Hannah is a Ph.D. student based at the University of Liverpool, funded by NIHR HPRU-GI. Her research explores the utility of long-read metagenomic sequencing to detect gastrointestinal pathogens in clinical samples, in a rapid and precise manner. However, for the start of her Ph.D., Hannah was seconded to the COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium laboratory, based at the University of Liverpool, as a Sequencing Technician to support the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the pandemic began in 2019, globally we have sequenced over five million SARS-CoV-2 genomes. In early 2020, the UK quickly realised the utility of genome sequencing, pioneering a national sequencing network, COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium (COG-UK), to deliver real-time genomic data of SARS-CoV-2. The University of Liverpool played a vital role as a North West sequencing hub for COG-UK, providing genomic data used to understand the viral evolution and transmission, informing public health intervention. This presentation will expand on the University of Liverpool’s collaborative efforts during the pandemic to provide a sustained sequencing service for the North West region.