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Innovating novel diagnostic tools for infectious disease control

Project Type

Masters
PhD

Project details

Fundamental to the prevention and control of infectious diseases is accessible, rapid and accurate diagnosis. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of timely testing and revealed vulnerabilities of existing diagnostic technologies. Currently, there are limited point-of-care testing devices available, resulting in critical delays in diagnosis in rural and low-income Australian settings.

The research candidate will have the opportunity to take cutting-edge molecular laboratory techniques and apply them to the development and validation of improved diagnostic technologies.

This project would suit a student with a background and/or interest in microbiology, molecular genetics and infectious diseases. Skills in bioinformatics and statistics will also be beneficial.

About our research group

Led by Professor Deborah Williamson, our team is passionate about developing and improving diagnostic tools for the detection of infectious diseases. With a heavy emphasis on translational research, we hope to see our research contribute to early diagnosis and improved disease control and surveillance.

We work closely with clinicians, laboratory scientists at the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (VIDRL) and industry partners on infectious diseases who need real-time responses.

All students are mentored by multiple members of our team, experts in bioinformatic analysis, microbiology and molecular laboratory techniques. Our students are also given the opportunity to present their work to collaborators and clinicians.

Education pathways