Peter Gwynne, PhD, Post Doctoral Researcher, Tufts University, earned a BSc in Biochemistry from Cardiff University and a PhD in Molecular Microbiology from the University of Edinburgh. In Edinburgh, he completed two postdoctoral positions working between academia and industry, including developing antimicrobial medical devices to prevent hospital-acquired infections. His research focuses on developing novel technologies for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of bacterial infections. In 2018, he moved to Tufts University School of Medicine to study the metabolic adaptation of the Lyme disease bacterium B. burgdorferi to its human hosts. From this work, a series of antibodies was identified and found to be diagnostic for acute Lyme disease. His current project will use samples from Lyme Disease Biobank to test whether these antibodies could also be used to diagnose persistent symptoms of the disease. His diagnostic project was selected for the 2022 Emerging Leader Award, a $100,000 grant. Another project aimed at developing narrow-spectrum drugs targeting similar metabolic processes will begin this year, also funded by Bay Area Lyme Foundation.