Senior Academic Head of School   QUALIFICATIONS PhD (Molecular Microbiology) University of Bristol 1987 MSc (Medical Microbiology) University of Surrey 1981 BSc (Biological Sciences) CNAA 1974 Elected C Biol MI Biol  (1982) Elected FIBMS (1982) Elected FIBiol (2008)

Dr Ron Dixon has written over 120 articles including 42 refereed papers in English language journals over the past 22 years, two invited reviews and 78 refereed conference contributions. He has worked in industrial and academic employment and has attracted more than £518,000 funding for research activities.  Ron has sustained a thirty-year interest in infectious diseases; in research into the mode of action and resistance of antibiotics, and DNA diagnostics of infection in medical, forensic and archaeological contexts from both industrial and academic perspectives.

He is a member of the editorial board of Ancient Biomolecules (from 2004)

Hon. Secretary of the Institute of Biology (East Midlands Branch) 2001.

External advisor/examiner to Suffolk College, University of Central Lancashire.

Current research interests are:

Molecular Diagnostics and Control of Bacterial Infections

·        Applications of molecular biology in the forensic/ archaeological sciences

·        Molecular biology of microbes in human infections

·      Molecular mechanisms in antimicrobial chemotherapy – in vitro studies of membrane-active agents

PhD supervision - 8 students graduated since 1991- and 3 current graduate students

Research interests

Molecular Diagnostics and Control of Bacterial Infections

• Applications of molecular biology in the forensic and archaeological sciences

• Molecular biology of microbes in human infections

• Molecular mechanisms in antimicrobial chemotherapy – in vitro studies of membrane-active agents 

Recent research activities

• United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS trust and the University of Lincoln collaborative research grants (2003-6). (with Dr Ross Williams) ‘Antibiotic resistance of skin microbiota in patients with acne, before during and after treatment by isotretinoin’ funded PhD
   
• (SRIF) Science Research Infrastructure Fund 2002 to establish a biomedical research laboratory in Lincoln – funded
   
• 2002, 2004 - Wellcome Trust Summer Scholarship,
   
• 2002 Nuffield Foundation Summer Scholarship

Research - Travel Grants (2003-5):      

• Society for General Microbiology £595
   
• British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy £300
   
• Society for Applied Microbiology £600
   
• Dr Dixon is a scientific referee for the following international funding bodies: NERC Fellowship application; Wellcome Trust Research Fellowships in Bioarchaeology and several new book proposals in Forensic/ Molecular fields and has refereed manuscripts for the following:

• Journal of Archaeological Sciences,
• Ancient Biomolecules,
• Journal of Medical Microbiology,
• Journal of Physical Anthropology,
• Urological Research,
• European Urology
• Food Control
• Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
• Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety

  Dr Dixon is, or has been, a member of the following learned societies:

o       Forensic Science Society

o       Society for General Microbiology,

o       American Society for Microbiology,

o       Society for Applied Microbiology,

o       British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy

o       Institute of Biology

o       Institute of Biomedical Sciences. 

Organising research conferences

·        Secretary of the organising committee for the 1^st international meeting at the University of Lincoln/Royal Society of Chemistry ‘Advances in Forensic Analysis 2002’ 

·        Member of the organising committee for the 2^nd international meeting at the University of Lincoln/Royal Society of Chemistry ‘Forensic Analysis 2004’

Recent original research publications 2001– 2005

1. Dixon RA Alderson G and Al-Nazawi M (2005) Comparative lytic effects of  cecropin B and polymyxin B on Escherichia coli.  Journal of Applied Microbiology (submitted 5/05)
    

2. Sahalan, AZ and Dixon RA (2005). Role of the cell envelope in the activities of polymyxin B and polymyxin nonapeptide against Escherichia coli.  Chemotherapy (accepted 3/05)
    

3. Dixon RA, Al-Nazawi M and Alderson G., (2004)  Permeabilising effects of sub-inhibitory concentrations of microcystin on the growth of Escherichia coli.  FEMS Microbiology Letters 230; 167-170
    

4. Sahalan, AZ, Dixon RA and Hing HL (2004). Ultrastructural study of E.coli K12  membrane vesicles induced by polymyxin B and polymyxin nonapeptide Annals of Microscopy 4; 29-34
    

5. Agarwal M and Dixon RA. (2003) A search for Helicobacter pylori DNA in interstitial cystitis specimens by molecular methods. BJU International 91: (9) 814 – 816
    

6. Agarwal M. Hamilton-Stewart PA and Dixon RA. (2002) Contaminated theatre boots – the potential for infection. American Journal of Infection Control  30; (3) 179-183
    

7. Dixon RA. and Roberts CA. (2001) "Modern and ancient scourges – the application of a DNA to the analysis of tuberculosis and leprosy from archaeologically derived human remains. Ancient Biomolecules 3: 181-193
    

8. Wilson AS, Dixon RA, Edwards HGM, Farwell W, Janaway RC, Pollard AM. and Tobin D, (2001) “Towards an understanding of the interaction of hair with the depositional environment”. Chungara, Revisita de Antropologia Chilena 33; (2) 293-296
    

9. Wilson AS, Janaway RC, Pollard AM, Dodson HI, Dixon RA and Tobin D (2001) Human hair in Archaeology – its potential uses and problems The Biologist 48; (5) 213-217
    

