Post Doctoral Research Fellow
Institute of Aquaculture Pathfoot Building, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA
I am a post-doctoral researcher currently working on several projects investigating sustainable nutrition in aquaculture. I have over 12 years’ experience with the aquaculture industry, predominantly in Scotland. Furthermore, I have worked extensively in Antarctica and have substantial knowledge of planning and implementing projects in extreme environments. These adventures have shaped my desire to maintain ecological diversity through more sustainable food production. Key roles:
My main research interests are: • Sustainable nutrition in aquaculture. • Bacterial pathogenesis and virulence factor discovery. • Molecular techniques to investigate microbial community structure and essential genes. • Reducing vertebrate experimentation by developing new applications for the wax moth (Galleria mellonella) as an alternative infection model.
Article
Rimoldi S, Quiroz KF, Kalemi V, McMillan S, Stubhaug I, Martinez-Rubio L, Betancor MB & Terova G (2025) Interactions between nutritional programming, genotype, and gut microbiota in Atlantic salmon: Long-term effects on gut microbiota, fish growth and feed efficiency. Aquaculture, 596 (Part 1), p. 741813. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2024.741813
Article
Tawfik MM, Betancor MB, Mcmillan S, Norambuena F, Tocher DR, Douglas A & Martin SAM (2024) Modulation of metabolic and immunoregulatory pathways in the gut transcriptome of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) after early nutritional programming during first feeding with plant-based diet. Overland M (Editor) Frontiers in Immunology, 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1412821
Article
Tawfik MM, Lorgen-Ritchie M, Król E, McMillan S, Norambuena F, Bolnick DI, Douglas A, Tocher DR, Betancor MB & Martin SAM (2024) Modulation of gut microbiota composition and predicted metabolic capacity after nutritional programming with a plant-rich diet in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar): insights across developmental stages. Animal Microbiome, 6, Art. No.: 38. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42523-024-00321-8
Article
Mcmillan S, Martin SAM, Zbieta Król E, Norambuena F, Baumgärtner S, Gong X, Tawfik MM, Glencross B, Taylor JF, Tocher DR & Betancor MB (2024) Can nutritional programming in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) be optimised with a reduced stimulus period?. Aquaculture, 585, p. 740686. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2024.740686
Article
Bekaert M, Goffin N, McMillan S & Desbois AP (2021) Essential Genes of Vibrio anguillarum and Other Vibrio spp. Guide the Development of New Drugs and Vaccines. Frontiers in Microbiology, 12, Art. No.: 755801. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.755801
Article
Bacterial Communities of Ballan Wrasse (Labrus bergylta) Eggs at a Commercial Marine Hatchery
Bone A, Bekaert M, Papadopoulou A, McMillan S, Adams A, Davie A & Desbois AP (2021) Bacterial Communities of Ballan Wrasse (Labrus bergylta) Eggs at a Commercial Marine Hatchery. Current Microbiology, 78 (1), pp. 114-124. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-020-02286-8
Article
Optimising efficacy of antibiotics against systemic infection by varying dosage quantities and times
Hoyle A, Cairns D, Paterson I, McMillan S, Ochoa G & Desbois AP (2020) Optimising efficacy of antibiotics against systemic infection by varying dosage quantities and times. PLoS Computational Biology, 16 (8), Art. No.: e1008037. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008037
Article
Coyle NM, Bartie KL, Bayliss SC, Bekaert M, Adams A, McMillan S, Verner-Jeffreys DW, Desbois AP & Feil EJ (2020) A Hopeful Sea-Monster: A Very Large Homologous Recombination Event Impacting the Core Genome of the Marine Pathogen Vibrio anguillarum. Frontiers in Microbiology, 11, Art. No.: 1430. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.01430
Article
Paving the way to acceptance of Galleria mellonella as a new model insect
Desbois AP & McMillan S (2015) Paving the way to acceptance of Galleria mellonella as a new model insect. Virulence, 6 (5), pp. 410-411. https://doi.org/10.1080/21505594.2015.1036218
Article
McMillan S, Verner-Jeffreys DW, Weeks JM, Austin B & Desbois AP (2015) Larva of the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella, is a suitable alternative host for studying virulence of fish pathogenic Vibrio anguillarum. BMC Microbiology, 15, Art. No.: 127. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-015-0466-9
