Dr Rama Bhatia is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Microbes, Infection and Microbiomes at the University of Birmingham. Her research focuses on understanding how biofilm growth influences the evolution and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and hypervirulence in Klebsiella pneumoniae. Using a combination of experimental microbiology, bacterial evolution, genomics, and molecular genetics, she investigates the factors that shape plasmid transmission and persistence in clinically relevant bacterial populations.

Her broader research interests include microbial evolution, host–microbe interactions, bacterial genomics, and the mechanisms underlying the emergence and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance. She is particularly interested in integrating laboratory experiments with genomic analyses to better understand bacterial adaptation and to inform strategies for tackling AMR.