Contacts
Biography
Prior to joining the ANU in 2011, I worked for over twenty years in State, Territory and federal health departments in the areas of food, water and infectious diseases. Previously, I have run the Australian Field Epidemiology Training Program - the Master of Philosophy in Applied Epidemiology (MAE) program - and the Australian network for foodborne disease investigation - OzFoodNet. I consult for Australian government, the World Health Organization and other international agencies. I hold research grants with the National Health & Medical Research Council, and the Australian Research Council. I am the Associate Dean (Education) in the ANU College of Health and Medicine.
Research
Research interests
I conduct research into infectious diseases and environmental health threats. I have estimated the burden of foodborne disease in Australia and globally. I have examined risk factors for a range of infections, such as COVID-19, influenza, salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis, listeriosis and Shiga Toxin producing E. coli. I assist health agencies respond to outbreaks of disease, building on my experience with a wide range of disease outbreaks, such as those caused by infectious agents, such as Legionella, Vibrio cholerae, intestinal trematodes, Salmonella, Shigella, and Campylobacter. This has lead to national collaborative research incorporating whole genome sequencing for public health surveillance. My goal is to improve how government agencies respond to human health threats.
Groups
- Leader, Infectious disease epidemiology and modelling
- Researcher, Environment, Climate and Health
Projects
- Principal investigator, ACT Asbestos Health Study
- Principal investigator, Australian Pathogen Genomics Program: evaluation and cost-effectiveness of pathogen genomics
- Principal investigator, PFAS Health Study
- Researcher, ACT Asbestos Health Study II: Linked Data Project
- Researcher, Assessing the risk of Salmonella associated with importation of beef
- Researcher, Burden and costs of gastroenteritis
- Researcher, Bushfire Health Survey
- Researcher, Clinical outcomes of Campylobacter in Australia
- Researcher, Critical review of major Australian outbreaks of infectious diseases 1991-2015
- Researcher, Evaluation of the outputs of the MAE program: reviewing 25 years of operation
- Researcher, Examination of the epidemiology workforce during emergency response
- Researcher, Gastroenteritis and foodborne disease in older adults
- Researcher, Infectious Disease Modelling
- Researcher, Mathematical modelling of Clostridium difficile
- Researcher, Timor-Leste Bacteria, Enteropathy and Nutrition (BEN) program of research
- Researcher, Tracking outbreaks of foodborne disease internationally through Whole Genome Sequencing
- Researcher, Understanding the sources of Campylobacter in Australia
- Researcher, Whole genome sequencing in Salmonella surveillance and control
- Supervisor, A Revisit to On the Mode of Communication of Cholera by John Snow: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Supervisor, Preventing the next pandemic: exploring the barriers and enablers to outbreak reporting