Background

Dr Suman Majumdar is a Deputy Program Director (Health Security and Know-C19), Co-head of the Tuberculosis Elimination and Implementation Science Working Group and a Principal Research Fellow at Burnet Institute. An infectious diseases physician, public health practitioner and researcher, he has over 10 years of 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.

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.

Appointments

• 2021 – ongoing: Principal Research Fellow, Burnet Institute
• 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
• 2014-2019: 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-ongoing 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

Positions

• 2020 (current): Medical Lead, COVID-19 and Infection Prevention and Control, Epworth HealthCare, Melbourne
• 2020: Principal Medical Advisor, Australian Government Department of Health. Lead, Strategic Intelligence & Planning, Victorian Aged Care Response Centre for COVID-19 (VACRC)
• 2017 (current): Deputy Program Director, Health Security, Burnet Institute
• 2017 (current): Working group head, tuberculosis elimination and implementation science, Burnet Institute
• 2013(current): Consultant Infectious Diseases Physician, Alfred Health, Melbourne
• 2013 (current): Consultant Infectious Diseases Physician, Epworth HealthCare, Melbourne
• 2014 – 2018: Infectious Diseases Physician, First Step Program, Melbourne
• 2013-2017: Infectious Diseases Specialist, Centre for International Health, Burnet Institute
• 2013 – 2015: Consultant infectious diseases physician, International Travel Health Clinic, Alfred Hospital Melbourne & Fairfield Travel Health, Royal Melbourne Hospital
• 2013: TB/HIV Program Implementer – Médecins Sans Frontières, Manson Unit, MSF UK
• 2011-2013: Clinical advisor and associate, Centre for International Health, Burnet Institute
• 2011-2013: Infectious diseases registrar, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Royal Darwin Hospital and The Alfred
• 2010: Drug-resistant TB doctor, Abkhazia/Georgia, Médecins Sans Frontières
• 2007-2009: Physician trainee; The Alfred Melbourne, Alice Springs Hospital, John Hunter Hospital Newcastle
• 2007: Project doctor, Timor-Leste, Australian Aid International
• 2006: Resident Medical Officer; Monash Medical Centre Melbourne
• 2005-2006: Intern, St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney
• 2000-2004: Laboratory assistant, Queensland Medical Laboratory, Brisbane

Qualifications

• 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

Awards

• 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

Projects (16)

Current (14)

• 

  ANCP – Kickstarting antimicrobial resistance responses in PNG (KICK AMR)

• 

  Australia Awards Fellowship: KICK-AMR to Address Antimicrobial Resistance

• 

  Building a Centre of Excellence for Research and Training for DR-TB in Daru, Papua New Guinea

• 

  Demonstrating the impact of next generation Cepheid tools in TB

• 

  ESCAPE-TB: Enhanced screening and preventive therapy for TB in Daru, PNG

• 

  Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies

• 

  PRIME-TB: Papua New Guinea & Republic of Indonesia for the Micro Elimination of TB

• 

  Rapid and accurate diagnosis of TB: New trial in PNG

• 

  RID-TB Patient Education and Counselling

• 

  RID-TB: Reducing the Impact of Drug-Resistant TB in Western Province, PNG

• 

  Tackling TB and HIV Together in Papua New Guinea

• 

  The EZARET Study: Exploring Zoonotic Association and Risks for Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis in PNG

• 

  The Optimise Study: Optimising Isolation, Quarantine and Distancing for COVID-19

• 

  The Social and Cultural Determinants of TB in Daru [SCuD-TB Daru – Study 1]

Publications (50)

2021 (14)

• COVID-19 Global Trends and Analyses Volume 2:- Vaccine and Viral Variants Update. (Public Health Report July Update)
  Toole M, Drummer H, Tachedjian G, Umali S, Majumdar S
  Know-C19. 2021 Aug; Update 1:1-23
• 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. 2021 Aug; Update 1:1-24
• 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. 2021 Jul; June(Update 1):1-24
• 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. 2021 Jul; June(Update 1):1-24
• Adapting active case-finding for TB during the COVID-19 pandemic in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
  Chan G, Triasih R, Nababan B, du Cros P, Wilks N, Main S, Huang GKL, Lin D, Graham SM, Majumdar SS, Bakker M, Khan A, Khan FA, Dwihardiani B
  Public Health Action. 2021 Jun; 11(2):41-49
• 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. 2021 May; Update 1:1-27
• 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. 2021 May; Update 1:1-21
• 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. 2021 Apr; Update 1:1-22
• 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. 2021 Apr; Update 1:1-24
• Tuberculosis in migrants to Australia: Outcomes of a national screening program.
  Trauer JM, Williams B, Laemmie-Ruff I, Horyniak D, Soares Caplice LV, McBrtde ES, Majumdar SS, Graem SM, Hellard ME
  Lancet Reg Health - West Pac. 2021 Mar; 10:100135
• 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. 2021 Mar; Update 1:1-22
• 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. 2021 Mar; Update 1:1-17
• Active case‐finding in contacts of people with TB.
  Fox GJ, Johnston JC, Nguyen TA, Majumdar SS. Denholm JT, Asldurf H, Nguyen CB, Marks GB, Velen K
  Int J Tubercul Lung Dis. 2021 Feb; 25(2):95-105
• A strategic framework to ease community-wide Covid-19 suppression measures.
  Coghlan B, Majumdar SS, Pedrana A, Hellard ME, Crabb BS
  MJA. 2021 Jan; Epub ahead of print

