Leah Clarke earned her Bachelor of Science, Honours in Biomedical Science at the University of Ottawa in 2016, where she investigated novel gene function in Pseudomonas fluorescens for her honours thesis. This inspired her to do a Master of Science in Biology, where she explored the effect of environmental heterogeneity on antibiotic resistant bacteria.

After finishing her Masters, Leah worked as a research assistant in Dr. John Bell’s lab at OHRI, in which she helped develop a method for detecting the biodistribution of an oncolytic virus in an animal model. These diverse experiences provided her with a strong knowledge base and skill-set relating to both molecular biology and microbiology.

She is now working towards her joint PhD at the University of Queensland (QAEHS) and the University of Exeter, titled “Characterization of novel substances in wastewater that select for antimicrobial resistance”.