The Strep A Vaccines Program
Director, The Kids Strep A Vaccine Program
Professor Jonathan Carapetis AM
A paediatrician and infectious diseases specialist, Professor Carapetis has been working to reduce the Strep A burden for nearly three decades. During that time, he’s contributed to the prevention, diagnosis and management of Strep A-related diseases across the world and in Indigenous communities. He co-founded Reach (Rheumatic heart disease. Evidence. Advocacy. Communication. Hope) and was the Australian lead investigator on CANVAS (Coalition to Advance Vaccines Against Group A Streptococcus). A Professor at the University of Western Australia, Professor Carapetis is Executive Director of The Kids Research Institute Australia, Head of The Kids Research Institute Australia Strep A and Rheumatic Heart Disease Team and holds a clinical position with Perth Children’s Hospital.
Head of Strep A Vaccines and Project Lead, Strep A Vaccines Program
Dr Alma Fulurija
Dr Fulurija is an immunologist with more than 15 years of experience in the biotech and pharma sectors working at the interface of academia and industry. Before joining the ASAVI team (now known as the Strap A vaccine team) Dr Fulurija led research and development projects in Australia and Switzerland and completed postdoctoral training at the WHO Centre for Neonatal Immunology and Vaccinology in Geneva. Dr Fulurija is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the University of Western Australia, where she lectures in immunology and researches vaccine development for infectious diseases such as Streptococcus pyogenes, Helicobacter pylori, otitis media and other infections. Dr Fulurija has a keen interest in translating evidence-based research into clinical outcomes and brings expertise in product development, clinical trials, regulatory, patents, and project management.
Indigenous Lead
Associate Professor Glenn Pearson
A proud Noongar man, Associate Professor Glenn Pearson is the Director of Aboriginal Health and a member of The Kids Research Institute Australia’s Leadership Team. His projects ensure that the needs of Aboriginal children and their families are included in all operations at the Institute. A trained primary school teacher,Associate Professor Pearson has also spent over 15 years in senior positions in State and Federal government, across health, education and child protection sectors. Associate Professor Pearson is the Chair of the Australian National University’s National Indigenous Genomic Centre, and Inaugural Chair of the WA Primary Health Alliance’s Strategic Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Advisory Group. In his role with ASAVI (now known as the Strap A vaccine team), Associate Professor Pearson works closely with the Co-Directors and Advisory Boards to ensure overall cultural security of the project and guide the development of Community Engagement & Capacity Building activities in rural and remote Indigenous communities.
Business Manager
Lynsey Fitzgerald
Ms Fitzgerald is an experienced business manager with expertise in financial management, governance, human resources, communications, and stakeholder engagement. She has a strong track record of supporting complex programs and enabling high-performing teams through strategic planning and operational leadership.
As Business Manager for the Strep A Vaccines team Ms Fitzgerald provides strategic business and project management support to the team, strengthening governance, financial oversight, and operational coordination to ensure the successful delivery of the Strep A Vaccines initiatives.
Senior Project Officer
Liz Eggimann
With expertise in project management, research administration, and community engagement, Ms Eggimann is driven by a commitment to improving health outcomes for children across Australia. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Environmental Studies and Peace and Justice Studies from Pace University in New York City.
Passionate about health equity, Ms Eggimann works alongside communities and researchers to ensure research translate into meaningful and lasting impact. She is dedicated to reducing longstanding health inequities by empowering communities through research and collaboration.
Operational Team
Senior Research Scientist
Michael Morici
Mr Morici is a research scientist with 15 years of experience. Originally from the United States, Mr Morici is a graduate of Stanford University and has worked in both academic and biotech settings. With prior experience working on liquid biopsies for cancers and on mechanisms, biomarkers, and therapeutics for Alzheimer’s disease, Mr Morici is experienced with a wide array of technologies. He is passionate about establishing and developing assays, problem solving, and building systems to enable robust and impactful research. Mr Morici leads the Strep A vaccine lab team at The Kids Research Institute Australia.
Research Assistant
Anna Takahashi
Ms Takahashi completed her Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Honours) at University of Western Australia in 2022 with a research project on antibacterial activity in Western Australian honey. During her undergrad, Ms Takahashi gained laboratory assistant experience in Virology and Microbiology laboratories. She then worked at Western Diagnostic Pathology as laboratory assistant. In 2023, Ms Takahashi joined the ASAVI team (now known as the Strap A vaccine team) at The Kids Research Institute Australia. As a research assistant with Microbiology background, she cultures and diagnoses throat swab samples contributing to Strep A surveillance studies.
Research Officer
Michael Serralha
Mr Serralha is a research officer for the Strep A vaccines team. Originally from South Africa Mr Serralha completed his tertiary studies in Zoology and Microbiology at the University of South Africa. He emigrated to Australia and completed his Bachelor of Science degree, with Honours, with the department of Microbiology at the University of Western Australia. He worked at the Laboratory for Cancer Medicine at Royal Perth Hospital before joining The Kids Research Institute Australia in 2002.
Discovery
Postdoctoral Researcher in Mucosal Immunology
Dr Maria Emilia Duenas
Dr. Emilia Dueñas joined the END RHD program at The Kids in 2023 to develop a pipeline towards advancing next-generation mucosal Strep A vaccine candidates into clinical trials. She supports vaccine development by investigating new candidate vaccines, with a particular focus on mucosal immunology and mucosal vaccines. This involves establishing direct links between the Strep A Vaccines (led by A/Prof. Alma Fulurija) and Strep A Pathogenesis & Diagnostics teams (led by Dr. Timothy Barnett).