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Biography
Dr Dicker obtained her BSc (Hons) in Bioveterinary Science from the University of Liverpool in 2004, followed by her MSc (Distinction) in Veterinary Parasitology the following year from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. Dr Dicker obtained her doctorate from the University of Glasgow in 2010, using molecular biology approaches to investigate anthelmintic resistance in parasitic nematodes followed by a Postdoctoral Research Assistant post at Moredun Research Institute investigating the molecular epidemiology of anthelmintic resistance in gastrointestinal nematodes of livestock in India.
In July 2013, Dr Dicker joined the group of Prof James Chalmers, utilising her previous molecular biology experience to work on translational research projects investigating the role of the microbiota and host inflammatory markers and genetics in disease progression and patient outcomes in chronic respiratory diseases such as bronchiectasis and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Work conducted during her postdoctoral studies resulted in several publication in high impact journals such as the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, and Lancet Respiratory Medicine as well as multiple conference presentations, winning the European Respiratory Society 2015 young investigator best abstract for respiratory infections assembly for work on the longitudinal airway microbiome in COPD.
In June 2020, Dr Dicker was appointed as a tenure tracked Baxter Fellow at the School of Medicine, University of Dundee.
Research
Dr Dicker’s main research interest is the effect of the microbiome on disease progression and patient outcomes in chronic diseases such as COPD and bronchiectasis. With Prof Chalmers, she has previously shown that a non-diverse (dysbiosed) sputum microbiota is associated with more severe disease or worse patient outcomes in COPD and bronchiectasis.
Utilising a holistic, whole person approach, her group is currently investigating the effects of co-morbidities, such as diabetes and gastroesophageal reflux, and prescribing patterns of medications on the development of respiratory microbiota dysbiosis. This work will increase our understanding of the role of the microbiome in chronic diseases and lead towards the development of ‘omic’ based techniques for holistic precision medicine approaches to improve patient outcomes and personalised medicine in respiratory and other diseases. She has obtained funding from TENOVUS Scotland and was awarded an Academy of Medical Sciences Springboard grant for her research.
Teaching
Alongside supervising PhD students, Dr Dicker has completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice in Higher Education Associate Module and contributes to teaching in the Schools of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Dundee at undergraduate and postgraduate level.