Background
Helen is an epidemiologist and public health practitioner, recently moved to Burnet from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. She has extensive research experience related to the programmatic management and epidemiology of tuberculosis (TB), and specifically drug-resistant (DR) TB.
Helen’s research interests are broad and range from the routine monitoring and evaluation of TB and DR-TB programmes, through assessing the feasibility and impact of new diagnostics for TB, to the genomic epidemiology of TB and DR-TB.
Further interests include: infection control strategies, cost analyses of different approaches for DR-TB treatment and the application of a human rights approach to improving the effectiveness of, and access to, TB treatment.
At Burnet, Helen is expanding her work in TB to include better ways to screen for TB among pregnant people, with projects in the Asia Pacific region and in South Africa. She is also developing a programme of work around the prevention of TB transmission and other airborne diseases in indoor spaces. Overall, a key aim of Helen’s research work has been and continues to be direct translation of research findings into policy and practice.
Qualifications
- PhD (University of Melbourne, 2006).
- MPH (University of Melbourne, 1998).
- BSc (University of Melbourne, 1988).
Appointments
- Working Group Head, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
- Honorary Professor, Division of Medical Microbiology and the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
- Contributing Investigator, Wellcome Centre for Infectious Disease Research, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
Awards
- The 2015 Union Scientific Prize for sustained contributions to TB research, from The International Union Against TB and Lung Disease.
- The Premier’s Award for Medical Research 2007 (Victoria, Australia).