Contact

📩 superbugs@cardiff.ac.uk
☎️ 07875 245323

Major events 🧑‍🔬

• 2025: Superbugs participation at the Swansea Science Festival, National Waterfront Museum, Swansea

• 2025: ”Superbugs - A Pop-Up Science Shop”, Interactive experience at St David’s Dewi Sant shopping centre, Cardiff (4,955 visitors)

• 2024: Superbugs workshop, mini Science Festival, Broadlands Fun Day, Bridgend

• 2023: Superbugs workshop, mini Science Festival, Broadlands Fun Day, Bridgend

• 2023: ”Superbugs - A Pop-Up Science Shop!”, Interactive experience at Make Tank, Exeter town centre (nearly 1,000 visitors)

• 2022: Superbugs workshop (virtual), “Night of Science”, Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University (Ukraine)

• 2022: Superbugs workshop (virtual), “Science in Health Live”, Cardiff University School of Medicine

• 2021: Superbugs workshop (virtual), Merthyr Science Festival, Merthyr Tydfil

• 2021: “Superbugs - The microbial world in, on and around us”, launch of an online educational resource for schools in Wales, the UK and beyond (>90k page views)

• 2019: ”Superbugs - A Pop-Up Science Shop!”, Interactive experience at St David’s Dewi Sant shopping centre, Cardiff (>6,500 visitors)

• 2018: ”Superbugs - The End of Modern Medicine As We Know It?”, ‘After Hours’ evening event at Techniquest, Cardiff

Workshops at local schools and libraries 🏫

• 2025: Hendredenny Park Primary (Caerphilly)

• 2024: Bridgend Library

• 2024: Llangewydd Junior School (Bridgend)

• 2023: Swansea Central Library

• 2023: Cefn Glas Infants School (Bridgend)

• 2020: Rhiwbina Library (Cardiff)

Awards 🏆

• 2025: Public Engagement Award, Institute of Biomedical Science (Jonathan Tyrrell, Matthias Eberl)

• 2022: Microbiology Outreach Prize, Microbiology Society (Jonathan Tyrrell)

• 2021: Best Poster, ‘Education & Public Engagement’, Annual Congress of the British Society for Immunology, Edinburgh (Matthias Eberl)

• 2021: Staff Appreciation And Recognition (STAR) Award, ‘Outstanding Contribution to Engagement Activities', Cardiff University School of Medicine (Jonathan Tyrrell)

• 2021: Finalist, FameLab UK (Jonathan Tyrrell)

• 2021: Winner, FameLab Wales (Jonathan Tyrrell)

Funding 💷

• JustGiving (£ 280). Crowdfunding to establish partnerships between schools in the UK with schools in Tanzania.
  (Matthias Eberl)

• 2025: Swansea University, MSc Biomedical Sciences Clinical Microbiology Specialism (tbc).
  (Jonathan Tyrrell)

• 2025: Landsec Futures, Community Grant (£ 3,000).
  (Jonathan Tyrrell, Matthias Eberl)

• 2025: Cardiff University, On-Campus Internship (approx. £ 3,000).
  ”Superbugs - A pop-up science shop in Wales's busiest shopping centre” (Matthias Eberl)

• 2024-2025: PAR Foundation, Sweden (SEK 300,000).
  “A Superbugs Tanzania partnership – Learning from and with each other” (Matthias Eberl, Jonathan Tyrrell, Sarah Hatch, Claire Nollett, Michael Mosha, Erick Venant, Oliva Minja)

• 2024: Cardiff University, Civic Insights internships (to Friday Cox, Kashia Dias; £ 200).
  “Superbugs – The microbial world in, on and around us” (Matthias Eberl)

• 2024: Swansea University, MSc Biomedical Sciences Clinical Microbiology Specialism (£ 1,800).
  (Jonathan Tyrrell)

• 2023: Swansea University, MSc Biomedical Sciences Clinical Microbiology Specialism (£ 1,400).
  (Jonathan Tyrrell)

• 2023: Microbiology Society, Education and Outreach Grant (£ 996).
  “Learning together about infection and hygiene – A Superbugs collaboration in Tanzania” (Jonathan Tyrrell, Matthias Eberl, Sarah Hatch, Michael Mosha, Erick Venant, Oliva Minja)

