Background

Dr Rachel Sacks-Davis is an Early Career Research Fellow at the Burnet Institute in the Disease Elimination Program. Recently she has been working on a COVID-19 epidemic model, looking at diagnostics and screening.

After completing her BA (Hons)/BSc Rachel joined Burnet as a Research Assistant in 2008. Since then she has worked on a range of projects in sexual health and blood-borne virus epidemiology.

Rachel’s PhD combined epidemiology, phylogenetics, social network analysis and mathematical modelling to study hepatitis C transmission and natural history amongst people who inject drugs. In 2015 she will be commencing an Early Career Fellowship using mathematical modelling to study tuberculosis and other infectious diseases.

Positions

• 2014: Research Officer

Qualifications

• PhD
• BA (Hons)/BSc

Projects (12)

Current (10)

• 

  COVASIM: Modelling COVID-19

• 

  HCV Elimination Modelling

• 

  Hepatitis C and injecting networks

• 

  Hepatitis C brief reports

• 

  The elimination of hepatitis C as a global public health threat

• 

  The International Collaboration on Hepatitis C Elimination in HIV Cohorts (InCHEHC)

• 

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

• 

  The QuickStart Study

• 

  TRYP: Transitions and Risk in Young People project

• 

  What drives hepatitis C reinfection?

Past (1)

• 

  Investigating the limitations with the snowball model in context of the TAP study

Publications (63)

2022 (6)

• Impact of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on hepatitis C testing in Australian primary care services providing care for people who inject drugs.
  Traeger MW, van Santen DK, Sacks-Davis R, Asselin J, Carter A, Doyle JS, Pedrana A, Wilkinson AL, Howell J, Thatcher R, Didlick J, Donovan B, Guy R, Hellard ME, Stoové MA; Australia Collaboration for Coordinated Enhanced Sentinel Surveillance of Sexually Transmissible Infections and Blood Borne Viruses (ACCESS).
  J Viral Hepat. 2022 Jun; 29(10):908-918
• Mathematical Modeling for Removing Border Entry and Quarantine Requirements for COVID-19, Vanuatu.
  van Gemert C, Tarivonda L, Tapo PS, Natuman S, Clark G, Mariasua J, Scott N, Craig A, Abel M, Cornish MJ, Hellard M, Sacks-Davis R
  Emerg Infect Dis. 2022 May; 28(5):1053-1055
• Hepatitis C incidence among patients attending primary care health services that specialise in the care of people who inject drugs, Victoria, Australia, 2009 to 2020.
  Wilkinson AL, van Santen DK, Traeger MW, Sacks-Davis R, Asselin J, Scott N, Harney BL, Doyle JS, El-Hayek C, Howell J, Bramwell F, McManus H, Donovan B, Stoové M, Hellard M, Pedrana A
  Int J Drug Policy. 2022 Mar; 103:103655
• Preventing a cluster from becoming a new wave in settings with zero community COVID-19 cases.
  Abeysuriya RG, Delport D, Stuart RM, Sacks-Davis R, Kerr CC, Mistry D, Klein DJ, Hellard M, Scott N
  BMC Infect Dis. 2022 Mar; 22(1):232
• Assessment of the cost-effectiveness of Australia’s risksharing agreement for direct-acting antiviral treatments for hepatitis C: a modelling study.
  Scott N, Palmer A, Tidhar T, Stoové M, Sacks-Davis R, Doyle JS, Pedrana A, Thompson AJ, Wilson DP, Hellard M
  Lancet Reg Health - West Pac. 2022 Jan; 18:100316
• The Incidence of Hepatitis C Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men in Australia, 2009-2019.
  Harney BL, Sacks-Davis R, van Santen DK, Traeger M, Wilkinson AL, Asselin J, El-Hayek C, Fairley CK, Roth N, Bloch M, Matthews G, Donovan B, Guy R, Stoové M, Hellard ME, Doyle JS; Australian Collaboration for Coordinated Enhanced Sentinel Surveillance of Sexually Transmissible Infections and Blood-borne Viruses (ACCESS).
  Clin Infect Dis. 2022 Jan; 74(10):1804-1811

