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Doctor Stefanie Vaccher

Senior Research Fellow – Immunisation and Health Systems Strengthening
Background

Stefanie is an epidemiologist currently working in Papua New Guinea. She has experience in managing outbreak responses, routine disease surveillance and disaster preparedness activities across the Asia-Pacific region. She supported Australia's COVID-19 response, joining NSW Health Public Health Response Branch during two outbreaks, and worked on the 2019 Pacific measles outbreak with the Fiji Centre for Disease Control.

Her PhD research was undertaken at the Kirby Institute, UNSW, where she investigated the implementation of and adherence to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a daily pill taken to prevent contracting HIV. Her research formed part of the submission to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to enable to the national subsidy of PrEP in Australia, reducing the price to the consumer from $1000/month to $40/month. She continued to be involved in the rollout of PrEP in Australia through the EPIC-NSW study which led to a 25% reduction in HIV diagnoses in NSW. Key research interests include: international public health, infectious disease epidemiology, and sexual and reproductive health. Publications – View here

Qualifications
  • 2019: PhD, UNSW, Australia
  • 2014: First Class Honours (Clinical Pharmacology), UNSW, Australia
  • 2014: Bachelor of Advanced Science (Pharmacology), UNSW, Australia
Awards
  • 2019: Best Oral Presentation – Theme C, Australasian HIV&AIDS Conference
  • 2018: Solomon Islands Fellowship Program, Santa Sabina Ex-Students Association
  • 2017: Best Poster Presentation – Theme C, Australasian HIV & AIDS Conference
  • 2017: Postgraduate Research Support Scheme
  • 2015–18: Australian Postgraduate Award
Positions
  • 2022: Senior Research Fellow, Immunisation and Health Systems Strengthening, Burnet Institute
  • 2021: Epidemiologist and Intelligence Advisor, Burnet Institute PNG