Gerry started out as an industrial/environmental microbiologist doing a PhD at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne working on streptomycete diversity and ecology. This research lead seamlessly into a post-doc with Sandoz (now Novartis), Basel, Switzerland for two years working on antibiotic discovery and from there onto a similar position with Lepetit (part of Dow), just north of Milan in Italy. After four years screening thousands of actinomycetes for novel antibiotics a new challenge beckoned and, following his interest in bacterial diversity, he became John Bradbury’s replacement as the bacteriologist at what was then the International Mycological Institute (IMI), Kew, Surrey. This was his first introduction to plant pathology and he contributed to the Institute’s identification service, identifying bacteria from a wide variety of hosts from around the World, but mostly from less developed countries. In addition, research focused mainly on Ralstonia solanacearum, and its control, with a fair amount of travel to Brazil, India, Kenya, Pakistan, Trinidad and Vietnam. After 12 years moving through the ranks at IMI, it’s evolution into CABI Bioscience, relocation to Egham, Surrey, etc., the desire to return to his roots was satisfied when he took up his current position as the Head of Diagnostics and Molecular Biology Section at the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency in Edinburgh. Work involves leading a team of scientists responsible for developing rapid test methods for pests and pathogens affecting Scottish crops or of quarantine significance, GM testing and crop genotyping. Research focuses on potato pathogens; R. solancearum, Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus and potato mop top virus.

Gerry has previous experience as a meetings organiser, serving 5 years as the convener of the Systematics and Evolution Group for the Society of General Microbiology and he has served on the organising committees of the 4th International Bacterial Wilt Symposium, York, 2006 and the 11th International Conference on Plant Pathogenic Bacteria, Edinburgh, 2006.

Outside of work, the obsessions are football and running. For his sins he is a season ticket holder at Hibernian FC and has completed 4 marathons and 30+ half marathons.

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