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An Interdisciplinary Research Centre at the University of Cambridge
 

Biography

I am a Senior Program Officer in Surveillance, Data & Epidemiology in Malaria / Global Health at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Prior to joining the Foundation I was a Clinician Scientist Fellow at the University of Cambridge and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. 

Research

I have a strong interest in global health with over 20 years' clinical research experience in malaria, TB, HIV, viral hepatitis, S. aureus, multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections and COVID-19, both in the UK and internationally. My research aimed to translate microbial genomics from a research tool into clinical practice. I have published >100 scientific research articles and 3 books, and have a strong interest in medical education.

Publications

Key publications: 
  1. Meredith LW, Hamilton WL, Warne B, Houldcroft CJ, Hosmillo M, Jahun AS, Curran MD, Parmar S, Caller LG, Caddy SL, Khokhar FA, Yakovleva A, Hall G, Feltwell T, Forrest S, Sridhar S, Weekes MP, Baker S, Brown N, Moore E, Popay A, Roddick I, Reacher M, Gouliouris T, Peacock SJ, Dougan G, Török ME, Goodfellow I. Rapid implementation of SARS-CoV-2 sequencing to investigate cases of health-care associated COVID-19: a prospective genomic surveillance study. Lancet Infect Dis. 2020 Jul 14: S1473-3099(20)30562-4. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30562-4. PMID: 32679081
  2. Toleman MS, Reuter S, Jamrozy D, Wilson HJ, Blane B, Harrsion EM, Coll F, Hope RJ, Kearns A, Parkhill SJ and Török ME. Prospective genomic surveillance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus associated with bloodstream infection England 1 October 2012 to 30 September 2013. Euro Surveill. 2019;24(4):pii=1800215. https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.
  3. Wilson HJ, Khokhar F, Enoch DA, Brown NM, Ahluwalia J, Dougan G, Török ME. Point prevalence survey of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in adult inpatients in a University teaching hospital in the United Kingdom. J Hosp Infect. 2018 Jun 30. pii: S0195-6701(18)30361-X. doi:10.1016/j.jhin.2018.06.024
  4. Wilson H, Török ME. Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae. Microb Genom. 2018 Jul;4(7). doi: 10.1099/mgen.0.000197. Epub 2018 Jul 23.
  5. Thwaites GE, Scarborough M, Szubert A, Nsutebu E, Tilley R, Greig J, Wyllie SA, Wilson P, Auckland C, Cairns J, Ward D, Lal P, Guleri A, Jenkins N, Sutton J, Wiselka M, Armando GR, Graham C, Chadwick PR, Barlow G, Gordon NC, Young B, Meisner S, McWhinney P, Price DA, Harvey D, Nayar D, Jeyaratnam D, Planche T, Minton J, Hudson F, Hopkins S, Williams J, Török ME, Llewelyn MJ, Edgeworth JD, Walker AS; United Kingdom Clinical Infection Research Group (UKCIRG). Adjunctive rifampicin for Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (ARREST): a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet. 2017 Dec 14. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32456-X.
  6.  Coll F, Harrison EM, Toleman MS, Reuter S, Raven KE, Blane B, Palmer B, Kappeler ARM, Brown NM, Török ME, Parkhill J, Peacock SJ. Longitudinal genomic surveillance of MRSA in the UK reveals transmission patterns in hospitals and the community. Sci Transl Med. 2017 Oct 25;9(413).
  7. Harrison EM, Ludden C, Brodrick HJ, Blane B, Brennan G, Morris D, Coll F, Reuter S, Brown NM, Holmes MA, O'Connell B, Parkhill J, Török ME, Cormican M, Peacock SJ. Transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in long-term care facilities and their related healthcare networks. Genome Med. 2016 Oct 3;8(1):102.
  8. Raven KE, Reuter S, Gouliouris T, Reynolds R, Russell JE, Brown NM, Török ME, Parkhill J, Peacock SJ. Genome-based characterization of hospital-adapted Enterococcus faecalis lineages. Nat Microbiol. 2016 Feb 8;1:15033. doi: 10.1038/nmicrobiol.2015.33.
  9. Raven KE, Reuter S, Reynolds R, Brodrick HJ, Russell JE, Török ME, Parkhill J, Peacock SJ. A decade of genomic history for healthcare-associated Enterococcus faecium in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Genome Res. 2016 Oct;26(10):1388-1396
  10. Toleman MS, Reuter S, Coll F, Harrison EM, Blane B, Brown NM, Török ME, Parkhill J, Peacock SJ. Systematic Surveillance Detects Multiple Silent Introductions and Household Transmission of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus USA300 in the East of England. J Infect Dis. 2016 Aug 1;214(3):447-53.
  11. Brodrick HJ, Raven KE, Harrison EM, Blane B, Reuter S, Török ME, Parkhill J, Peacock SJ. Whole-genome sequencing reveals transmission of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium in a healthcare network. Genome Med. 2016 Jan 12;8(1):4.
