Molecular Microbiology and Reproductive Health Research Group

• 
  Honorary, Obstetrics and Gynaecology Royal Women's Hospital/Mercy
  Professor Suzanne M. Garland

  suzanneg@unimelb.edu.au

  View researcher's webpage

  +61 3 8345 3670

Research Overview

The Molecular Microbiology and Reproductive Health research group encompasses:

• The Women’s and Children’s Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
• The Centre for Women's Infectious Diseases at the Royal Women’s Hospital
• The Molecular Microbiology Group at Murdoch Children's Research Institute.

The group conducts:

• Clinical  and epidemiological research
• Cutting edge molecular diagnostics for detection of infections in obstetrics, paediatrics, gynaecology, sexual and reproductive health and neonatology
• Provides resources for clinical microbiology, infectious disease and infection control

Key research areas of focus include the following, with emphasis on providing evidence for changes that may translate into clinical practice, affecting patient health:

• Molecular diagnostics
• Type surveillance for HPV (particularly vaccine impact and effectiveness) and chlamydia
• HPV-related cancer research
• Sexual and reproductive health
• Analysis of the microbiome in health and disease
• The use of probiotics in infants for the prevention of illness
• Mother-to-baby infections,.

In December 2008, the group celebrated its move to Bio21 Institute, part of the University of Melbourne, and situated right next door to the new Royal Women's Hospital and a 10 minute walk from Royal Children’s Hospital. The centre is the first clinic-based research group to be centred in Bio21 Institute with affiliations to University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine Dentistry and Health Sciences and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Staff

• Prof Suzanne Garland, Director
• Prof Sepehr Tabrizi, Senior Research Scientist, Molecular Biologist
• Dr Gerald Murray, Senior Research Scientist, Microbiologist
• Dr Alyssa Cornall, Research Officer, Molecular Biologist
• Dr Dorothy Machalek, Research Officer, Epidemiologist
• Dr Asvini Subasinghe, Research Officer, Public Health
• Dr Monica Molano-Luque, Research Officer, Molecular Biologist
• Dr Jennifer Danielewski, Research Officer, Molecular Biologist
• Ms Erica Plummer, Bioinformatician
• Ms Hannah Shilling, Research Assistant
• Ms Stephanie Atchison, Research Assistant
• Ms Jenny Su, Research Assistant
• Prisha Balgovind
• Kaveesha Bodiyabadu

Collaborators

1. The Kirby Institute at the University of New South Wales
2. Cancer Research Division at Cancer Council New South Wales
3. School of Population and Global Health at The University of Melbourne University
4. Melbourne Sexual Health Centre Alfred Health
5. National HPV Vaccination Register, Victoria Cytology Service
6. Family Planning Victoria and New South Wales
7. The University of Sydney Department of Paediatrics and Child Health
8. SpeeDx Pty Ltd, Sydney

Funding

The research activities of the group are funded by a variety of sources including Commonwealth Department of Health, National Health & Medical Research Council, Cancer Council Victoria, philanthropic and industry funding.