Robert Read is Professor of Infectious Diseases at the University of Southampton, and Honorary Consultant Physician in Infectious Diseases at University Hospital Southampton. An NIHR Senior Investigator, Read conducts early phase vaccine research and in particular uses controlled human infection models to investigate potential novel vaccines, microbial pathogenesis, mucosal immunity and novel diagnostics. In parallel with this, Read collaborates with engineers to test novel diagnostic technologies.


Read has also contributed research in molecular pathogenesis and genomics. He has published over 300 peer reviewed papers with an H index of 71. all with a common theme of prevention of lethal infectious disease. His career total grant capture for research project awards is >£40m from diverse sources including EU, MRC, Wellcome Trust, NIHR, EPSRC, Department of Health, Meningitis Charities and Industry. He has made important discoveries relating to the molecular genetics and mechanisms of sepsis, and the role of bacterial genomic load in outcomes of meningococcal disease. In particular he has studied the mechanisms of bacterial colonisation of the upper respiratory tract, including controlled human infection models of Neisseria and Bordetella pertussis colonisation in human volunteers to study immunity and potential treatments to prevent colonisation.


Read has an international profile in Infectious Diseases research, translation and policy. The Infectious Disease Society of America nominated him to deliver the 2016 IDSA Max Finland Award Lecture, the first non-American to receive this honour. Translating research into policy, he has co-authored 4 pan-European Clinical Practice Guidelines including the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Lower Respiratory Tract Infection Guidelines (2010), the ERS Hospital Acquired Pneumonia Guidelines (2018) and the ESGIB/ESCMID Bacterial Meningitis Guidelines (2016). Nationally, in the UK, he has contributed to the NIHR research portfolio by chairing the national Infectious Disease and Microbiology Specialty Group for the NIHR Clinical Research Network (2010-2015) and as Director of the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre 2017-2022.

His experience in meningococcal, influenza and pneumococcal disease research, and clinical trials expertise have led to membership of the UK Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) (since 2013), and expert advisory groups of the European Medicines Agency (2011-2016) and the Commission on Human Medicines (2008-2014).