Tom Walker
What is your current role and what does a typical week look like?
I am Professor of Medical Entomology and am research and teaching focused. My role involves mostly research management of my very talented research group of postdocs, PhD and other graduate students in addition to teaching responsibilities delivering both undergraduate labs and lectures. My research and teaching spans both 'Environment and Ecology' and 'Microbiology and Infectious Disease' clusters within the School of Life Sciences ranging from mosquito collections in Africa to next generation sequencing.
Nationality: British (born in Leeds but lived around the world!)
Which part of your role do you enjoy the most, and what are the biggest challenges?
I enjoy teaching early career scientists the practical skills that are needed in medical entomology with a particular focus on scientists from ODA countries in which mosquito-borne diseases have devastating effects on both health and economies. The biggest challenges involve logistical difficulties undertaking international collaborative work in which planned work can be affected by political instability and the lack of funding opportunities for overseas-based collaborators
Which skills help you most in being able to perform your role?
I think time management has always been a skill that has allowed me to organise and prioritise my work load and this has only strengthened having had children that force parents to work more efficiently. As I've got older I've been better at not sweating the small stuff and reflecting on the bigger picture. Academia feels like a succession of short term successes followed by long periods of rejections and keeping a positive outlook is a skill in itself. I also try to remember that ultimately I'm one of the luck ones to have a career that allows me to work with such talented scientists both in the UK and overseas.
How has your education or roles previous to joining Life Sciences, informed your interests, and why did you choose this career direction?
I was very luck to have a lecture during my third year Biological Sciences degree at Imperial College (London) which sparks my interest in malaria and mosquitoes. I was able to then undertake my third year project on this topic, undertake a Masters degree at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a Phd at Oxford before postdoctoral positions in Australia. I have always enjoyed research that spans the 'field to lab' and has a real world impact and luckily my work over the years has helped to prevent people in many countries contracting mosquito borne arboviruses such as dengue.
Can you give an example of something that has made you feel part of the community while in Life Sciences, and what could be improved to enable this?
I joined the School of Life Sciences in September 2022 and immediately felt at home. The academic community is extremely welcoming (compared to other universities I have worked at!) and the opportunities to present work through cluster seminars and wider school meetings is great. I was invited to attend the SEM Faculty Board lunch by Miriam which allowed me to talk with other heads of departments and I now have collaborative proposals with academics in the departments of Psychology and engineering.
What are your main interests or passions, outside of work?
Sport, sport and sport! In a previous life I was a rugby player who dabbled in football, golf, tennis, cricket. I now have three young children who also enjoy chasing and hitting balls! My interests now are mostly golf and lifting heavy weights (pretending like I can still do what I did in my 20s) and watching my two boys play cricket and my daughter play football. My wife and I have to plan our weekends in military fashion to ensure all children are able to attend the various sports tournaments so really I'm just a taxi driver for three relentless sports mad children. I am also passionate about neurodiversity having two children who are autistic and are having to navigate school and life in a world that is slowing understanding how difficult this is for neurodivergent individuals.
August 2025