Associate Professor Suman Majumdar

Associate Professor Suman Majumdar is Chief Health Officer of COVID & Health Emergencies, a Deputy Program Director (Health Security and Know-C19) and a Principal Research Fellow at Burnet Institute. An infectious diseases physician, public health practitioner and researcher, he has extensive experience in global health and in clinical care and public health in Australia. He has appointments at the Alfred Hospital, Epworth HealthCare and Monash University and served in several leadership roles during the COVID-19 pandemic, including as Deputy Chief Health Officer in the Victorian Department of Health.

Suman aims to contribute to health equity by working in partnership with people, communities, organisations and Governments, integrating care delivery, public health and research. Suman has expertise in infectious diseases and global health security and a focus in the technical areas of tuberculosis and drug-resistance, COVID-19, anti-microbial resistance, and health systems strengthening. He has skills in research (operational and implementation), program design and evaluation, program management and technical direction, training and capacity building and leadership, policy and advocacy. He has experience in in multiple health system contexts, including in Australian urban, rural, tropical medicine and Indigenous health and internationally in Asia, the Pacific, Africa, Central America and Central Asia. Suman co-leads a multidisciplinary and highly collaborative group that aims to generate knowledge and develop solutions to respond to multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and ultimately, towards ending TB with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region.

Through strong collaboration with Australian and global partners, in particular in PNG, the group has supported the implementation of effective models of care for TB whilst strengthening health systems and building capacity to conduct operational research.

• 2013: FRACP, Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (Infectious Diseases)
• 2010: MRCP (UK), Member of the Royal College of Physicians, London
• 2007: MPH&TM, Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, James Cook University, Australia
• 2004: Bachelor of Medicine, University of Newcastle, Australia

• 2022 – ongoing: Adjunct Associate Professor (Research), Planetary Health, School of Public Health and Preventative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University
• 2021 – ongoing: Principal Research Fellow, Burnet Institute
• 2021 – ongoing: Editorial Board, PLOS Global Public Health (Academic Editor)
• 2020 – ongoing: Senior Advisor & Executive officer, Know-C19 Strategic Flagship Program, Burnet Institute
• 2020: Member, Local Public Health Unit Expert Advisory Committee, Department of Health and Human Services, Victorian Government
• 2020 – ongoing: Steering Committee, Australasian Clinical Tuberculosis Network, ACT-Net
• 2019 – ongoing: Associate Editor, Public Health Action; 2017- ongoing
• Deputy Program Director (Health Security), Burnet Institute
• 2017- ongoing: Working group Head, Burnet Institute
• 2014-2018: Member of National Emergency Response Taskforce for M/XDR-TB, Papua New Guinea National Department of Health
• 2014-2018: Member, TB Technical Working Group, National Department of Health. Papua New Guinea
• 2014-2018, Honorary Consultant, Department of Infectious Diseases, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
• 2014-2021 Adjunct Senior Lecturer in the Department of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Australia
• 2014-2020, Senior Fellow, Burnet Institute

• 2020: National Health and Medical Research Council Postgraduate Scholarship
• 2020: Royal Australian College of Physicians NHMRC Awards for Excellence, Woolcock Scholarship
• 2019: Gust-McKenzie Medal for an outstanding mid-career staff member in recognition of excellence in research and/or public health, Burnet Institute
• 2015: Outstanding Early Career Alumni, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Science, James Cook University
• 2014: Young Physician Leaders Programme, Interacademy Medical Panel
• 2013: ASID International travel award, Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases
• 2004: UMAP Scholarship, University mobility in Asia and the Pacific
• 1998: Dean’s Commendation for High Achievement, University of Queensland

2022 (1)

• COVID-19 and its impacts on primary health services and public health infectious disease programs in Papua New Guinea. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Newland J, Neuendorf N, , Vallely L, Mek A, Vengiau G, Farquhar R, Boli-Neo R, Seymour M, Wratten M, Aeno H, Nake Trumb R, Kerry Z, Huang KL, Maalsen A, Homer C, Robinson L, Majumdar S, Vallely A, Laman M, Pomat W, Kelly-Hanku A. WHO Papua New Guinea Commisioned Report. December, 2022.

2021 (10)

• COVID-19 Global Trends and Analyses Volume 1:- Global Epidemiology and Trends - Technical Snapshots. (Public Health Report July Update) Toole M, Umali S, Majumdar S. Know-C19 Burnet Institute. August, 2021.

• COVID-19 Global Trends and Analyses Volume 2:- Vaccine and Viral Variants Update. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Toole M, Drummer H, Tachedjian G, Umali S, Majumdar S. Know-C19 Public Health Report. July, 2021.

• COVID-19 Global Trends and Analyses Volume 1:- Global Epidemiology and Trends - Research Snapshots. (Public Health Report) Toole M, Umali S, van Gemert-Doyle , Majumdar S. Know-C19 Public Health Report. July, 2021. 

• COVID-19 Global Trends and Analyses, Volume 2: Vaccines and Viral Variants Update June (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Toole M, Drummer H, Tachedjian G, Umali S, Majumdar S. Know-C19 Public Health Report. July, 2021. 

• COVID-19 Global Trends and Analyses Volume 2:- Vaccine and Viral Variants Update. May. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Toole M, Drummer H, Tachedjian G, Umali S, Majumdar S. Know-C19 Burnet Institute. May, 2021.

• COVID-19 Global Trends and Analyses Volume 1:- Global Epidemiology and Trends - Science Snapshots. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Toole M, Umali S, van Gemert-Doyle , Majumdar S. Know-C19 Burnet Institute. May, 2021. 

• COVID-19 Global Trends and Analyses Volume 1:- Global Epidemiology and Trends - Global Technical. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Toole M, Umali S, van Gemert-Doyle , Majumdar S. Know-C19 Burnet Institute. April, 2021. 

• COVID-19 Global Trends and Analyses Volume 2:- Vaccine and Viral Variants Update. April. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Toole M, Drummer H, Tachedjian G, Umali S, Majumdar S. Know-C19 Burnet Institute. April, 2021.

• COVID-19 Global Trends and Analyses Volume 2:- Vaccine and Viral Variants Update - COVID-19 Global Snapshots. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Toole M, Drummer H, Tachedjian G, Umali S, Majumdar S. Know-C19 Burnet Institute. March, 2021.

• COVID-19 Global Trends and Analyses Volume 1:- Global Epidemiology and Trends. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Toole M, Umali S, Majumdar S, Robinson L, Menon V. Know-C19 Burnet Institute. March, 2021. 

2020 (3)

• Covid-19 Global Trends and Analysis - Global Epidemiology and Global Snapshots. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Toole M, Homer C, Umali S, Majumdar S. Know-C19 Burnet Institute. December, 2020.

• Covid-19 Global Trends and Analysis - Volume 2: SARS-CoV-2 viral load dynamics and infectivity. Tachedjian G, Hearps A, Majumdar S, Toole M, Umali S. Know-C19 Burnet Institute. December, 2020.

• The most promising vaccines for COVID-19. (Updated 17.6.2020) Cunningham A, Chappell K, Copolov D, Crabb B, Cuthbertson A, Doherty P, Drummer H, Foley C, Godfrey D, Halton J, Kelleher A , Majumdar S, McDonald C, Munro T, Purcell D, Young P. Rapid Research Information Forum - Australian Academy of Sciences. May, 2020.