Fellows of the American Academy of Microbiology, an honorific leadership group within the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), are elected annually through a highly selective, peer-review process, based on their records of scientific achievement and original contributions that have advanced microbiology.

“Fellows are pioneers in their field, driving discovery and innovation that push the boundaries of science and benefit society at large,” said Vanessa Sperandio, Ph.D., Chair of the Academy Governors.

“Being named an Academy Fellow is a prestigious honor, and I am thrilled to extend my congratulations and warm welcome to Professor Valvano as a member of the 2025 Cohort.”

Professor Valvano joined the Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine at Queen's University Belfast in 2012 as a Chair in Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Prior to this he was Tier I Canada Research Chair at the University of Western Ontario.

Professor Valvano has achieved international recognition for his pioneering research on the assembly of the bacterial lipopolysaccharide, protein glycosylation and intrinsic antimicrobial resistance.

His research was also instrumental to understand the infection biology of Burkholderia cenocepacia in people with cystic fibrosis and is now extended to understand how global antimicrobial resistant pathogens of the genus Enterobacter cause infection and persist in human macrophages.

Commenting on this recognition, Professor Valvano said: “I am delighted to receive this honour, which I dedicate to the many wonderful people in my research group both past and present whom I have had the privilege to supervise and learn from, as well as my collaborators.

"Every day I do what I love; for me, research is not a job but a lifestyle."

The 2025 Fellowship Class brings a wealth of knowledge of the microbial sciences with representation across the globe. The 65 fellows hail from nine countries, including Australia, Denmark, Mexico, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.

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Media inquiries to Sian Devlin at s.devlin@qub.ac.uk