Dr Ellis Paintsil is a Research Associate in the LIMBIC Lab (Liver-Intestinal-Microbiome-Brain Interactions in Cirrhosis), led by Professor Debbie Shawcross.

Ellis's research brings together microbiome science, antimicrobial resistance and global health epidemiology to better understand cirrhosis and its complications.

Ellis uses large-scale primary and secondary datasets to investigate antimicrobial resistance in cirrhosis and to study the global epidemiology of liver disease, with a particular focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. Recent work includes:

• applying the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study to map trends and projections of cirrhosis
• conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses to define antimicrobial resistance in cirrhosis worldwide
• mapping the resistome and virulome of publicly available genomes and metagenomes from cirrhosis patients.

Ellis also contributes to translational studies exploring microbiome-based interventions, including faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and bacteriocin discovery.

By combining population-level data with mechanistic and interventional approaches, Ellis aims to generate evidence that supports precision medicine and equitable public health strategies to reduce the global burden of cirrhosis, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.