2020 (7)

• 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. 2020 Dec; Update 2(December):1-15
• 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. 2020 Dec; Update 1(December):1-5
• Impact of Victoria's Stage 3 lockdown on COVID-19 case numbers
  Saul A, Scott N, Crabb BS, Majumdar SS, Coghlan B, Hellard ME
  MJA. 2020 Nov; 213(11):494-496
• The most promising treatments for COVID-19 (Updated 6th July 2020)
  Lewin S, Copolov D, Crabb B, Cuthbertson A, Doherty P, Hoy W, Kelleher A, Majumdar S, Tachedjian G
  Rapid Res Infor Forum. 2020 May
• 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 Res Infor Forum. 2020 May
• Scaling up tuberculosis preventive therapy for contacts in high transmission settings
  Majumdar SS, Triasih R, Grham SM
  Lancet Glob Health. 2020 May; 8:e617-e618
• Shifting the paradigm: using disease outbreaks to build resilient health systems.
  Durski KN, Osterholm M, Majumdar SS, Nilles E, Bausch DG, Atun R
  BMJ Glob Health. 2020 May; 5(5):e002499

2019 (10)

• The SORT IT model for building operational research capacity: the experience of TB service providers in PNG.
  Aia P, Majumdar SS, Pomat W, Tefuarani N, Graham SM, Dakulala P
  Pub Health Act. 2019 Sep; 9(Supplement 1):S1-S2
• The emergency response to multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Daru, Western Province, Papua New Guinea, 2014–2017
  Morris L, Hiasihri S, Chan G, Honjepari A, Tugo O, Taune M, Aia P, Dakulala P, Majumdar, SS
  Pub Health Act. 2019 Sep; 9(Supplement 1):S4-S11
• Successful implementation of bedaquiline for multidrug-resistant TB treatment in remote Papua New Guinea.
  Taune M, Ustero P, Hiashiri S, Huang K, Aia P, Morris L, Main S, Chan G, du Cros P, Majumdar SS
  Pub Health Act. 2019 Sep; 9(Supplement 1):S73-S79
• The effects of decentralisation of tuberculosis services in the East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea.
  Maha A, Majumdar SS, Main S, Phillip W, Witari K, Schulz J, du Cros P
  Pub Health Act. 2019 Sep; 9(Supplement 1):S43-S49
• Implementation of screening and management of household contacts of tuberculosis cases in Daru, Papua New Guinea
  Honjepari A, Madiowi S, Madjus S, Burkot C, Islam S, Chan G, Majumdar SS, Graham SM
  Pub Health Act. 2019 Sep; 9(Supplement 1):S25-S31
• Impact of GxAlert on the management of rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis patients, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
  Banamu JK, Lavu E, Johnson K, Moke R, Majumdar SS, Takarinda KC, Commons RJ
  Pub Health Act. 2019 Sep; 9(Supplement 1):S19-S24
• Drug-resistant tuberculosis diagnosis since Xpert® MTB/RIF introduction in Papua New Guinea, 2012–2017
  Lavu EK, Johnson K, Banamu J, Pandey S, Carter R, Coulter C, Aia P, Majumdar SS, Marais BJ, Graham SM, Vince J
  Pub Health Act. 2019 Sep; 9(Supplement 1):S12-S18
• Telemedicine in resource-limited settings to optimize care for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.
  Huang GKL, Pawape G, Taune M, Hiasihri S, Ustero P, O'Brien DP, du Cros P, Graham S, Wootton R, Majumdar S
  Frontiers in Public Health. 2019 Aug; 7:222
• Training for Tuberculosis Elimination in Indonesia: Achievements, Reflections, and Potential for Impact.
  Main S, Lestari T, Triasih R, Chan G, Davidson L, Majumdar S, Santoso D, Phung S, Laukkala J, Graham S, du Cros P, Ralph A
  Trop Med Infect Dis. 2019 Jul; 4(3):E107
• Early success with retention in care among people living with HIV at decentralized ART satellite sites in Yangon, Myanmar, 2015–2016
  Htet KM, Soe KT, Myo Minn Oo MM, Hone S, Majumdar SS, Oo HN
  Front Pub Health. 2019 May; 7:124

