Becoming an Expert: John Graham-Brown on liver fluke infection

John Graham-Brown is a PhD student at the University's Institute of Infection and Global Health.  After graduating with an undergraduate degree in Veterinary Science at the University, he completed an MSc in Veterinary Parasitology at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and worked as a vet in Wales, before returning to Liverpool for his PhD. "My project is focused on a parasitic flatworm known as liver fluke, which impacts hugely on livestock welfare and productivity here in the UK. It forms part of a wider EU study aimed at developing vaccines against important parasites of both animals and people. As the name suggests, liver fluke ( Fasciola hepatica ) infect livers, where they cause extensive tissue damage and disease. In the UK, infection is common in sheep and cattle, while in other parts of the world people are also at risk. Treatment and control is heavily reliant on the use of a small number of available drugs.