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Director's message
We thank everyone who contributed to our recent external Centre review, which happens every 5 years. Overall, the feedback received was very positive and reviewers were deeply impressed by the strong sense of community and evidence of fruitful collaboration. There are things we can improve on, particularly to increase our collective visibility and profile. We will be working through the key recommendations in the coming months and will keep you informed of progress. The launch of the new Sydney Profiles system on 21 October is an important opportunity to ensure that your Sydney ID affiliation is prominent, growing external and internal awareness of the growing infection-focused research momentum within the University.
Our annual EMCR retreat was held in August in the stunning Blue Mountains, focussing on "Navigating Difficult Conversations". The interactive program, delivered by the Centre for Coaching in Organisations, was designed to equip our EMCR's with essential skills for engaging in productive and impactful conversations, even in challenging situations. Beyond the workshops, the retreat offered rich opportunities for connection and camaraderie. From a scenic 3km hike between Govetts Leap and Evan’s Lookout to a lively Mexican Fiesta night, complete with fiercely competitive trivia rounds, the atmosphere was one of warmth, laughter, and genuine bonding. These shared experiences are more than just moments of fun; they are foundational in building a resilient, collaborative research community where people feel supported and inspired.
We look forward to welcoming you at our upcoming annual colloquium on Thursday, 13 November at the Holme Building. This year’s program will spotlight antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and novel therapies with the keynote presentation by Professor Rob Edwards, Flinders University, titled " Phage genomics and the promise of synthetic biology". We will also showcase innovative research by a selection of our EMCRs working in infectious diseases. We’re also proud to award the inaugural Sorrell-Gilbert prize for excellence in infectious diseases, celebrating outstanding research publications by EMCRs within Sydney ID. Register now>>
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Vale Professors David Issacs and Jim Manos
We are deeply saddened by the passing of two infectious diseases colleagues.
David was a towering figure in paediatrics and infectious diseases in Australasia and around the world. He was a tireless advocate for the rights and wellbeing of children, a fierce defender of ethical medical practice and a generous mentor to many across the infectious diseases field. Beyond his extraordinary clinical and academic contributions, David was known for his humanity, humility and unwavering moral compass. He inspired generations of infectious diseases clinicians to speak up, stand tall and centre compassion in everything we do. His voice, vision and values will continue to guide us.
Jim was a valued contributor who advanced the power of industry-academia partnerships. He will be remembered for his outstanding contributions to his field. Jim's legacy will live on through the research he has championed and to the future generations he has, and will continue to inspire.
Our thoughts remain with their family, friends, colleagues, and all those whose lives they touched.
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- Congratulations to Professor Eddie Holmes (School of Medical Sciences) on receiving the GSK Award for Research Excellence for his pioneering use of metatranscriptomics and artificial intelligence (AI) to identify viruses, improve diagnostics and better understand how infectious disease epidemics emerge. The GSK Award for Research Excellence is one of the most prestigious awards available to the Australian medical research community. It has been awarded since 1980 to recognise outstanding achievements in medical research and facilitates career development with potential importance to human health and Australian research. The award was announced and presented at the Australian Academy of Science's Science at the Shine Dome. Read more >>.
- Associate Professor Meru Sheel (School of Public Health) was recently profiled by The Lancet Infectious Diseases and is a testament to her remarkable contributions and the impact of her journey, driven by a deep commitment to equity and innovative solutions.
- From milking buffaloes in rural India to developing a global veterinary epidemiology career, Associate Professor Navneet Dhand's (Sydney School of Veterinary Science) career journey was one he could never have imagined as a child. Vet Record, a prestigious journal of the British Veterinary Association, highlighted his remarkable journey from rural India to international recognition. Being featured in Vet Record is a tremendous honour that highlights how diverse experiences can shape veterinary science. Navneet hopes that his story will inspire others to see how their unique backgrounds can contribute to the profession.
GRANT SUCCESS
A selection of recent grant successes from our members includes:
- Jen Kok and Rebecca Rockett (School of Medical Sciences) who are leading the newly awarded NSW Health Prevention Research Support Program (PRSP) Stream 2 Infectious disease capability, preparedness and response grant. The $4million grant will focus on respiratory virus surveillance to improve New South Wales resilience to emerging epidemics. The award recognises the valuable partnership that Sydney ID has established with CIDM-PH and the Western Sydney Local Health District over many years to enhance NSW pandemic preparedness.
