He has previously worked in Government research organisations in New Zealand, Denmark and the UK. Stephen’s research interests have been fuelled by a keen interest in improved diagnostics (phenotypic and molecular) for emerging (and emerged) pathogens that may represent major human and animal disease burdens. The volume of undiagnosed gastrointestinal illness remains a key driver for his research. He is Chairman of the ICSP (International) sub-committee on the taxonomy of Campylobacter and related bacteria, and convened the biennial International conference on these organisms in 2015. He has published over 140 papers, and contributed to various expert advisory groups at the request of the World Health Organisation, Ministry for Primary Industries and the World Bank-sponsored Global Food Safety Partnership.