We seek expressions of interest from prospective students to undertake a PhD in the research area: modelling the transmission of malaria parasites to inform control and elimination. Human malaria is caused by four species of the Plasmodium parasite; however, the majority of mathematical models of malaria focus on the transmission of just one species – Plasmodium falciparum. Few models have investigated the transmission dynamics of P. vivax in human populations or have considered the co-circulation of P. falciparum and P. vivax, which has been hypothesised to interact in a range of ways, including treatment entanglement, masking, and triggering of P. vivax by P. falciparum infection. Furthermore, vivax malaria is more complex than P. Falciparum due to dormant liver parasites that cause relapses of malaria months, or sometimes years, after the initial infectious bite. The proposed research project will develop a multi-species transmission model of P. falciparum and P. vivax, and evaluate strategies for their control and elimination, including a cost-effectiveness analysis. The PhD will be conducted through the University of Melbourne and the successful candidate will be based in the Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics in the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health (MSPGH). The candidate will be supported within the broad research environment of the Australian Centre of Research Excellence in Malaria Elimination (ACREME), and the Modelling and Simulation Unit at MSPGH. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in applied mathematics and an aptitude for interdisciplinary research. Experience in infectious disease modelling and/or cost effective analyses is preferred, but not essential. Please contact Dr Rebecca Chisholm (chisholm.r@unimelb.edu.au) or Dr Angela Devine (angela.devine@unimelb.edu.au) for more details.

The supervisors would support the prospective candidate’s application for a Graduate Research Scholarship, to commence early to mid-2022. This scheme supports students for a period of up to 3.5 years, with a stipend of approximately AUD $31,200 p.a. which is not subject to income tax. See https://scholarships.unimelb.edu.au/awards/graduate-research-scholarships for more details. There are also opportunities for further paid teaching work and a top up scholarship to supplement this income. This project is only open to Australian citizens.

Applications close: October 10 2021.

This project involves the development and application of mathematical or computer simulation models to understanding one of a range of infectious disease scenarios, including:

• The effect of host evolution on the potential for infectious disease emergence

• The impact of population structure and human mobility on infectious disease dynamics

• Understanding the immune response to skin pathogens in remote Australian indigenous communities

• The emergence of drug resistance

Types of models that may be appropriate include ODE/PDE models, stochastic models, agent-based modes, invasion analysis.

Projects may involve one or more of the following: design, implementation, analytical and/or numerical analysis, integration of data, methods to learn model parameters from data.

Students may wish to propose other areas in mathematical biology in which to conduct a project.