Stephen Bustin is a distinguished Professor of Molecular Medicine at Anglia Ruskin University and leads the Molecular Diagnostics Unit within the university's Medical Technology Research Centre. After obtaining his PhD in Molecular Genetics from Trinity College, University of Dublin, he established himself as a leading figure in molecular diagnostics through his academic appointments at Queen Mary University of London where he served as Professor of Molecular Science from 2004 to 2012. He transitioned to Anglia Ruskin University in 2012 initially as Professor of Allied Health and Medicine before advancing to his current position as Professor of Molecular Medicine. His career trajectory reflects a steadfast commitment to bridging molecular science with clinical applications, and in 2023 he was elected as a member of the prestigious Academia Europaea in recognition of his scholarly contributions.
Professor Bustin is internationally recognized as a world-renowned expert on quantitative PCR technology, having authored the seminal work A-Z of quantitative PCR 2004, universally regarded as the qPCR bible within the scientific community. His groundbreaking research has focused on developing and standardizing molecular techniques for clinical diagnostics, most notably through leading an international consortium that established the MIQE guidelines for real-time quantitative PCR in 2009 and digital PCR in 2013, which have become essential standards for ensuring reproducibility and reliability in molecular testing worldwide. His expertise was sought in high-profile legal cases, including providing expert testimony in the MMR vaccine-autism class action trials where he demonstrated flaws in the methodology used to claim a link between the vaccine and autism. During the COVID-19 pandemic, his work gained renewed significance as he published influential papers clarifying the proper use of qPCR for SARS-CoV-2 detection and developed a novel five-plex assay targeting the virus, countering widespread misinformation about the technology's validity.
Beyond his technical contributions, Professor Bustin has profoundly influenced the field through his extensive authorship of numerous papers, review articles, and book chapters dedicated to improving the robustness of molecular methods, with his publications serving as fundamental references for researchers globally. He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief Gene Expression for the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, shaping scholarly discourse in molecular diagnostics while continuing to advance his research on early pathogen detection and cancer biomarker identification. His laboratory is pioneering the development of rapid diagnostic tools, including a sub-five-minute combined extraction, RT and PCR test designed for point-of-care diagnosis that could revolutionize infectious disease management in resource-limited settings. As both a mentor to emerging scientists and a thought leader who consistently advocates for methodological rigor in biomedical research, Professor Bustin continues to drive innovation at the intersection of molecular diagnostics and clinical practice, ensuring his work maintains significant translational impact for patient care worldwide.