2021 (6)

• Modelling the Victorian roadmap (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
  Abeysuriya R, Delport D, Sacks-Davis R, Hellard M, Scott N
  Know-C19. 2021 Sep; September:1-23
• Injecting network structure determines the most efficient strategy to achieve Hepatitis C elimination in people who inject drugs.
  Brown C, Siegele M, Wright M, Cook C, Parkes J, Khakoo SI, Sacks-Davis R, Buchanan RM
  J Viral Hepat. 2021 May; 28(9):1274-1283
• Homelessness, unstable housing, and risk of HIV and hepatitis C virus acquisition among people who inject drugs: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
  Arum C, Fraser H, Artenie AA, Bivegete S, Trickey A, Alary M, Astemborski J, Iversen J, Lim AG, MacGregor L, Morris M, Ong JJ, Platt L, Sack-Davis R, van Santen DK, Solomon SS, Sypsa V, Valencia J, Van Den Boom W, Walker JG, Ward Z, Stone J, Vickerman P; Homelessness, HIV, and HCV Review Collaborative Group.
  Lancet Public Health. 2021 Mar; 6(5):E309-E323
• Low incidence of hepatitis C among a cohort of HIV-negative gay and bisexual men using HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in Melbourne, Australia, and the contribution of sexual transmission.
  Cornelisse VJ, Traeger MW, Wright EJ, Murphy D, Stoove M, Hellard M, Sacks-Davis R, Asselin J, Fairley CK, Doyle J, Sasawdeusz J
  J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2021 Mar; 87(4):1011-1015
• Estimating the number of new hepatitis C infections in Australia in 2015, prior to the scale-up of direct-acting antiviral treatment.
  Palmer AY, Wilkinson A, Aitken C, Dietze P, Dore GJ, Maher L, Sacks-Davis R, Stoové M, Wilson D, Hellard M, Scott N
  J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2021 Mar; 36(8):2270-2274
• Modelling the impact of reducing control measures on the COVID-19 pandemic in a low transmission setting.
  Scott N, Palmer A, Delport D, Abeysuriya R, Stuart R, Kerr CC, Ministry D, Klein D, Sacks-Davis R, Heath K, Hainsworth S, Pedrana A, Stoové M, Wilson D, Hellard ME
  Med J Aust. 2021 Feb; 214(2):79-83

2020 (5)

• Phylogenetic clustering networks among heterosexual migrants with new HIV diagnoses post-migration in Australia.
  Sacks-Davis R, Chibo D, Peach E, Aleksic E, Crowe SM, El Hayek C, Marukutira T, Higgins N, Stoové M, Hellard M
  PLoS One. 2020 Sep; 15(9):e0237469
• Hepatitis C elimination in people living with HIV - the importance of biomedical and behavioural interventions.
  van Santen DK, Sacks-Davis R, Hellard M
  J Int AIDS Soc. 2020 Jul; 23(7):e25589
• Measuring hepatitis C virus elimination as a public health threat:beyond global targets.
  van Santen DK, Sacks-Davis R, Doyle JS, Scott N, Prins M, Hellard M
  J Viral Hepat. 2020 Mar; 27(8):770-773
• Australia needs to increase testing to achieve hepatitis C elimination.
  Scott N, Sacks-Davis R, Wade AJ, Stoové M, Pedrana A, Doyle JS, Thompson AJ, Wilson DP, Hellard ME
  Med J Aust. 2020 Mar; 212(8):365-370
• Commentary on Barre et al. (2019): Identifying remaining barriers to hepatitis C treatment in the DAA era.
  Sacks-Davis R, van Santen DK, DoyleJS
  Addiction. 2020 Jan; 115(3):583-584

