As a Reader in Genomics and Bioinformatics, Dr Laing's research  interests have a primary focus on developing and applying the "new technologies" associated with functional genomics and bioinformatics in the field of infection and immunity but also other areas to which these technologies and skills that are highly applicable. Dr Laing has in particular interests in the application of new and novel technologies to molecular diagnostics, genomics of virulence and antimicrobial resistance. He combines interests in these area's with high next generation and single molecule sequencing in both long and short read platforms, real-time, digital and hybridisation technologies for gene expression, variant detection and gene quantification. 

He undertakes multi-collaborative research into many areas of genomics but especially in recent years the application of next generation sequencing to surveillance, epidemiology and outbreak investigation.

Selected publications:

• Pond, M. J., Al-Mufti, J., Madona, P., Crone, M. A., Laing, K. G., Hale, R. S., . . . Randell, P. (2023). Mpox infection investigation using multiplexed syndromic diagnostics: Evaluation of an AusDiagnostics multiplexed tandem PCR (MT-PCR) syndromic panel. Journal of Clinical Virology Plus, 3(2), 100142. doi:1016/j.jcvp.2023.100142
• Stirrup, O., Blackstone, J., Mapp, F., MacNeil, A., Panca, M., Holmes, A., . . . Breuer, J. (2022). Effectiveness of rapid SARS-CoV-2 genome sequencing in supporting infection control for hospital-onset COVID-19 infection: Multicentre, prospective study.. Elife, 11. doi:7554/eLife.78427
• Pallett, S. J. C., Wake, R., Youngs, J., Pope, C., Tan, N. K., Taylor, J., . . . Bicanic, T. (2022). Adjunctive viral cell culture supports treatment decision-making in patients with secondary humoral immunodeficiency and persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection.. Br J Haematol, 196(5), 1170-1174. doi:1111/bjh.17957
• Vöhringer, H. S., Sanderson, T., Sinnott, M., De Maio, N., Nguyen, T., Goater, R., . . . Gerstung, M. (2021). Genomic reconstruction of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in England.. Nature, 600(7889), 506-511. doi:1038/s41586-021-04069-y
• de Silva, T. I., Liu, G., Lindsey, B. B., Dong, D., Moore, S. C., Hsu, N. S., . . . Dong, T. (2021). The impact of viral mutations on recognition by SARS-CoV-2 specific T cells.. iScience, 24(11), 103353. doi:1016/j.isci.2021.103353
• Stirrup, O., Boshier, F., Venturini, C., Guerra-Assunção, J. A., Alcolea-Medina, A., Beckett, A., . . . Breuer, J. (2021). SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.1.7 is associated with greater disease severity among hospitalised women but not men: multicentre cohort study.. BMJ Open Respir Res, 8(1). doi:1136/bmjresp-2021-001029
• Oeser, C., Pond, M., Butcher, P., Bedford Russell, A., Henneke, P., Laing, K., . . . Harris, K. (2020). PCR for the detection of pathogens in neonatal early onset sepsis.. PLoS One, 15(1), e0226817. doi:1371/journal.pone.0226817
• Phillips, L., Witney, A., Izquierdo-Carrasco, F., Zhou, L., Mayes, S., Laing, K., & Sadiq, S. T. (2019). RAPID SEQUENCE TYPING FOR ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE SURVEILLANCE IN NEISSERIA GONORRHOEAE USING WHOLE GENOME SEQUENCING. In SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS 95 (pp. A292). doi:10.1136/sextrans-2019-sti.732
• Frimpong, M., Ahor, H. S., Wahed, A. A. E., Agbavor, B., Sarpong, F. N., Laing, K., . . . Phillips, R. O. (2019). Rapid detection of Mycobacterium ulcerans with isothermal recombinase polymerase amplification assay.. PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 13(2), e0007155. doi:1371/journal.pntd.0007155

Dr Laing teaches and examines at both level 6 and 7 as well as PhD supervision at the University. He holds several key organisational roles as well undertaking lectures and bioinformatic practicals. He is an innovator and an early adopter of teaching technologies within the University.

Dr Laing's teaching includes a number of roles such as module coordinating 3rd yr Medical Microbiology Project Module, 3rd yr BSc/iBSc co-organiser for laboratory projects in which the combined Biomedical Sciences and intercalated Basic medical sciences degrees manage around 250 projects each year. He jointly coordinates the Medical Genomics Infectious Diseases module. Contact teaching includes a range of activities including lectures and practicals for 1st and 2nd yr Bio Med students (Fundamentals of the Living Cell and Genomics) as well as Medical Genomics MSc (two modules: Omics and Infectious Diseases) and 3rd yr BSc/iBSc Modules (Personalised Medicine and Medical Microbiology).

He also undertakes pastoral and both administrative roles within the University