In 2013 I was awarded a prestigious NHMRC CJ Martin Early Career Fellowship to study severe influenza infections. The overseas portion of this work was performed in the Netherlands at the world-renowned Erasmus Medical Centre. At the end of 2015, I relocated to The University of Queensland to complete the remaining portion of my CJ Martin fellowship on influenza virus pathogenesis.
My research on influenza and COVID-19 falls into the broader body of research investigating the role of host susceptibility factors (e.g. age, obesity, diabetes, chronic inflammation) on viral disease, pandemic preparedness and anti-viral immunity.
My work plays an important role in shaping public policy, with my work on pandemic preparedness being featured on Prevention Web (the UN’s cite for disaster risk reduction). Similarly, my work on the role of children in SARS-CoV-2 transmission has been picked up by numerous media outlets (>100 Altmetric Score) and helped influence policy regarding reopening schools during the COVID-19 outbreak (data used by Victorian and UK governments).
Consistent with my strong interest in public health, I participated as a member of the Group of Eight University panel advising the Australian government on their response to COVID-19. I also co-wrote the Rapid Research Information Forum “What are the determinants of morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19 and are there differences between sexes?” for the Australian Academy of Science and the Australian Commonwealth Government. The impact of my work in pandemic preparedness is further reflected by my work being cited >550 times in 2020 alone.