Dr Brian Forde is a Group Leader and UQ HERA Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland. His research focuses on the evolution and transmission of bacterial pathogens, with particular emphasis on how mobile genetic elements drive the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance. He applies large-scale genomic and computational approaches to dissect clonal expansion, virulence, and host adaptation in E. coli and other clinically significant Gram-negative pathogens. A central pillar of his work is the development and implementation of genomic surveillance frameworks for healthcare-associated infections, aimed at embedding genome-informed decision-making into routine clinical care. This program has led to the creation of analysis pipelines and visualisation tools that now underpin a NATA-accredited (ISO 15189) genomic surveillance service deployed across Queensland Health.