Dr Rhys Farrer

I am a Senior Lecturer in Bioinformatics at the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, where I lead a research group that investigates genome evolution in fungal pathogens.

Our research applies multiple sequencing technologies and computational approaches to explore genomic, transcriptomic, and gene-regulatory variation within and between populations of medically important fungi.

Our group focuses on understanding the evolution of virulence and antifungal resistance in pathogens, particularly within species of Candida, Cryptococcus, and Chytridiomycota. We lead efforts to produce high-quality reference genome assemblies for several fungal species, develop bioinformatics tools for pathogen genomics (e.g., https://github.com/rhysf/), and are uncovering novel mechanisms driving fungal disease and drug resistance, with the ultimate aim of alleviating the global burden of fungal infections.

In 2022, I was awarded an 8-year Wellcome Trust Career Development Award, alongside several UKRI-funded projects, providing long-term support for my team’s research programme.