Dr Richard Goodman

Biography

Richard is a postdoctoral research associate at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM). His work centres on tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria and improving global health. Richard’s main research interests are genomics, bioinformatics, microbiology, molecular biology and machine learning.

He has a key interest in the molecular mechanisms that drive AMR, with expertise in the intercellular and intracellular dynamics of mobile genetic element (MGE) movement and associated AMR genes. He is interested in horizontal gene transfer, mobile genetic elements and how these phenomena disseminate antimicrobial resistance throughout bacterial populations. Recently, he worked on the JPIAMR-funded STRESST project where he analysed the effect of sub-inhibitory concentrations of antibiotics on the intracellular transposition of MGEs and AMR genes.

A key aspect of his work involves genomic sequencing and analysis. This has included comparative genomics, geospatial analysis of isolate relatedness and co-occurrence analysis of resistance genes. He has worked on the Fleming Fund Country Grants to Pakistan and Indonesia to build capacity in genomic surveillance of AMR. 

Another area of interest is seeking to understand how microbiomes contribute to health and disease. This has included applying statistical analysis and machine learning to metagenomic sequences, and he was involved in leading the first shotgun metagenomic analysis of the oral microbiomes of children with noma. 

He is currently applying machine learning techniques to how we diagnose and treat resistant bacterial infections, for which he has recently been awarded MRC, BBSRC and LSTM funded grants.

Research interests

Richard’s main research interests are genomics, metagenomics, bioinformatics, microbiology, molecular biology and machine learning.

Selected research publications

Antimicrobial Activity of a Polymyxin A-like Compound and Characterisation of the Cognate Biosynthetic Gene Cluster Within the Genome of the Producing Paenibacillus polymyxa – Journal: Antibiotics – Published: 21st August 2026

From colonization to invasion: genomic and phenotypic comparison of faecal and bloodstream isolates from the same patients – Journal: Journal of Medical Microbiology – Published: 8th April 2026

Shotgun metagenomic analysis of the oral microbiomes of children with noma – Journal: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases – Published: 1st March 2026

Comparative genomics of blood and faecal E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates from neonates with bloodstream infections in Tanzania – Journal: Communications Biology – Published: 18th November 2025

Derivatization of pBACpAK entrapment vectors for enhanced mobile genetic element transposition detection in multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli – Journal: Access Microbiology – Published: 23rd May 2025

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