Tim Bull has a Masters Degree in Bacteriology, a further Masters in Virology, and a PhD (Thesis:Mycobacterial phylogenetics) from The University of London, UK. His current position is Senior Research Fellow in Dept. Cardiovascular Medicine - Surgery, St George's Hospital Medical School, London, UK. His field of research involves the investigation of molecular mechanisms associated with the virulence of bacterial infection in animals and humans, with particular interest in the relationship to pathogenicity, phenotype and virulence of transposable Insertion Elements and unique mycobacterial associated proteins. His previous studies have identified and described new mycobacterial species (Mycobacterium celatum and Mycobacterium mageritense) and novel mycobacterial insertion sequences (IS1407, IS1511, IS1512, IS1612, IS1613). He has developed sensitive methods that have enabled accurate and rapid detection of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) in gut tissue from animals with Johne's disease and humans with Crohn's disease. Further work has developed novel DNA based systems for the rapid typing and effective epidemiological study of MAP infection in animals and humans. Recent studies include the characterisation of genes in MAP with associations to pathogenicity and mapping of IS900 insertions in the MAP genome. He is also involved in work constructing specific mycobacterial gene knockouts for use in differential expression analysis of the MAP transcriptome and generation of attenuated MAP strains for possible use in animal vaccination. Current work involves the design and development of anti-MAP vaccines based on MAP specific cell wall antigens using a recombinant vaccinia viral delivery system. This is aimed at therapeutic use, acting to stimulate immune recognition and elimination of chronic MAP infection.