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University of Surrey - Professor Roberto La Ragione

Professor Roberto La Ragione – Interim Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean for the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, and Professor of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Surrey

Roberto graduated in 1995 and then went on to study for a postgraduate degree in veterinary microbiology at the RVC. In 1996 he moved to the government Veterinary Laboratories Agency to undertake a PhD on the pathogenesis of E. coli in poultry. In 2005 Roberto was appointed Head of Pathogenesis and Control at the APHA and in 2010 he was appointed Professor of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology at the University of Surrey.

Roberto gained the FRCPath in 2010 and in 2012 was appointed the Associate Dean for Veterinary Strategy in the School of Veterinary Medicine.  In 2014 he was appointed Head of the Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases and in 2019 Deputy Head of School. In 2021 he was appointed Head of the School of Biosciences and in 2024 Interim Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean for FHMS. Roberto is a member of the Royal College of Pathologists Veterinary Pathology SAC, Chair of Humanimal Trust, a Trustee of the Houghton Trust, a member of the APHA Science Advisory Board, a member of the FSA ACMSF AMR sub-committee, a member of ESGVM, a BSI/ISO committee member, a Fellow of the Institute of Biomedical Science and the Royal Society of Biology and an Associate member of the European College of Veterinary Microbiology. In 2020 he was awarded Honorary Associateship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and in 2023 the RCPath Medal. Roberto is the past president of the Med-Vet-Net Association and the Veterinary Research Club.

Roberto’s current research interests focus on AMR and understanding the pathogenesis of zoonotic bacterial pathogens. Roberto has a particular interest in the development of control and intervention strategies, including rapid diagnostics, vaccines, and probiotics for the control of pathogens such as Salmonella, Brachyspira and E. coli in food producing animals. Roberto has led a number of commercial, UKRI, Defra, Innovate and EU projects and has published over 230 peer reviewed papers.

Email: roberto.laragione@nhs.net