Background

My work involves analyses of the microbiome within the female reproductive tract and the metabolites that they produce, with respect to their impact on sexually transmitted infections. I am also working toward the identification and characterisation of novel retroviruses in Australian mammals.

PhD Thesis
My thesis examined the antiviral defenses of bats, which are a significant source of viruses deadly to humans, and their history of infection with retroviruses. It identifies that bats have been host to a highly diverse range of retroviruses and finds that these viruses have been transmitted to other mammals. Bats are revealed to have unique features in their antiviral immune system that may give them an enhanced ability to control viral infections. This research was undertaken within the Retroviral Biology and Antivirals Research Laboratory, led by Assoc. Prof. Gilda Tachedjian.

Qualifications

• 2016: PhD in Molecular Microbiology, Monash University, Australia
• 2010: BScAdv(Hons), Monash University, Australia

Awards

• 2016: Harold Mitchell Foundation Travel Fellowship
• 2011: Ed Westaway Prize
• 2010: Monash Vice Chancellor’s Honours-PhD Scholarship
• 2009: Solly Faine Prize

Projects (3)

Current (1)

• Intrinsic vaginal factors and their Impact on HIV and other sexually transmitted infections
  This study seeks to determine the impact of vaginal microbiota metabolites on immune mediators and how they influence infection with HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

Past (2)

• Characterisation of retroviruses in a major viral reservoir
  To characterise the retroviral sequences found in the transcriptome of the bat.
• Discovery of intrinsic antiviral factors in a major viral reservoir
  Identify intrinsic antiviral factors in the Australian fruit bat to determine if they block human viral pathogens.

Publications (3)

2016 (1)

• Increasing Prevalence of Synonymous Mutations K65K and K66K in HIV-1 subtype B reverse transcriptase.
  Telwatte S, Brumme CJ, Hearps AC, Latham CF, Hayward JA, Sonza S, Sluis-Cremer N, Harrigan PR, Tachedjian G
  AIDS. 2016 Sep; 30(18):2787-2793

2015 (1)

• Bats and Reverse Transcribing RNA and DNA Viruses (Book Chapter)
  Tachedjian G, Hayward JA, Cui J
  in Bats and Viruses: A New Frontier of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Editors LF Wang and C Cowled, Published by Wiley. 2015 Jul; Chapter 7 :177-202

2013 (1)

• Identification of diverse full-length endogenous betaretroviruses in megabats and microbats.
  Hayward JA, Tachedjian M, Cui J, Field H, Holmes EC, Wang LF, Tachedjian G
  Retrovirology. 2013 Mar; 10(1):35

News Articles (2)

2015 (1)

• Burnet Travel Awards

2012 (1)

• Microbicides: enabling women to protect themselves against HIV