10. Gernaey AM, Minnikin DE, Copley MS, Dixon, RA. Middleton JC and Roberts CA. (2001) Mycolic acids and ancient DNA confirm an osteological diagnosis of tuberculosis. Tuberculosis 81; (4) 259-265
     

11. Wilson AS., Janaway RC., Pollard AM., Dixon RA and Tobin D., (2001) “Survival of human hair – the impact of the burial environment” British Archaeological Record Series 934; 119-128
     

12. Agarwal M., O’Reilly PH and Dixon RA. (2001) Interstitial cystitis – a time for revision of name and diagnostic criteria in the new millennium.  BJU International 88; (4) 348-350
     

13. Agarwal M and Dixon RA. (2001) A study to detect Gardnerella vaginalis DNA in interstitial cystitis. BJU International 88; (9) 868-870

 

Conference contributions 2001-2005

14. Bramston DM and Dixon RA (2005) Living Pebble – A role for biofilms in industrial design. IUMS 10th International Congress of Bacteriology and Applied Microbiology, San Francisco (abstract accepted)
     

15. Dixon RA and Willmott G (2005) The role of Prevotella intermedia in microscopic focal destruction of ancient human bone – a histological study IUMS 10th International Congress of Bacteriology and Applied Microbiology, San Francisco (abstract accepted)
     

16. Adams K, Dixon RA and Gennard DE (2005) Molecular variability of populations of Calliphora vicina (Robineau-Desvoidy) within UK geographic populations. European Association of Forensic Entomologists Lausanne  (abstract accepted)
     

17. Bonney H, Duhig C and Dixon RA (2005) Forensic analysis of historic skull recovered from the River Witham. Archaeological Science UK Bradford (P)
     

18. Bramston D and Dixon RA (2005) Living Pebble – A role for biofilms in design? 1^st International Conference on Environmental, Industrial and Applied Microbiology, Badajoz, Spain (P)
     

19. Thomas AE, Williams DR, Hepburn NC, Watts T and Dixon RA (2005) Staphylococcal microbiota from the skin of patients: changes associated with treatment by Isotretinoin. 15^th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Copenhagen (P)
     

20. Adams K, Dixon RA and Gennard DE (2004) A comparison of variation in RAPD profiles for Calliphora vicina (Robineau-Desvoidy) populations from Aberdeen and Exeter European Association of Forensic Entomologists London (P)
     

21. Adams K, Dixon RA and Gennard DE (2004) Forensic implications of molecular genetic differences for Calliphora vicina (R-D) populations in the UK. 2^nd International meeting of Forensic Analysis Lincoln (P)
     

22. Bonney H, Duhig C, Forde A and Dixon RA (2004) Forensic analysis of a human skull recovered from the River Witham, Lincoln 2^nd International meeting of Forensic Analysis Lincoln (P)
     

23. Lonsdale H L, Dixon RA, and Gennard DE (2004) Comparison of the efficiency of mitochondrial DNA extraction and assessment in aged and  modern dipterans.  2^nd International meeting of Forensic Analysis Lincoln (P)
     

24. Lonsdale H L, Dixon RA and Gennard DE (2004) A comparison of the efficiency of mitochondrial DNA extraction and assessment in modern and ancient dipterans.  The 7^th International conference on ancient DNA and associated biomolecules Brisbane (P)
     

25. Thomas AE, Hepburn NC, Watts T, Williams DR and Dixon RA (2004) Changes in skin microbiota of patients associated with treatment by Isotretinoin. 43^rd Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, Washington DC. (P)
     

26. Bonney H, Duhig C and Forde A and Dixon RA (2004) River Witham skull: state of preservation allows for forensic analysis. 15^th European Meeting of the Paleopathology Association Durham (P)
     

27. Dixon RA, Thomas AE, Watts T, Hepburn NC and Williams DR (2004) Treatment of acne patients with Isotretinoin: related changes to skin microbiota. 6^th European Congress of Chemotherapy and Infection Paris International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents 2004 (S77-S278) 521/89P
     

28. Dixon RA (2004) Monks Road – The people of a lost parish. Friends of Lincoln Archaeological Research and Education meeting  (T)
     

29. Dixon RA, Al-Nazawi M and Alderson G (2003) Microcystin: effects of a cyanotoxin on the growth of Escherichia coli.  1^st FEMS Congress of European Microbiologists Ljubljana, Slovenia (P)
     

30. Dixon RA and Buttrick G (2003) Amplification of Mycobacterium leprae specific DNA by PCR from museum-preserved human tongue. 46th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology Washington DC (P)
     

31. Dixon RA (2003) Human skeletal remains in Monks Road, Lincoln. Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology day meeting (T)
     

32. Dixon RA, Al Nazawi M and Alderson G (2001) The permeability changes of the bacterial envelope in response to treatment with magainin I or II  Abstracts of the 148^thmeeting of the Society for General Microbiology pg 69, Heriot-Watt University (P)
     

33. Dixon RA (2001) Use of the ERIC-PCR for fingerprinting antibiotic resistant clinical strains of Haemophilus influenzae from Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents 17(suppl 1) S137 (P)