Welcome to the lab, Sam!
Hi, I’m Sam Horsfield, and I’m a postdoc in the Croll group at the University of Neuchâtel. I specialise in population-level genome analysis, particularly using network-like structures known as “pangenome graphs”.
My scientific journey began in the UK, where I studied an MSci in Biochemistry at the University of Birmingham. During this time, I undertook a placement at the Earlham Institute in Norwich, where I was introduced to bacterial genomics. After a brief time in industry, where I worked for Illumina developing high-scale sequencing platforms, I joined Imperial College London for an MSc and PhD. I focused on developing computational methods for studying bacterial populations using pangenome graphs, which enable identification of conserved and diverse genomic regions, and are very useful for generating phylogenies and identifying the genetic components of phenotypic traits. I then joined EMBL-EBI in Cambridge as a postdoc, where I developed machine learning and deep learning approaches to study bacterial pangenomes.
In the Croll group, I will be using my expertise in pangenome analysis to analyse populations of fungal pathogens. I will be developing computational tools to identify genomic regions diversifying in pathogens, which likely underlie adaptation to a pathogenic lifestyle.
Outside of my postdoc, I enjoy playing football, rugby (non-contact ideally!) and a bit of running. I’m also keen to turn my hand to many of the outdoor sports on offer in Switzerland - mainly anything to do with mountains, as we don’t really have those in the UK (sorry Ben Nevis and friends).