  12. Reuter S, Török ME, Holden MT, Reynolds R, Raven KE, Blane B, Donker T, Bentley SD, Aanensen DM, Grundmann H, Feil EJ, Spratt BG, Parkhill J, Peacock SJ. Building a genomic framework for prospective MRSA surveillance in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Genome Res. 2016 Feb;26(2):263-70.
  13. Saunderson RB, Gouliouris T, Nickerson EK, Cartwright EJ, Kidney A, Aliyu SH, Brown NM, Limmathurotsakul D, Peacock SJ, Török ME. Impact of routine bedside infectious disease consultation on clinical management and outcome of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia in adults. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2015 Aug;21(8):779-85.
  14. Köser CU, Javid B, Liddell K, Ellington MJ, Feuerriegel S, Niemann S, Brown NM, Burman WJ, Abubakar I, Ismail NA, Moore D, Peacock SJ, Török ME. Drug-resistance mechanisms and tuberculosis drugs. Lancet. 2015 Jan 24;385(9965):305-7.
  15. Saunderson RB, Gouliouris T, Cartwright EJ, Nickerson EJ, Aliyu SH, O'Donnell DR, Kelsall W, Limmathurotsakul D, Peacock SJ, Török ME. Impact of infectious diseases consultation on the management of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia in children. BMJ Open. 2014 Jul 1;4(7):e004659.
  16. Török ME, Harris SR, Cartwright EJ, Raven KE, Brown NM, Allison ME, Greaves D, Quail MA, Limmathurotsakul D, Holden MT, Parkhill J, Peacock SJ. Zero tolerance for healthcare-associated MRSA bacteraemia: is it realistic? J Antimicrob Chemother. 2014 Aug;69(8):2238-45.
  17. Köser CU, Fraser LJ, Ioannou A, Becq J, Ellington MJ, Holden MT, Reuter S, Török ME, Bentley SD, Parkhill J, Gormley NA, Smith GP, Peacock SJ. Rapid single-colony whole-genome sequencing of bacterial pathogens. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2014 May;69(5):1275-81.
  18. Köser CU, Bryant JM, Becq J, Török ME, Ellington MJ, Marti-Renom MA, Carmichael AJ, Parkhill J, Smith GP, Peacock SJ. Whole-genome sequencing for rapid susceptibility testing of M. tuberculosis. N Engl J Med. 2013 Jul 18;369(3):290-2.
  19. Reuter S, Ellington MJ, Cartwright EJ, Köser CU, Török ME, Gouliouris T, Harris SR, Brown NM, Holden MT, Quail M, Parkhill J, Smith GP, Bentley SD, Peacock SJ. Rapid bacterial whole-genome sequencing to enhance diagnostic and public health microbiology. JAMA Intern Med. 2013 Aug 12;173(15):1397-404.
  20. Harris SR, Török ME, Cartwright EJ, Quail MA, Peacock SJ, Parkhill J. Read and assembly metrics inconsequential for clinical utility of whole-genome sequencing in mapping outbreaks. Nat Biotechnol. 2013 Jul;31(7):592-4.
  21. Cartwright EJ, Paterson GK, Raven KE, Harrison EM, Gouliouris T, Kearns A, Pichon B, Edwards G, Skov RL, Larsen AR, Holmes MA, Parkhill J, Peacock SJ, Török ME. Use of Vitek 2 antimicrobial susceptibility profile to identify mecC in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. J Clin Microbiol. 2013 Aug;51(8):2732-4.
  22. Reuter S, Harrison TG, Köser CU, Ellington MJ, Smith GP, Parkhill J, Peacock SJ, Bentley SD, Török ME. A pilot study of rapid whole-genome sequencing for the investigation of a Legionella outbreak. BMJ Open. 2013 Jan 9;3(1).
  23. Török ME, Reuter S, Bryant J, Köser CU, Stinchcombe SV, Nazareth B, Ellington MJ, Bentley SD, Smith GP, Parkhill J, Peacock SJ. Rapid whole-genome sequencing for investigation of a suspected tuberculosis outbreak. J Clin Microbiol. 2013 Feb;51(2):611-4.
  24. Harris SR, Cartwright EJ, Török ME, Holden MT, Brown NM, Ogilvy-Stuart AL, Ellington MJ, Quail MA, Bentley SD, Parkhill J, Peacock SJ. Whole-genome sequencing for analysis of an outbreak of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a descriptive study. Lancet Infect Dis. 2013 Feb;13(2):130-6.
  25. Török ME, Nguyen DB, Tran TH, Nguyen TB, Thwaites GE, Hoang TQ, Nguyen HD, Tran TH, Nguyen TC, Hoang HT, Wolbers M, Farrar JJ. Dexamethasone and long-term outcome of tuberculous meningitis in Vietnamese adults and adolescents. PLoS One. 2011;6(12):e27821.
  26. Török ME, Yen NT, Chau TT, Mai NT, Phu NH, Mai PP, Dung NT, Chau NV, Bang ND, Tien NA, Minh NH, Hien NQ, Thai PV, Dong DT, Anh DT, Thoa NT, Hai NN, Lan NN, Lan NT, Quy HT, Dung NH, Hien TT, Chinh NT, Simmons CP, de Jong M, Wolbers M, Farrar JJ. Timing of initiation of antiretroviral therapy in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated tuberculous meningitis. Clin Infect Dis. 2011Jun;52(11):1374-83.
1. Senior Program Officer, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
2. Honorary Consultant in Infectious Diseases & Microbiology, Addenbrooke's Hospital
3. Honorary Senior Visiting Fellow, University of Cambridge
Dr Estee  Torok

Contact Details

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Cambridge Biomedical Campus
Hills Road
Cambridge
CB2 0QQ
Available for consultancy

Affiliations

Classifications: 
Departments and institutes: 
Person keywords: 
Genomics
Global Health
Molecular epidemiology
Antimicrobial resistance
Infection
Epidemiology
Diagnostics
Sequencing