• 2023: Systems Immunity Research Institute (£ 1,126).
  “Learning together about infection and hygiene – A Superbugs partnership between schools in Wales and Tanzania” (Matthias Eberl, Jonathan Tyrrell, Sarah Hatch, Claire Nollett, Michael Mosha, Erick Venant, Oliva Minja)

• 2023: An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG), Ireland.
  Teaching and learning resource funding scheme 2023 (€ 8,588) (Matthias Eberl, Jonathan Tyrrell, Sarah Hatch, Jack Ó Drisceoil, Máire Nic Eachmharcaigh) 

• 2021: British Society for Immunology, Poster Prize ‘Education & Public Engagement’, Annual Congress (£ 250).
  “Superbugs – An educational resource to increase awareness of the microbial world in, on and around us” (Matthias Eberl)

• 2020: British Society for Immunology, Communicating Immunology grant (£ 1,000).
  “Superbugs – An educational resource for school children in the UK and Ireland” (Matthias Eberl, Jonathan Tyrrell, Sarah Hatch, Jenny Mannion) 

• 2020: Wellcome Trust ISSF3 Public Engagement Co-production Award (£ 12,357).
  “Superbugs 2: Digital Dissemination!” (Jonathan Tyrrell, Matthias Eberl, Sarah Hatch, Christie Conlon, Mike Roberts)

• 2019-2022: Cardiff University, Systems Immunity Research Institute (approx. £ 3,500).
  Public Engagement contingency funding in support of Superbugs projects (Matthias Eberl, Jonathan Tyrrell)

• 2019: Wellcome Trust ISSF3 Public Engagement Proof-of-Concept Award (£ 7,440).
  “A Pop-Up Science Shop!” (Jonathan Tyrrell, Matthias Eberl, Sarah Hatch, Ali Aboklaish)

• 2018: Cardiff University, Systems Immunity Research Institute Engagement Grant (£ 2,160).
  ”Superbugs - The End of Modern Medicine As We Know It?” (Matthias Eberl, Micaela Gal, Sarah Hatch)

Supervision of MSc Students 🎓

• 2025: Abdulsalam Abdulgafar (Swansea University)

• 2025: Pouya Sadeghzadeh-Rahimi (Swansea University)

• 2024: Amalraj Eyyath-Veettil (Swansea University)

• 2024: Sona Galla (Swansea University)

• 2024: Chioma Ogbukagu (Swansea University)

• 2024: Oluwatimilehin Okundalaye (Swansea University)

• 2023: Vasudev Nalleppillil-Gopakumar (Swansea University)

• 2023: Chiamaka Nnamdi Blessing (Swansea University)

• 2023: Rachel Ekep Oyebode (Swansea University)

• 2023: Haritha Udayan-Ayanikkad (Swansea University)

Work experience and internship students 🛠️

• 2025: Lila-blythe Maros (Cardiff University)

• 2025: Georgina Sparling (Cardiff University)

• 2024: Friday Cox (Cardiff University)

• 2024: Kashia Dias (Cardiff University)

Publications 📚

Original articles

• Ogbukagu C, Eberl M, Joseph-Williams N, Hatch S, Tyrrell JM. 2025. Benefits of public engagement in research and barriers to participation: A survey of academic scientists and support staff. under review

• Tyrrell JM, Ayanikkad HU, Nalleppillil-Gopakumar V, Oyebode R, Nnamdi Blessing C, Hatch S, Eberl M. 2024. Combining postgraduate research training, public engagement and primary school science education - A Superbugs Master (MSc) class. Frontiers in Immunology 15:1380045.

• Tyrrell JM, Hatch S, Flanagan M, Owen K, Proctor Y, Stone C, Fricker G, Hullis K, Eberl M. 2024. Superbugs online: Co-production of an educational website to increase public understanding of the microbial world in, on and around us. Frontiers in Immunology 15:1340350.

