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  5. Joseph (Joe) Doyle
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Professor Joseph (Joe) Doyle

Deputy Program Director, Disease Elimination; Co-Head, Infectious Diseases Clinical Research; President, Hepatitis Australia; NHMRC Clinical Research Fellow

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joseph.doyle@burnet.edu.au
Professor Joseph (Joe) Doyle

Background

Professor Doyle is a clinician-researcher and dual-trained infectious diseases and public health physician. He is an infectious and communicable diseases expert with particular interest in the epidemiology, management and prevention of blood borne viruses (HIV, hepatitis C and hepatitis B).

Professor Doyle specialised in infectious diseases at The Alfred where he still works clinically as a consultant physician. He completed his MPH at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and his public health fellowship was undertaken at the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory and Burnet Institute. His PhD at Monash School of Population Health was focused on the effectiveness of early hepatitis C treatment.

Professor Doyle is President-elect of the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases. He is currently a Professor in the Department of Infectious Diseases at The Alfred and Monash University, and is clinical lead for Alfred Health Population Health Partnership. He is jointly appointed as Deputy Director of Disease Elimination Program and Head of Infectious Diseases Clinical Research at Burnet Institute.

Qualifications

  • 2015: PhD, Monash University
  • 2014: FAFPHM, Fellow of Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine, Australia
  • 2011: FRACP in Infectious Diseases, Fellow of Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Australia
  • 2006: MPH, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom
  • 2005: BA (Hons), Department of Political Science, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  • 2002: MBBS, University of Melbourne, Australia

Appointments

  • 2024–present: President, Hepatitis Australia
  • Co-Head, Infectious Diseases Clinical Research, Burnet Institute
  • Deputy Program Director, Disease Elimination, Burnet Institute
  • Co-Head, Viral Hepatitis Elimination, Burnet Institute
  • NHMRC Clinical Research Fellow, Monash University
  • Member, Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee
  • Senior Research Fellow, Department of Infectious Diseases, Monash University
  • Honorary Research Fellow, Department of Gastroenterology, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne
  • Adjunct Senior Lecturer, School of Population Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University
  • Consultant Infectious Diseases Physician, The Alfred Hospital, Victoria, Australia

Awards

  • 2017: Burnet Institute Gust-McKenzie Medal
  • 2014: NHMRC Early Career Fellowship
  • 2011: NHMRC Postgraduate Scholarship

Positions

  • 2015-2016: Postdoctoral Fellowship, Department of Gastroenterology, St Vincent’s Hospital and University of Melbourne
  • 2011-2014: PhD Candidate, Burnet Institute, Centre for Population Health
  • 2008-2011: Infectious Diseases Fellowship undertaken at the Royal Melbourne, Alfred and St Vincent’s Hospitals, and the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Victoria, Australia

Reports and other work

  • A systematic review of immediate HCV RNA testing following HCV Antibody compared with HCV RNA testing at time of assessment for HCV therapy.

    The World Health organization estimates that between 130 and 150 million people are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) worldwide (World Health Organisation, 2012, Woodall et al., 1994). People with untreated HCV are at increased risk of liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver-related mortality (Villano et al., 1997). HCV RNA testing, which generally follows a positive anti-HCV antibody test in a clinical setting, allows the detection of current HCV infection, thus indicating individuals for treatment and care options (Rongey et al., 2009, Scott et al., 2006, Piasecki et al., 2004). This review investigates the optimal time at which to perform HCV RNA tests in order to establish the presence of current infection, and to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with HCV infection.

    A systematic review of immediate HCV RNA testing following HCV Antibody compared with HCV RNA testing at time of assessment for HCV therapy.

  • Enhancing Hepatitis C Care in Community Pharmacies in Australia: A national roundtable summary report

    The objective of the roundtable was to identify key barriers and enablers to enhancing hepatitis C care in Australian community pharmacies with a view to guide the development of a hepatitis C program of care in pharmacies which could be implemented nationally.

    Enhancing Hepatitis C Care in Community Pharmacies in Australia: A national roundtable summary report

  • A systematic review of the effectiveness of antiviral treatment compared with no treatment for chronic HCV infection.

    Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection affects more than 3% of the global population and poses a high economic burden (El Khoury et al., 2012, Georgel et al., 2010). Between 130 and 150 million people are chronically infected with hepatitis C, and it is a major cause of hepatocellular carcinoma and liver cirrhosis (Georgel et al., 2010, Coffin et al., 2012). Approved treatments include interferon-alpha (IFN), ribavirin (RBV), and HCV NS3 protease inhibitors. Other classes of agents including additional interferons and direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) have been studied for effectiveness and tolerability. The purpose of this rapid review is to assess the effectiveness of HCV anti-viral treatment (IFN, PEG-IFN, RBV) in terms of treatment response, adverse events, quality of life, morbidity, and mortality.

    A systematic review of the effectiveness of antiviral treatment compared with no treatment for chronic HCV infection.

  • 2019: Australia’s progress towards hepatitis C elimination annual report

    Hepatitis C poses a significant public health concern in Australia, with over 170,000 individuals estimated to be living with chronic hepatitis C infection as of the beginning of 2017. Until the availability of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for all Medicare-eligible Australians with hepatitis C infection on March 1st, 2016, there was a growing population of individuals living with hepatitis C. This trend was accompanied by an increasing burden of liver disease, rising rates of liver cancer, and premature deaths attributed to long-term hepatitis C infection.

    2019: Australia’s progress towards hepatitis C elimination annual report

  • 2024: Australia’s progress towards hepatitis C elimination annual report

    2024: Australia’s progress towards hepatitis C elimination annual report

Burnet publications

21 Sep 2023

Socioeconomic consequences of the COVID‐19 pandemic for people who use drugs

Australian Journal of Social Issues

Jospeph Doyle, Shelley Walker, Paul Dietze, Peter Higgs, Bernadette Ward, Mark Stoové, Kasun Rathnayake, Margaret Hellard, Lisa Maher, Shelley Walker

Open access
21 Sep 2023

Socioeconomic consequences of the COVID‐19 pandemic for people who use drugs

Australian Journal of Social Issues

Jospeph Doyle, Shelley Walker, Paul Dietze, Peter Higgs, Bernadette Ward, Mark Stoové, Kasun Rathnayake, Margaret Hellard, Lisa Maher, Shelley Walker

Open access

Current projects

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Methamphetamine and injecting drug use cohort studies: MIXMAX
Open to students

Methamphetamine and injecting drug use cohort studies: MIXMAX

MIXMAX is the largest active cohort study of people who use drugs in Australia. It combines 2 pre-existing studies: SuperMIX and VMAX.

Eliminating hepatitis C infection in Australia through harm reduction, education and treatment scale up
Open to students

Eliminating hepatitis C infection in Australia through harm reduction, education and treatment scale up

The project will aim to explore improved harm reduction strategies, workforce development and health service delivery alongside supports needed for prescribers to start treatment.

Elimination of hepatitis C through rapid testing and treatment
Open to students

Elimination of hepatitis C through rapid testing and treatment

The project will aim to explore improved harm reduction strategies, workforce development, health service delivery and support for prescribers to start treatment.

View 8 more

Past projects

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PharmEC REACH study: reaching methadone users attending community pharmacies with HCV

PharmEC REACH study: reaching methadone users attending community pharmacies with HCV

This project assesses the effectiveness, feasibility and cost-effectiveness of nurse-led testing and treatment of hepatitis C in community pharmacies for people on opiate substitution therapy.

CHINA-B study: Cancer information compared to Hepatitis B information to INcreAse hepatitis B testing in Melbourne’s Chinese community

CHINA-B study: Cancer information compared to Hepatitis B information to INcreAse hepatitis B testing in Melbourne’s Chinese community

This pilot and feasibility study aimed to increase hepatitis B testing in Melbourne’s Chinese community.

The Optimise Study: Optimising Isolation, Quarantine and Distancing for COVID-19

The Optimise Study: Optimising Isolation, Quarantine and Distancing for COVID-19

This project aims to find out how Victorians are experiencing COVID-19 and responding to the measures introduced to stop the spread of the virus.

View 5 more

News and features

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Hepatitis C treatment in pharmacies could boost diagnosis and cure rates

Hepatitis C treatment in pharmacies could boost diagnosis and cure rates

Burnext accelerator program recipients

Burnext accelerator program recipients

NHMRC funding boost for hepatitis C elimination

NHMRC funding boost for hepatitis C elimination

Burnet will use the AUD$5 million to identify new ways of engaging the estimated 70,000 Australians living with Hepatitis C virus to receive care.

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