Dr Shazia Ruybal

Dr Shazia Ruybal-Pesántez is a Postdoctoral Scientist in the Vector-Borne Diseases and Tropical Public Health Group at Burnet Institute and the Population Health and Immunity Division at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research.

After graduating in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Colorado College in Colorado, USA, she moved to New York City and joined Professor Karen Day's research group at the New York University. She then moved with the research group to University of Melbourne in 2014 where she was awarded a Melbourne International Engagement Award to pursue her PhD in Genetic Epidemiology. Her PhD research examined the role that P. falciparum genetic diversity plays in sustaining the reservoir of infection in asymptomatic carriers in Ghana to better inform malaria control efforts.

She completed her PhD in 2018 and has since joined Associate Professor Leanne Robinson's groups at Burnet Institute and Walter and Eliza Hall Institute. In her current role, she is involved in the design and implementation of field epidemiology studies and clinical trials in the Asia-Pacific region. She works closely with endemic country partners to support in-country capacity building and enhance malaria surveillance, control and elimination strategies.

As a genomic epidemiologist with expertise in population genetics/genomics, epidemiology, and bioinformatics, she will combine these approaches to better understand malaria infection dynamics and host-parasite factors that contribute to sustaining malaria transmission despite intensified control efforts in these areas.

• 2018: PhD, University of Melbourne, Australia
• 2012: BA, Colorado College, USA

• 2019: Kellaway Excellence Award in Education, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute
• 2019: Seed Grant, Australian Centre for Research Excellence in Malaria Elimination
• 2018: Three Minute Thesis Award 1st Place, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne
• 2018: Travel Bursary, Wellcome Genome Campus
• 2018: Science Abroad Traveling Scholarship, University of Melbourne
• 2017: JD Smyth Postgraduate Student Award, Australian Society for Parasitology
• 2017: Dame Margaret Blackwood Soroptimist Scholarship, University of Melbourne
• 2016: European Innovation Academy Scholarship, University of Melbourne
• 2014: Postgraduate Student Travel Award, Bio21 Institute of Molecular Science and Biotechnology, University of Melbourne
• 2014 – 2018: Melbourne International Fee Remission Scholarship
• 2014 – 2018: Melbourne International Engagement Award
• 2012: Venture Grant, Colorado College
• 2011: Jason Wilkes Memorial Prize in Biology, Colorado College
• 2008 – 2012: Presidential Scholarship, Colorado College

• 2019 – Present: Postdoctoral Scientist, Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Australia
• 2018 – 2019: Research Fellow, Bio21 Institute of Molecular Science and Technology/University of Melbourne, Australia
• 2012 – 2014: Research Assistant, Division of Medical Parasitology, New York University School of Medicine, USA
• 2011: Research Assistant, New York Blood Center Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, USA