• Tyrrell JM, Conlon CS, Aboklaish AF, Hatch S, Smith C, Mathias J, Thomson K, Eberl M. 2022. ‘Superbugs’: Raising public awareness of antimicrobial resistance through a pop-up science shop. Research for All 6(1):1-21.  

Reviews and commentaries

• Nollett C, Eberl M, Fitzgibbon J, Joseph-Williams N, Hatch S. 2024. Public involvement and engagement in scientific research and higher education: The only way is ethics? Research Involvement and Engagement 10:50.

• Eberl M, Cruickshank SM. 2024. A culture shift to support public involvement and engagement in research. Journal of Experimental Medicine 221:e20240268.

• Eberl M, Joseph-Williams N, Nollett C, Fitzgibbon J, Hatch S. 2023. Overcoming the disconnect between scientific research and the public. Immunology & Cell Biology 101(7):590-597.

Presentations 🎤

Conference talks and workshops

• Tyrrell J, Sadeghzadeh-Rahimi P, Abdulgafar A, Sparling G, Cox F, Maros LB, Cuff S, Aicheler R, Eberl M: “Superbugs: Taking science to the city”. Oral presentation at Cardiff University’s Infection & Immunity Annual Meeting, Cardiff, 27 November 2025

• Eberl M: “Superbugs – An educational resource to increase awareness of the microbial world in, on and around us”. Oral presentation at Cardiff University’s Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement Showcase Event, Cardiff, 18 November 2025

• Tyrrell J: “tbc”. Invited speaker at the Communicating for Change: Advancing Just Transitions workshop, Just Transitions for AMR, British Academy, London, 7 November 2025

• Eberl M: “Superbugs: The microbial world in, on and around us”. Oral presentation at Cardiff University’s Global-Civic Conference, Cardiff, 5 November 2025

• Tyrrell J, Flanagan M, Owen K, Proctor Y, Hatch S, Eberl M: “Superbugs: Raising awareness and increasing understanding of the microbial world in, on and around us“. Oral presentation at the Annual Congress of the British Society for Immunology, Belfast, 4-7 December 2023

• Tyrrell J: “Engaging new audiences in microbiology“. Invited lecture at the Microbiology Society Annual Conference, Birmingham, 17-20 April 2023. (watch here)

• Tyrrell J, Hatch S, Eberl M: “Superbugs: Raising awareness and increasing understanding of the microbial world in, on and around us“. Oral presentation at Cardiff University’s Infection & Immunity Annual Meeting, Cardiff, 15 November 2023

• Tyrrell J: “Superbugs: A Pop-Up Science Shop”. Video presentation for the NCCPE Engage Conference, 1-2 December 2021 (virtual). (watch here)

Posters

• Tyrrell J, Sadeghzadeh-Rahimi P, Abdulgafar A, Sparling G, Cox F, Maros LB, Cuff S, Aicheler R, Eberl M: “Superbugs: Taking science to the city”. Poster presentation at the Annual Congress of the British Society for Immunology, Liverpool, 1-4 December 2025

• Tyrrell J, Hatch S, Smith C, Conlon C, Eberl M: “Superbugs – An educational resource to increase awareness of the microbial world in, on and around us“. Poster presentation at Cardiff University’s Infection & Immunity Annual Meeting, Cardiff, 23 November 2022

• Tyrrell J, Hatch S, Smith C, Conlon C, Eberl M: “Superbugs – An educational resource to increase awareness of the microbial world in, on and around us“. Poster presentation at the Annual Congress of the British Society for Immunology, Edinburgh, 28 November - 1 December 2021

Invited seminars

• Eberl M: “A Microbial Horror Show - Devastating outbreaks of disease that shaped how we fight infections”. Science in Health Public Lecture Series, School of Medicine, Cardiff University – 27 November 2027 (virtual)

• Eberl M: “Superbugs: Increasing public awareness and knowledge of antimicrobial resistance by taking science to the city”. BSI South Wales Immunology Group, invited seminar – 26 May 2021 (virtual)

• Eberl M: “Superbugs: Increasing public awareness and knowledge of antimicrobial resistance by taking science to the city”. BSI Edinburgh Immunology Group, invited seminar – 6 May 2021 (virtual)