Australian Institute of Tropical Health & Medicine

Brian Cooke

Brian Cooke

Amanda Murphy

Amanda Murphy

Tessa Knox

Tessa Knox

Justin Sexton

Justin Sexton

Adeshina Adekunle

Adeshina Adekunle

Brogan Amos

Brogan Amos

Rachael Ryan

Rachael Ryan

Emma McBryde

Emma McBryde

Juergen Reichardt

Juergen Reichardt

Tanya Russell

Tanya Russell

Stopping the Asian Tiger Mosquito from reaching mainland Australia with sugar baits (Old ID 26693)
Tanya Russell
01 Jan 2020 - 31 Dec 2020
Aedes albopictus, a documented vector of dengue, Zika and chikungunya, is one of the fastest spreading invasive species worldwide, and was first detected in the Torres Strait in 2005. This pilot project will lay the foundation required to assess the feasibility of Attractive Targeted Sugar Baits (ATSB) to control Aedes albopictus. The overall objective is to determine the frequency that mosquitos’ sugar feed, a parameter critical to the success of ATSBs. This pilot data will be leveraged for funding to trial the use of ATSBs to stop Ae. albopictus from reaching the mainland.
Technology Identification to Optimize Malaria Vector Surveillance (Old ID 23637)
Tom Burkot
01 Sep 2017 - 30 Nov 2019
The proposed investment will undertake an analysis of vector surveillance in priority elimination programs against recommended surveillance practices. This analysis will include evaluations of data, programmatic capacity and technical attributes of the surveillance systems currently in use by NMCPs of selected countries. This assessment will identify gaps/limitations and constraints that impede present surveillance programs from achieving the implementation of best practices.
Verily Life Sciences LLC (Old ID 26880)
Tom Burkot
01 Jul 2020 - 28 Feb 2022
Design and validate traps and associated sensor packages (if available) that are low cost and sensitive enough to capture Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes that they can be deployed for both Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) release surveillance during suppression and elimination operations, and also for sentinel surveillance after elimination.
Defining the Role of Intellectual Ventures in Vector Biology Research (Old ID 21946)
Tom Burkot
10 Feb 2015 - 30 Jul 2018
a) Review outcomes of the Vector Expert Group meeting which took place on December 16th and December 17th, 2014 and the consultation on vectors with The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation ("BMGF") which took place on January 5, 2015. b) Identify priority areas suitable for further developments by Client and IVPH; and c) Develop concept notes on identified priority areas, including recommended timelines, resource requirements and partners.
New strategies for improved tuberculosis vaccines (Old ID 22533)
Andreas Kupz
01 Jan 2017 - 31 Dec 2021
Tuberculosis is one of the most threatening infectious diseases worldwide due to the low efficiency of the only licensed anti-tuberculosis vaccine, BCG. This project aims to interrogate two previously neglected immune mechanisms and their potential to enhance vaccine-induced immunity by incorporating these mechanisms into new genetically modified BCG strains. We will also investigate alternative BCG vaccination routes to generate long-lived immune cells that can rapidly control the infection.
Cost-benefit analysis of latent tuberculosis treatment towards elimination (Old ID 26404)
Emma McBryde
04 Feb 2019 - 30 Jun 2019
We will develop the health economic aspect of the project, and interact with and build on to the model for TB elimination in low-burden settings being developed by Monash University. This will allow estimation of the impact of the proposed Victorian TB programs. Costing the data will be included in the model in three broad ways. 1 - each disease state in the model will accrue an associated cost; and 2 - programmatic interventions will be costed separately for braod programmatic interventions; and 3 - unit costs of programmatic diagnostic and therapeutic will be incorporated into the model.
Discovery of novel biomarkers for Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) infection related cancers. (Old ID 22491)
Denise Doolan
18 Jan 2016 - 25 Aug 2016
To screen a newly-developed and proprietary EBV protein microarray representing all proteins in the EBV proteome against samples from EBV-associated disorders in order to develop a diagnostic biomarker of disease risk.
Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Care (Old ID 20184)
Robyn McDermott
22 Oct 2012 - 23 Oct 2018
The Centre will work with clinical and community-level health promotion workers to improve clinical systems for the prevention and care of high risk adults and children with diabetes and other chronic disease in north Queensland rural and remote communities. The Centre will promote high calibre research in clinical epidemiology and quality improvement in prevention and care of chronic conditions.
International Centres of Excellence in Malaria Research (Old ID 20247)
Tom Burkot
01 Jan 2012 - 30 Jun 2017
The ICEMR for the Southwest Pacific is studying the biology of malaria vectors and parasites and how these populations change under the selective pressure of malaria control interventions. The work is being carried out in the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.
Deciphering the immune mechanisms of novel TB vaccine candidates in preclinical models of active disease and latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (Old ID 27399)
Andreas Kupz
17 Jun 2021 - 31 May 2025
Tuberculosis kills more people than any other infectious disease, and approximately one third of the world's population is latently infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. New vaccines are needed. These vaccines should be safe and effective against various forms of tuberculosis. This project aims to combine a new mouse model of latent tuberculosis with distinct rabbit models of TB to develop and test new vaccines against TB.

Using health check data to investigate cognitive function in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders living with diabetes in the Torres Strait, Australia

Pursuing effective vaccines against cattle diseases caused by apicomplexan protozoa

  • 2021
  • CABI
  • Researchers:Vignesh Ambothi RathinasamyBrian Cooke

Tuberculosis in the Torres Strait: the lady doth test too much

Outcomes from international field trials with Male Aedes Sound Traps: frequency-dependent effectiveness in capturing target species in relation to bycatch abundance

Long-range but not short-range attraction of male Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes to humans

Performance of a fully‐automated system on a WHO malaria microscopy evaluation slide set

The influence of ecological factors on cnidarian venoms

Plant derived cyclic peptides

Immune responses to bacterial lung infections and their implications for vaccination

Are we better-off? The benefits and costs of Australian COVID-19 lockdown

Title: Research Scientist, Genetech Research Institute (GRI)
Reseracher: Harindra Sathkumara Mudiyanselage (Postdoctoral Research Fellow)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2014
End Date: 01 Jan 2016
Title: Masters Student, IBMBB, University of Colombo
Reseracher: Harindra Sathkumara Mudiyanselage (Postdoctoral Research Fellow)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2013
End Date: 01 Jan 2015
Title: WHO Collaborating Centre for Vector-borne and Neglected Tropical Diseases
Reseracher: Tessa Knox (Principal Research Fellow)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2024
End Date: 01 Jan 2028
Title: Vanuatu COVID-19 Health Advisory Group
Reseracher: Tessa Knox (Principal Research Fellow)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2020
End Date: 01 Jan 2023
Title: Bachelor of Applied Science: Honours Class I
Reseracher: Tessa Knox (Principal Research Fellow)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2003
Title: Bachelor of Applied Science: Graduant with Distinction
Reseracher: Tessa Knox (Principal Research Fellow)
Start Date: 01 Jan 1999
Title: English
Reseracher: Harindra Sathkumara Mudiyanselage (Postdoctoral Research Fellow)
Title: Sinhala; Sinhalese
Reseracher: Harindra Sathkumara Mudiyanselage (Postdoctoral Research Fellow)
Title: Post-doctoral Associate, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Reseracher: Suchandan Sikder (Postdoctoral Research Fellow)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2021
End Date: 01 Jan 2022
Title: Associate Professor, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University
Reseracher: Suchandan Sikder (Postdoctoral Research Fellow)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2018
End Date: 01 Jan 2021