- Ignition grant: Carl Suster (School of Medical Sciences) Accelerating tuberculosis drug resistance discovery with a privacy-preserving distributed artificial intelligence model
- CRC-P funding: Kate Worthing (Sydney School of Veterinary Sciences)
Automated One Health diagnostic solutions: Advancing Australian biotech ($2,796,000) - NHMRC International Collaborations grant: Sarah Bernays (School of Public Health) Rehabilitation with embedded mental health and diabetes services to address multiple long-term conditions among people with tuberculosis (RESTORE)
- MRFF Genomics Health Futures grant: Vitali Sintchenko (School of Medical Sciences) A GIFT (Genomics for Infection Prevention and Therapy) to the Neighbourhood: Metagenomics enabled tracking, treatment and prevention of priority infections in culturally diverse communities
- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant: Phoebe Williams (School of Public Health) WGS of gram-negative invasive isolates from infants in NeoSEAP Consortium Studies
- MRFF Genomics Health Futures grant: Vitali Sintchenko (School of Medical Sciences) The Australian Pathogen Genomics Program (AusPathoGen)
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- At Sydney ID, we believe that wellbeing starts with belonging and it extends to our families, our culture and our collective spirit. Our recent "Bring your family to work" day was a vibrant celebration of connection, and we were honoured to partner with the Baludarri Precinct for the University of Sydney wellness week initiative.
"At Westmead Family Day, we saw how working together can uplift not just our teams, but our wellbeing. When we collaborate with care, we create spaces where people feel supported, connected, and empowered to thrive- at work and beyond" - Professor Ben Marais, Director
- Well done to Jan-Willem Alffenaar & Sophie Stocker (Sydney Pharmacy School) who were part of the organising committee for the recent 23rd International Congress of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring & Clinical Toxicology. The conference held in Singapore in September was a huge success.
- Last month we welcomed Professor Dan Barouch from Harvard Medical School to our Distinguished Lecture Series to present on "Correlates of protection for respiratory virus vaccines". Professor Barouch is a leading immunologist and is internationally recognised for developing novel vaccines and therapeutics, including pivotal contributions to the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.
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PUBLICATIONSHave you had a publication recently? Send it to us so we can share the great work being done by our members. A selection of recent publications from our members include: - Nicholas Wood, Kristine Macartney. The Conversation. Babies can get hepatitis B at birth. Here's why Trump is wrong about delaying the vaccine.
- Kristine Macartney. The Conversation. New measles cases in Queensland show ‘herd immunity’ is more important than ever
- Caroline Ashley, Megan Steain, Timothy Newsome. Journal of Virology.
An RGD motif on SARS-CoV-2 Spike induces TGF-β signaling and downregulates interferon - Emily Maclean, Thu-An Nuhgyen, Greg Fox, Oxford Academic. Long-term Outcomes Among People With Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Vietnam: A Prospective Cohort Study.
- Matthew Berger, Cristyn Davies, Ramon Shaban. Elesiver Science Direct. Perceived safety, usability, and acceptability of microarray patches for vaccination among key populations: A mixed methods study
- Matthew Berger, Cristyn Davies. Elesiver Science Direct. Benefits and challenges of high-density microarray patches for vaccination among older adults: A qualitative study
- Matthew Berger, Cristyn Davies, Ramon Shaban. De Gruyter Brill.. Bot invasion: protecting the integrity of online surveys against spamming
- Nicholas Wood, Kristine MaCartney. The Conversation. Babies can get hepatitis B at birth. Here's why Trump is wrong about delaying the vaccine.
- Julianne Djordavic, Desmarini Desmarini. The Pulse. Clever combination shows promise for treating fungal infection
- Vitali Sintchenko, Eby Sim. Office for Health & Medical Research. New genomic technology to fast-track detection of Legionnaire’s disease
- Carl Suster, Rebecca Rockett, Vitali Sintchenko,Tania Sorrell, Mikhail Prokopenko. PLOS Computational biology. Multi-scale phylodynamic modelling of rapid punctuated pathogen evolution
- Katrina Bosward. FEMS Microbiology. Molecular detection and characterization of Coxiella burnetii in Australian native wildlife species.
- Katrina Bosward, Jacqueline Norris. MDPI Pathogens. Molecular Detection and Characterisation of Coxiella burnetii in Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) Urogenital Tract Swabs
- Mikaela Coleman, Ben Marais. BMJ Global Health. Taxes for tuberculosis: could tobacco and sugar tax revenue fund tuberculosis control interventions?
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