2019 (4)

• Staying hepatitis C negative: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cure and reinfection in people who inject drugs.
  Latham NH, Doyle JS, Palmer AY, Vanhommerig JW, Agius P, Goutzamanis S, Li Z, Pedrana A, Gottfredsson M, Bouscaillou J, Luhmann N, Mazhnaya A, Altice FL, Saeed S, Klein M, Falade-Nwulia OO, Aspinall E, Hutchinson S, Hellard ME, Sacks-Davis R
  Liver Int. 2019 Dec; 39(12):2244-2260
• People who inject drugs in Bangladesh - the untold burden!
  Khan SI, Reza MM, Crowe SM, Rahman M, Hellard M, Sarker MS, Chowdhury EI, Rana AM, Sacks-Davis R, Banu S, Ross AG
  Int J Infect Dis. 2019 Mar; 83:109-115
• Treatment access is only the first step to hepatitis C elimination: experience of universal anti-viral treatment access in Australia.
  Doyle JS, Scott N, Sacks-Davis R, Pedrana AE, Thompson AJ, Hellard ME; Eliminate Hepatitis C Partnership
  Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2019 Mar; 49(9):1223-1229
• Injection drug network characteristics as a predictor of injection behaviour.
  Spelman T, Sacks-Davis R, Dietze P, Higgs P, Hellard M
  Epidemiol Infect. 2019 Jan; 147:e173

2018 (8)

• Incarceration history and risk of HIV and hepatitis C virus acquisition among people who inject drugs: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
  Stone J, Fraser H, Lim AG, Walker JG, Ward Z, MacGregor L, Trickey A, Abbott S, Strathdee SA, Abramovitz D, Maher L, Iversen J, Bruneau J, Zang G, Garfein RS, Yen YF, Azim T, Mehta SH, Milloy MJ, Hellard ME, Sacks-Davis R, Dietze PM, Aitken C, Aladashvili M, Tsertsvadze T, Mravčík V, Alary M, Roy E, Smyrnov P, Sazonova Y, Young AM, Havens JR, Hope VD, Desai M, Heinsbroek E, Hutchinson SJ, Palmateer NE, McAuley A, Platt L, Martin NK, Altice FL, Hickman M, Vickerman P
  Lancet Infect Dis. 2018 Oct; 18(12):1397-1409
• Description of social contacts among student cases of pandemic influenza during the containment phase, Melbourne, Australia, 2009.
  Caroline van Gemert, Emma S McBryde, Isabel Bergeri, Rachel Sacks-Davis, Hassan Vally, Tim Spelman, Brett Sutton, Margaret Hellard
  Western Pac Surveill Response J. 2018 Oct; 9(5 Suppl 1):27-34
• Eliminating hepatitis C: the importance of frequent testing of people who inject drugs in high prevalence settings.
  Scott N, Sacks-Davis R, Pedrana A, Doyle J, Thompson A, Hellard M
  J Viral Hepat. 2018 Jul; 25(12):1472-1480
• Modeling of patient virus titers suggests that availability of a vaccine could reduce hepatitis C virus transmission among injecting drug users.
  Major M, Gutfraind A, Shekhtman L, Cui Q, Kachko A, Cotler SJ, Hajarizadeh B, Sacks-Davis R, Page K, Boodram B, Dahari H
  Sci Transl Med. 2018 Jul; 10(449):eaao4496
• Eliminating HIV/HCV co-infection in gay and bisexual men: is it achievable through scaling up treatment?
  Sacks-Davis R, Pedrana AE, Scott N, Doyle JS, Hellard ME
  Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. 2018 May; 16(5):411-422
• Linkage and retention in HCV care for HIV-infected populations: early data from the DAA era.
  Sacks-Davis R, Doyle JS, Rauch A, Beguelin C, Pedrana AE, Matthews GV, Prins M, van der Valk M, Klein MB, Saeed S, Lacombe K, Chkhartishvili N, Altice FL, Hellard ME
  J Int AIDS Soc. 2018 Apr; 21 Suppl 2:e25051
• Heterogeneity in hepatitis C treatment prescribing and uptake in Australia: a geospatial analysis of a year of unrestricted treatment access.
  Scott N, Hainsworth SW, Sacks-Davis R, Pedrana A, Doyle J, Wade A, Hellard M
  J Virus Erad. 2018 Apr; 4(2):108-114
• Achieving hepatitis C elimination in Europe - to treatment scale up and beyond.
  Hellard M, Scott N, Sacks Davis R, Pedrana A
  J Hepatol. 2018 Feb; 68(3):383-385

