Shani Wong is a Master of Applied Epidemiology (MAE) Scholar in the 2026–2027 cohort, currently placed within the Foodborne Enteric Diseases Unit at the Victorian Department of Health. In this role, she contributes to public health surveillance and outbreak response activities focused on enteric and foodborne disease threats.

Prior to joining the MAE Program, Shani worked as a Research Scientist at the Defence Science and Technology Group, where she developed a strong foundation in human and animal health microbiology, with particular expertise in mosquito surveillance and infectious disease diagnostics. She played a key role in the development and validation of point‑of‑care diagnostic technologies and supported laboratory responses during major outbreak investigations.

Through the MAE Program, Shani will strength her epidemiological and public health skill set to translate surveillance data into evidence‑based insights. She is motivated to contribute to surveillance system strengthening, outbreak preparedness and response, and the development of public health policy to address emerging and re‑emerging infectious disease threats.

 Field placements | ANU National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health