2018 (3)

• Are death and loss to follow-up still high in people living with HIV on ART after national scale-up and earlier treatment initiation? A large cohort study in government hospital-based setting, Myanmar: 2013-2016.
  Aung ZZ, Oo MM, Tripathy JP, Kyaw NTT, Hone S, Oo HN, Majumdar SS
  PLoS One. 2018 Sep; 13(9):e0204550
• Evaluation of a tuberculosis active case finding project in peri-urban areas, Myanmar: 2014-2016.
  Aye S, Majumdar SS, Oo MM, Tripathy JP, Satyanarayana S, Kyaw NTT, Kyaw KWY, Oo NL, Thein S, Thu MK, Soe KT, Aung ST
  Int J Infect Dis. 2018 May; 70:93-100
• Multi-clonal evolution of multi-drug-resistant/extensively drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a high-prevalence setting of Papua New Guinea for over three decades.
  Bainomugisa A, Lavu E, Hiashiri S, Majumdar S, Honjepari A, Moke R6, Dakulala P, Hill-Cawthorne GA, Pandey S, Marais BJ, Coulter C, Coin L
  Microb Genom. 2018 Jan; 4(2):e000147

2017 (1)

• Public-private mix for tuberculosis care and control in Myanmar: a strategy to scale up?
  Thet Lwin ZM, Sahu SK, Owiti P, Chinnakali P, Majumdar SS
  Public Health Action. 2017 Mar; 7(1):15-20

2016 (5)

• Extending 'Contact Tracing' into the community within a 50-metre radius of an index tuberculosis patient Using Xpert MTB/RIF in urban, Pakistan: Did it increase case detection?
  Fatima R, Qadeer E, Yaqoob A, Haq MU, Majumdar SS, Shewade HD, Stevens R, Creswell J, Mahmood N, Kumar AM
  PLoS One. 2016 Nov; 11(11):e0165813
• Dotting the Three I's for collaborative TB-HIV activities: evaluation of a pilot programme in Kathmandu, Nepal.
  Sah SK, Sahu SK, Lamichhane B, Bhatta GK, Bhandari KB, Owiti P, Majumdar SS
  Public Health Action. 2016 Sep; 6(3):169-175
• Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. (Book Chapter)
  Majumdar S
  in "HIV Management in Australasia" Australasian Society for HIV Medicine, Sydney, Australia.. 2016 Jul
• Workshop on Prioritising New Research Areas for Tuberculosis Control in Myanmar. (Report)
  Aung ST, Saw S, Sein TT, Aung PP, Pastricha N, Chan G, Majumdar S
  Ministry of Health, Myanmar. 2016 Jul
• The Spectrum of Chromobacterium violaceum Infections from a Single Geographic Location.
  Lin YD, Majumdar SS, Hennessy J, Baird RW
  Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2016 Feb; 94(4):710-716

2015 (3)

• Overview of viral hepatitis treatment research in China. (WHO Report)
  El-Hayek C, Zou H, Hua B, Cheah S, Majumdar S, Hellard M
  WHO China. 2015 Jul
• Neonatal mortality in India's rural poor: Findings of a household survey and verbal autopsy study in Rajasthan, Bihar and Odisha.
  Dogra V, Khanna R, Jain A, Kumar AM, Shewade HD, Majumdar SS
  J Trop Pediatr. 2015 Mar; 61(3):210-214
• Adoptive T cell immunotherapy for treatment of ganciclovir-resistant cytomegalovirus disease in a renal transplant recipient.
  N Macesic, D Langsford, K Nicholls, P Hughes, D J Gottlieb, L Clancy, E Blyth, K Micklethwaite, B Withers, S Majumdar, S Fleming, J Sasadeusz
  Am J Transplant. 2015 Mar; 15(3):827-832

2014 (2)

• Calling tuberculosis a social disease--an excuse for complacency?
  Isaakidis P, Smith S, Majumdar S, Furin J, Reid T
  Lancet. 2014 Sep; 384(9948):1095
• Drug-resistant tuberculosis: collaborative regional leadership required.
  Majumdar SS, Marais BJ, Denholm JT, Britton WJ
  Med J Aust. 2014 Mar; 200(5):241-242