2017 (1)

• Pathways to the elimination of hepatitis C: prioritising access for all.
  Pedrana AE, Sacks-Davis R, Doyle JS, Hellard ME
  Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol. 2017 Oct; 10(10):1023-1026

2016 (3)

• Venue-Based Networks May Underpin HCV Transmissions amongst HIV-Infected Gay and Bisexual Men.
  Bradshaw D, Raghwani J, Jacka B, Sacks-Davis R, Lamoury F, Down I, Prestage G, Applegate TL, Hellard M, Sasadeusz J, Dore GJ, Pybus OG, Matthews GV, Danta M
  PLoS One. 2016 Sep; 11(9):e0162002
• Hepatitis C elimination by 2030 through treatment and prevention: think global, act in local networks.
  Hellard M, Sacks-Davis R, Doyle J
  J Epidemiol Commun Health. 2016 Jun; 70:1151-1154
• The role of living context in prescription opioid injection and the associated risk of hepatitis C infection.
  Sacks-Davis R, Daniel M, Roy E, Kestens Y, Zang G, Ramos Y, Hellard M, Jutras Aswad D, Bruneau J
  Addiction. 2016 May; 111(11):1985-1996

2015 (7)

• Response to treatment following recently acquired hepatitis C virus infection in a multicentre collaborative cohort.
  Doyle JS, Deterding K, Grebely J, Wedemeyer H, Sacks-Davis R, Spelman T, Matthews G, Rice TM, Morris MD, McGovern BH, Kim AY, Bruneau J, Lloyd AR, Page K, Manns MP, Hellard ME, Dore GJ and the InC3 Study Group.
  J Viral Hepat. 2015 Jun; 22(12):1020-1023
• Hepatitis C transmission and treatment as prevention - The role of the injecting network.
  Hellard M, McBryde E, Sacks Davis R, Rolls DA, Higgs P, Aitken C, Thompson A, Doyle J, Pattison P, Robins G
  Int J Drug Policy. 2015 May; 26(10):958-962
• How "Hidden" Are Unobserved Networks Among People Who Inject Drugs?
  Higgs P, Sacks-Davis R, Aitken C, Hellard M
  Am J Public Health. 2015 Apr; 105(6):e3
• Hepatitis C virus reinfection and spontaneous clearance of reinfection - the InC3 study.
  Sacks-Davis R, Grebely J, Dore GJ, Osburn W, Cox AL, Rice TM, Spelman T, Bruneau J, Prins M, Kim AY, McGovern BH, Shoukry NH, Schinkel J, Allen TM, Morris M, Hajarizadeh B, Maher L, Lloyd AR, Page K, Hellard M; InC3 study group
  J Infect Dis. 2015 Apr; 212(9):1407-19
• Patterns of Hepatitis C Virus RNA Levels during Acute Infection: The InC3 Study.
  Hajarizadeh B, Grady B, Page K, Kim AY, McGovern BH, Cox AL, Rice TM, Sacks-Davis R, Bruneau J, Morris M, Amin J, Schinkel J, Applegate T, Maher L, Hellard M, Lloyd AR, Prins M, Dore GJ, Grebely J; InC3 Study Group
  PLoS One. 2015 Apr; 10(4):e0122232
• Many hepatitis C reinfections that spontaneously clear may be undetected: Markov-chain Monte Carlo analysis of observational study data.
  Sacks-Davis R, McBryde E, Grebely J, Hellard M, Vickerman P
  J R Soc Interface. 2015 Mar; 12(104)
• The use of social networking platforms for sexual health promotion: identifying key strategies for successful user engagement.
  Veale HJ, Sacks-Davis R, Weaver ERN, Pedrana AE, Stoové MA, Hellard ME
  BMC Public Health. 2015 Feb; 15(1):85

