Research themes

Host-parasite interactions

Australia has one of the world highest extinction rates, with 54 vertebrate species becoming extinct over the past 200 years. In today’s changing world, the increase in emergence of disease represents a significant, but largely unrecognised threat to global extinction rates. We are investigating changes to host-parasite interactions in Australian wildlife. We study wildlife that have adapted to urban environments or undergoing conservation management. These studies aid wildlife health and conservation. We are also examining reverse zoonoses and consequences to pathogen cycling and public health.

Flying foxes Pteropus species
Tasmanian devils Sarcophilus harrissi
Brush-tailed rock wallabies Petrogale penicillata
Little Penguin Eudyptula minor
Australian sea lions Neophoca cinerea

Antimicrobial resistance in wildlife

The emergence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria is a major threat to public health. Increasing reports of antimicrobial resistance in widlife microbiomes has led to the recognition that resistance is not just an issue for human health, and that combating this threat requires a One Health approach. One Health recognises that interactions between people, domestic animals and wildlife are integral to to the spread of antimicrobial resistance.

We have little knowledge of the impact of colonisation of wildlife microbiomes by antimicrobial resistant bacteria to the health of Australian wildlife or their endemic microbiota. We are providing data that is integral for Australia's efforts in combatting antimicrobial resistance using a One Health framework. Our data is significant for wildlife conservation, antimicrobial stewardship, and environmental management.

Pathogen pollution in Antarctica

The ability to track microbial interactions in Antarctic ecosystems provides a tool for measuring impacts of introducing human-associated bacteria to the Antarctic environment. We are examining the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance gene cassettes from human sewage though the Antarctic environment by determining the distributions of integron associated antimicrobial resistance gene cassettes in sewage, sediment, ice and marine invertebrate species. By understanding the impacts of sewage on Antarctic ecosystems we gain data on knowledge on the potential distribution of introduced microorganisms in the Antarctic environment. This project is addressing if Antarctic ecosystem is more vulnerable to human impacts than other regions. This study is of particular relevance for determining disease risks associated with introduction of bacteria to Antarctica.

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