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Infectious Diseases Epidemiology

Our team’s vision is to reduce the burden of infectious diseases in children and their families through comprehensive approaches to understanding the burden of disease, developing and optimising diagnosis and treatment strategies and evaluating and informing current and future prevention programs.

Our group has a particular interest in acute lower respiratory infections, commonly known as chest infections.

These conditions include bronchiolitis and pneumonia and occurs secondary to viral and bacterial infections including viral pathogens respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza, human metapneumovirus and parainfluenza virus and bacterial pathogens including Streptococcus pneumoniae and Bordetella pertussis. Chest infections are a major cause of childhood morbidity with some population subgroups experiencing higher rates of severe disease including Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children, those with co-morbidities and those from a lower socio-economic background.

The work of the Infectious Disease Epidemiology team centres around three key themes:

  • Burden of Disease – understanding pathogen-specific burden of disease, temporal and seasonal trends in disease and perinatal risk factors to disease in population groups using a range of data sources.
  • Prevention and Policy – evaluating current prevention policy, such as vaccination policy at local and population levels, incorporating assessment of vaccine coverage, cost effectiveness and overall program performance in reducing the incidence of disease. We also use data to advocate for new immunisation programs, including RSV.
  • Diagnosis and Treatment - developing ways to improve surveillance of and the diagnosis and treatment of severe respiratory infections in children through prospective cohort studies, clinical trials and use of administrative health data.

Our team employs an array of methodologies including epidemiological analyses of large-scale population-based linked administrative health data; statistical and mathematical modelling; undertaking prospective cohort studies and clinical trials; and conducting social research.

Team leader

Associate Professor Hannah Moore
Associate Professor Hannah Moore

OAM BSc (Hons) GradDipClinEpi PhD

Program Head, Infection and Vaccines

Professor  Christopher Blyth
Professor Christopher Blyth

MBBS (Hons) DCH FRACP FRCPA PhD

Centre Head, Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases; Co-Head, Infectious Diseases Epidemiology, Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Honorary and NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow

Team members (18)

Anita Williams
Anita Williams

MInfecDis MPhil(App Epi)

Research Officer, Infectious Diseases Epidemiology

Belaynew Taye
Belaynew Taye

MD, MPH, PhD

Research Officer, Infectious Disease Epidemiology

Carla Puca
Carla Puca

BSc, MPH, MIDI

Project Officer

Honorary Team Member, Research Nurse

Dr Minda Sarna
Dr Minda Sarna

M.App.Epid., PhD

Senior Research Officer

Senior Research Officer

Huong Le
Huong Le

MA (Dev. Econ), MA (App. Stats), PhD (Econ)

Biostatistician & Data Analyst

Carolyn Finucane

Carolyn Finucane

Research Nurse

Cathy Pienaar

Cathy Pienaar

Honorary Team Member

Charlie Holland

Charlie Holland

PhD Student

Daniel Oakes

Daniel Oakes

Research Assistant

David Foley

David Foley

PhD Student

Fiona Giannini

Fiona Giannini

Mathematical Modeller

Imke Houwers

Imke Houwers

Program Manager, Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Team

Joanne Harvey

Joanne Harvey

Clinical Trial Coordinator

Kate Britton

Kate Britton

PhD Student

Kate Turnock

Kate Turnock

Executive Support Officer

Sultan Mahmood

Sultan Mahmood

PhD Student

Invasive Fungal Disease in Immunocompromised Children: Current and Emerging Therapies

In an era of expanding indications for iatrogenic immunosuppression, invasive fungal disease (IFD) remains a significant challenge in immunocompromised children, with case fatality rates ranging from 10 to 70%. Understanding of current recommendations and recent evidence is essential to guide optimal IFD management.

Novel coenzyme Q6 genetic variant increases susceptibility to pneumococcal disease

Acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRI) remains a major worldwide cause of childhood mortality, compelling innovation in prevention and treatment. Children in Papua New Guinea (PNG) experience profound morbidity from ALRI caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. As a result of evolutionary divergence, the human PNG population exhibits profound genetic variation and diversity. To address unmet health needs of children in PNG, we tested whether genetic variants increased ALRI morbidity. 

The Platform Trial In COVID-19 Priming and BOOsting (PICOBOO): The immunogenicity, reactogenicity, and safety of different COVID-19 vaccinations administered as a second booster

PICOBOO is a randomised, adaptive trial evaluating the immunogenicity, reactogenicity, and safety of COVID-19 booster strategies. We report data for second boosters among individuals 50-<70 years old primed with AZD1222 (50-<70y-AZD1222) until Day 84.

Characterization of Gram-negative Bloodstream Infections in Hospitalized Australian Children and Their Clinical Outcomes

Gram-negative bloodstream infections (GNBSIs) more commonly occur in children with comorbidities and are increasingly associated with antimicrobial resistance. There are few large studies of GNBSIs in children that relate the clinical presentation, pathogen characteristics, and outcomes. 

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Infectious Diseases Epidemiology

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