Nicolae Corcionivoschi is a Principle Scientific Officer and head of the Microbiology Unit at the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute in Belfast and is also head of the UK reference laboratory for Milk and Milk Products. Having originally studied at Banat University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, King Michael I of Romania, Nicolae went on to study for his PhD in Microbiology at the University of Edinburgh, before working at University College Dublin and the National Children Research Centre, in Ireland. His research interests include pathogen virulence, isolation and testing of novel prebiotic, probiotics and phytogenic compounds , development of novel technologies for a more efficient detection of foodborne pathogens. His laboratory is performing advanced research in developing methodologies for quantification of Campylobacter in poultry based on virulence of individual species and also identification of novel genes involved in the pathogenesis of this microorganism. Prof. Corcionivoschi’s group is also performing research trying to understand the composition of the gut microbiota and finding ways to manipulate the gut microbiota to reduce incidence of disease.