Dr Jon Vernon

Jon Vernon is a Postdoctoral researcher from the Division of Oral Biology, School of Dentistry at the University of Leeds. He is currently working as an MRC Innovation Scholar in the field of antimicrobial surfaces and peri-implantitis.
After gaining seven years’ experience in the field of forensic science, Jon turned to his expertise to microbiology. Here he undertook extensive research in healthcare-associated infections, with a focus on antimicrobial resistance, particularly in the organism Clostridioides difficile. He completed his PhD in this area at the University of Leeds in 2018, before turning his attention to oral microbiology.
His research interests currently include the impact of immunomodulatory streptococci in the oral cavity, the role of periodontal pathogens in systemic disease, specifically rheumatoid arthritis and the influence of haemin in Porphyromonas gingivalis behaviour. In response to the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, Jon has pivoted to focus his research into the modelling of viral spread during aerosol generating procedures in the dental setting. Using a novel biological marker system, the research investigated the optimal mitigation strategies available to reduce transmission risk in the dental clinic.