Australia
Dr Walter Okelo
- Dr Walter Okelo is the project leader and a CSIRO research scientist. His current study involves quantifying human health risks and mitigation efforts required to control antimicrobial resistance (AMR) at the human-animal-environment interface. Walter coordinates all research activities, conducts research on economics of AMR, facilitate policy discussions, conducts capacity building of in country research students on Economics and Epidemiology, and leads capacity building of paraprofessionals. Walter leads the project and oversees the timely and efficient implementation of the various activities to achieve project the project aims and objectives.
Dr Max Cummins
- Dr Max Cummins is a researcher at the iThree institute at the University of Technology, Sydney, whose research interests include microbial genomics, antimicrobial resistance, pathogen evolution and bioinformatics. His role within the EMAR team involves analysing bacterial DNA sequence data to generate meaningful and informative insights into AMR and pathogens within Fiji.
Dr Erica Donner
- Dr Erica Donner is an Associate Professor and Research Leader in the Future Industries Institute at the University of South Australia. Her research provides a fundamental basis for environmental risk assessment and risk management, focusing on topics such as soil and water quality; wastewater treatment, by-product valorisation and reuse, and pollution management. Erica leads environmental genomics of AMR activities and co-supervises students as required.
Prof Steven Djordjevic
- Professor Steven Djordjevic heads the Pathogen Proteomics and Genomics research group in the ithree institute at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). He is also UTS’ lead for AusGEM (Australian Centre for Genomic Epidemiological Microbiology); a collaborative research partnership between the NSW Department of Primary Industries and the University. Steve leads the One Health genomics activities and supervises a post doc fellow working in this area.
Dr Barbara Drigo
- Dr Barbara Drigo is a lecturer in Environmental Microbiology at the University of South Australia (UniSA). At the Future Industries Institute (UniSA) she is leading the molecular microbial component of several research projects on antimicrobial resistance surveillance and food/soil/water safety and security in Australia and Pacific Islands. Barbara is part of the UniSA Institutional Biosafety Committee and Office of the Gene Technology Regulator. Dr Barbara Drigo is the regional coordinator of 500 Women Scientists Australia & New Zealand (500womenscientists.org) and of the Joint Academic Microbiology Seminars Adelaide (jams.org.au). She is an eXXpedition Ambassador (exxpedition.com).
Dr Keith Hayes
- Dr Keith Hayes is a senior risk analyst with vast experience in quantitative risk analysis in complex ecological systems. Keith supports biostatistical components of the project and provides technical backstopping.
Dr Geoffrey Hosack
- Dr Geoffrey Hosack is a senior research scientist with expertise in probabilistic risk analysis and decision making under uncertainty. Geoffrey supports the development of risk frameworks and provide stechnical backstopping.
Dr Adrien Ickowicz
- Dr Adrien Ickowicz is a statistician and his main research interest lies in multivariate spatio-temporal statistical modelling and monitoring; space-state models and latent variable models; and Bayesian and computational statistics. Adrien leads risk analysis, develops the project sampling strategy, and develops risk frameworks. Adrien also co-supervises students as required.
Dr Anthony Keyburn
- Dr Anthony Keyburn is a senior microbiologist with a PhD in microbiology from Monash University. Anthony is head of the Australian Brucellosis Reference Laboratory and the bovine tuberculosis laboratory at the CSIRO Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness. Anthony leads the veterinary laboratory capacity building and conduct research on the bovine tuberculosis genomics.
Dr Seona Meharg
- Dr Seona Meharg is a social and integration scientist exploring the theory and practice of implementation in complex projects with a focus on how to catalyse systemic change through international development projects. Seona leads the social research, conduct research on the governance of AMR and develop and implement monitoring, evaluation and learning frameworks.
Dr Ann Seitzinger
- Dr Ann Seitzinger is senior economist with expertise in livestock economics and modelling disease impact on trade. Ann supports the development of economic frameworks and policy discussions as well as provide technical backstopping.
Dr Tara Sutherland
- Dr Tara Sutherland is a research scientist with experience in technology development and microbiology. Tara manages the project, prepares management reports, conducts internal communication, assists in the development of new AMR technologies and support the project coordinator.
Prof Matt Trau
- Professor Matt Trau is a research group leader with vast experience in chemistry analytics and development of microfluidic platforms using bioengineering and nanotechnology. Matt leads the development of new diagnostics and supervise post doc fellow who will be conducting experimentation on AMR biomarkers and cartridges.
Dr Rachel Williams
- Dr Rachel Williams is a specialist practitioner in adaptive learning and evaluation, who builds the capacity of individuals and researcher-stakeholder teams to collectively and proactively navigate complex socio-economic and environmental change. She develops and applies adaptive learning approaches and brokers research co-production with researchers, stakeholders and consultants using tools such as Theory of Change, Monitoring and Evaluation frameworks and visual elicitation methods. She brings a strong interdisciplinary perspective to her work from her own background in both biophysical and social science.
Assoc. Prof Rietie Venter
- Associate Professor Rietie Venter currently leads the Antimicrobial Resistance group in Clinical and Health Sciences at UniSA. Her research focuses on antimicrobial resistance in microbes that is one of the most serious threats in healthcare today. Her group works on projects targeted at understanding and preventing the development and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance. She is also heading an antimicrobial drug discovery program aimed at finding new therapeutics against drug resistant pathogens. Rietie obtained her BSc(Hons) and Master’s degrees with distinction from the University of the Free State in South Africa before securing a scholarship to do a PhD in the UK. After completing her PhD at the University of Leeds in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales, she moved to Cambridge, where she spent twelve years doing research on multidrug transporters, first as a post-doc and later running her own research group as a Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellow in the Department of Pharmacology. Not content with moving continents once in a lifetime, she left the ancient buildings and immaculate college lawns of Cambridge for sun and sea in Australia after sixteen years in the UK.
This CSIRO-led project is being delivered in partnership with the Fijian government, University of Technology Sydney, University of South Australia, Fiji National University and Xing Diagnostics.