host. 

I am very open to new collaborations, so do not hesitate to contact me to discuss my research goals further.

For details on my research outputs, visit my Google Scholar profile.


  • Food, Nutrition and Public Health
  • Computational Vision and Imaging Technology
  • Diagnostics and Therapeutics
  • Learning and Teaching Research Group
  • Research Centre for Optimal Health

Sustainable Development Goals
In brief

Research areas

Shigella, Antimicrobial resistance, Persistent Infection, Macrophage, Neutrophil, Innate Immunity, Mycobacteria, Chemokines, Cytoskeleton, Infectious Disease, Immunity and Infection, Zebrafish, Public Health, E. coli and Diabetic foot ulcer infection

Skills / expertise

Microbiology, Immunology, Model organisms, Zebrafish and Dictyostelium discoideum

Supervision interests

Antimicrobial Resistance, Infectious Disease, Immunology, Microbiology, Shigella, E. coli and Diabetic foot ulcers