2013 (2)

• Tuberculosis Update: Overview Brief, Global and Papua New Guinea context. (Report)
  Tate J, Majumdar S
  AusAID Health Resource Facility. Australian Government, Canberra. 2013 Jul
• Hookworm in the Northern Territory: down but not out.
  Jane Davies, Suman S Majumdar, Robert T M Forbes, Pam Smith, Bart J Currie, Robert W Baird
  Med J Aust. 2013 Mar; 198(5):278-281

2012 (1)

• Nosocomial infections in the intensive care unit.
  Majumdar SS, Padiglione AA
  Anaesthes Intensive Care Med. 2012 May; 13(5):204-8

2011 (2)

• The 'frozen state' of drug-resistant tuberculosis: notes from the field in Abkhazia.
  S Majumdar, D O'Brien, N Hurtado, C Hewison, P du Cros
  Intern Med J. 2011 Dec; 41(12):805-808
• Drug-resistant tuberculosis in 9 high burden Asian countries. (Report)
  Majumdar S, Kong F, du Cros P, O’Brien D, Reeder J, Elliott J
  AusAID Health Resource Facility. Australian Government, Canberra. 2011 Jul

News Articles (68)

2022 (1)

• TB in a COVID-19 world

2021 (11)

• Burnet Support of Congress Vaccination strategy
• Why our COVID ambition must remain close to zero cases, even as we climb to high vaccination
• Vale Professor Evelyn Lavu
• COVID-19 Global Update: 1-31 May 2021
• COVID-19 Global Update: Vaccines and Variants
• Community focus on TB
• COVID-19 Global Update: Epidemiology and Trends
• TB: The Clock is Ticking
• Burnet welcomes Australia's urgent COVID-19 support package for PNG
• COVID-19 Timeline: How Science Matters
• Progress towards ending TB at risk

2020 (12)

• Blaming and shaming breaks a cardinal rule of public health
• IMPACT special edition now online!
• Boosting COVID-19 awareness in PNG
• Refugees at serious risk from COVID-19
• Victorian restrictions avert thousands of new infections
• Deputy Chief Medical Officer supports wearing of face masks/coverings in Melbourne when physical distancing not possible
• Funding boost to fight drug-resistant tuberculosis in Indo-Pacific
• Burnet a knowledge hub for COVID-19
• Evidence-based focus the key for Australia's COVID-19 exit strategy
• Lessons learned in global health security and solidarity: Tuberculosis and COVID-19
• Community-based empowerment is critical to end epidemics
• STOP TB Joint Action Statement

2019 (12)

• Tuberculosis initiatives draw international praise
• NHMRC Ideas Grants
• How we can end TB by 2030
• PHOTOVOICE: Voice for young at-risk TB patients
• PNG breaks new ground in tuberculosis research
• Primary carer's leave, a commitment to gender equity.
• Dr Suman Majumdar is 2019 Gust-McKenzie Medallist
• Bold strategies map out tuberculosis-free future
• Federal funding boost to address ‘superbugs’ in Asia-Pacific
• ‘It’s time to end TB’
• Focus on research to eliminate TB
• Forging closer TB ties with PNG

2018 (7)

• Creative approaches to TB elimination
• United Nations' commitment to end TB welcomed
• Addressing TB in Indonesia
• Diwe Sapa's TB journey
• Leaders for a TB-free world
• TB elimination course for Indonesian health workers
• Research focus to address TB 'global crisis'

2017 (13)

• New training for PNG TB response
• New frontiers for TB specialist
• Call for boost to TB research
• Pacific health leaders learning about antimicrobial resistance
• Burnet welcomes new regional Health Security Initiative
• Envoy calls for regional TB partnerships
• Funding for new PNG TB project
• Burnet research at World Congress on Public Health
• Leading roles for Burnet at World Congress on Public Health
• Daru unites to fight TB
• World TB Day elicits optimism
• TB fight comes to Canberra
• Support vital for patients on the TB journey

2016 (5)

• MDR-TB and malaria focus of $2 million research grant
• HMHB attracts Principal Supporter
• Link between TB, poverty explored
• Launch of Australian TB Caucus
• Boost for PNG TB project

2015 (4)

• TB Conference to lead the fight
• Burnet role in TB Forum
• Dame Carol Kidu Patron for HMHB
• Burnet supporting the fight against TB in PNG

2014 (2)

• 2014 in Review: January - June
• Drug-resistant tuberculosis: collaborative regional leadership required

2013 (1)

• Burnet launches Campaign to STOP TB