Professor Craig MacLean
Professor of Evolution and Microbiology, Department of Biology, University of Oxford
BSc, PhD
Senior Research Fellow since 2024
Bacterial infections have been a leading cause of disease and death throughout human history. Antibiotics have played a key role in reducing the burden of bacterial disease, but the evolution of antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria is rapidly eroding the clinical utility of antibiotics. My research investigates the ecological and evolutionary processes that drive the rise and fall of resistance in bacterial populations. Ultimately, we aim to use this approach to develop new ‘evolution-informed’ strategies to combat antibiotic resistance.
- Senior Departmental Fellow, Department of Biology, University of Oxford (from 2021 to 2024)
- Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford (from 2016 to 2021)
- Royal Society University Research Fellow, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford (from 2009 to 2016)
- Departmental Lecturer in Evolution, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford (from 2007 to 2009)
- Postdoctoral Research Associate, NERC Centre for Population Biology, Imperial College London (from 2004 to 2007)
- PhD, McGill University (from 2000 to 2004)
- BSc (Hons), McGill University (from 1996 to 2000)
My research interests lie at the interface of Evolutionary Biology and Microbiology.
Recent key publications:
- Regulatory fine-tuning of mcr-1 increases bacterial fitness and stabilizes antibiotic resistance in agricultural settings. L. Ogunlana, D. Kaur, L.P. Shaw, P. Jangir, T. Walsh, S. Uphoff and R.C. MacLean. ISME Journal (2023) doi:10.1038/s41396-023-01509-7
- The evolution of colistin resistance increases bacterial resistance to host antimicrobial peptides and virulence. P. Jangir, L.Ogunlana, P. Szili, M. Czikkely, L.P. Shaw, E.J. Stevens, Y.Yang, Q.Yang, Y.Wang, C. Pál, T.Walsh and R.C MacLean. eLife (2023) doi:10.7554/eLife.84395
- Mixed strain pathogen populations accelerate the evolution of antibiotic resistance in patients. J. Diaz Caballero, R.M. Wheatley, N.Kapel, C. López-Causapé, T. Van der Schalk, A. Quinn, L.P. Shaw, L. Ogunlana, C. Recanatini, B. Britto Xavier, L. Timbermont, J. Kluytmans, A.Ruzin, M.Esser, S. Malhotra-Kumar, A. Oliver and R.C. MacLean. Nature Communications (2023) doi:10.1038/s41467-023-39416-2
- Gut-to-lung translocation and antibiotic mediated selection shape the dynamics of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in an ICU patient. R. M. Wheatley, J. Diaz Caballero, T. E. van der Schalk, F. H.R. De Winter, N. Kapel, C. Recanatini, L. Timbermont, J. Kluytmans, M. Esser, A. Lacoma, C. Prat-Aymerich, A. Oliver, S. Kumar-Singh, S. Malhotra-Kumar and R.C MacLean. Nature Communications (2022) doi:10.1038/s41467-022-34101-2
- Rapid evolution and host immunity drive the rise and fall of carbapenem resistance during an acute Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. R. Wheatley, J. Diaz-Caballero, N. Kapel, F.H.R. de Winter, P.Jangir, A.Quinn, E. del Barrio-Tofiño, C. López-Causapé, J.Hedge, G.Torrens, T. Van der Schalk, B. Xavier, F. Fernández-Cuenca, A. Arenzana, C. Recanatini, L. Timbermont, F. Sifakis, A. Ruzin, O. Ali, C. Lammens, H. Goossens, J. Kluytmans, S. Kumar-Singh, A. Oliver, S. Malhotra-Kumar and R.C.MacLean. Nature Communications (2021) 12:2460 doi:10.1038/s41467-021-22814-9
- Efflux pump activity potentiates the evolution of antibiotic resistance across S.aureus isolates. A.Papkou, J.Hedge, N.Kapel, B. Young and R.C MacLean. Nature Communications (2020) doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17735-y
- Member, Microbiology Society
- Member, European Society for Evolutionary Biology
I teach on modules in Evolutionary Biology and Infectious Disease on the MBiol course. I supervise MBiol and Biology DPhil research students.
Current grants as principal investigator:
2024-2029: UKRI Frontiers Grant (ERC Advanced Replacement): Ecological and Evolutionary Drivers of Antibiotic Resistance in Patients (EEDARP). Principal investigator (2,500,000€)
2022-2025: JPI-AMR Consortium Grant: Novel interventions for eliminating one-health mobile antibiotic resistance genes from animal and human microbiomes (MOB-TARGET). Project Leader (1,500,000€).
Selected completed grants as principal investigator:
2016-2021: Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellowship: The Evolutionary Biology of Antibiotic Resistance. Principal Investigator (1,400,000£).
2012-2017: European Research Council Starter Grant: The evolution of antibiotic resistance: integrating molecular mechanisms of resistance and evolutionary context. Principal investigator (1,200,000€)
2009-2017: Royal Society University Research Fellowship: Evolutionary genetics: an experimental approach. Principal Investigator (1,029,000£)