Bradley Bearson, Ph.D., is a research microbiologist at the USDA, ARS, National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment (NLAE) in Ames, Iowa. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine investigating the acid tolerance response of Salmonella Typhimurium in the laboratory of John W. Foster, Ph.D. He performed a Clinical Microbiology Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of California at Los Angeles Medical Center. Dr. Bearson represents the ASM Division Animal Health (Z).

Bearson investigates pathogenesis and colonization of Salmonella, including multi-drug resistant (MDR) isolates in swine and turkeys, to identify, improve and/or develop novel approaches of pathogen control for animal production. His research focus includes the development and evaluation of an attenuated Salmonella DIVA (differentiation of infected from vaccinated animals) vaccine strain and determination of whether vaccination confers protective immunity against virulent Salmonella colonization and pathogenesis in swine and turkeys. Dietary modifications and biotherapeutics are investigated to determine the ability of these interventions to reduce and/or prevent intestinal colonization by Salmonella. Bearson also characterizes the selective pressure of antibiotic exposure on MDR Salmonella for enhanced colonization fitness, horizontal gene transfer and environmental persistence.