2014 (8)

• Interferon lambda 3 genotype predicts hepatitis C virus RNA levels in early acute infection among people who inject drugs: The InC Study.
  Hajarizadeh B, Grady B, Page K, Kim AY, McGovern BH, Cox AL, Rice TM, Sacks-Davis R, Bruneau J, Morris M, Amin J, Schinkel J, Applegate T, Maher L, Hellard M, Lloyd AR, Prins M, Geskus RB, Dore GJ, Grebely J; InC(3)Study Group.
  J Clin Virol. 2014 Sep; 61(3):430-434
• The impact of injecting networks on hepatitis C transmission and treatment in people who inject drugs.
  Hellard M, Rolls DA, Sacks-Davis R, Robins G, Pattison P, Higgs P, Aitken C, McBryde E
  Hepatology. 2014 Aug; 60(6):1861-1870
• A systematic review of immediate HCV RNA testing following HCV Antibody compared with HCV RNA testing at time of assessment for HCV therapy.
  Hall K, Sacks-Davis R, Doyle J, Aspinall E, Hutchinson S, Hellard M
  Technical Report for the World Health Organisation, Global Hepatitis Programme, Geneva. 2014 Jul
• Young people's comfort receiving sexual health information via social media and other sources.
  Lim MS, Vella A, Sacks-Davis R, Hellard ME
  Int J STD AIDS. 2014 Mar; 25(14):1003-1008
• Eradication of hepatitis C infection: The importance of targeting people who inject drugs.
  Hellard M, Doyle JS, Sacks-Davis R, Thompson AJ, McBryde E
  Hepatology. 2014 Jan; 59(2):366-369
• Does informing people who inject drugs of their hepatitis C status influence their injecting behaviour? Analysis of the Networks II study.
  Aspinall EJ, Weir A, Sacks-Davis R, Spelman T, Grebely J, Higgs P, Hutchinson SJ, Hellard ME
  Int J Drug Policy. 2014 Jan; 25(1):179-182
• Detection of HCV-Specific IFN-gamma Responses in HCV Antibody and HCV RNA Negative Injecting Drug Users.
  Flynn JK, Sacks-Davis R, Higgs P, Aitken C, Moneer S, Suppiah V, Tracy L, Ffrench R, Bowden S, Drummer H, George J, Bharadwaj M, Hellard M
  Hepat Mon. 2014 Jan; 14(1):e14678
• The effects of female sex, viral genotype, and IL28B genotype on spontaneous clearance of acute hepatitis C Virus infection.
  Grebely J, Page K, Sacks-Davis R, Schim van der Loeff M, Rice TM, Bruneau J, Morris MD, Hajarizadeh B, Amin J, Cox AL, Kim AY, McGovern BH, Schinkel J, George J, Shoukry NH, Lauer GM, Maher L, Lloyd AR, Hellard M, Dore GJ, Prins M; the InC3 Study Group
  Hepatology. 2014 Jan; 59(1):109-20

2013 (3)

• High rates of hepatitis C virus reinfection and spontaneous clearance of reinfection in people who inject drugs: a prospective cohort study.
  Sacks-Davis R, Aitken CK, Higgs P, Spelman T, Pedrana AE, Bowden S, Bharadwaj M, Nivarthi UK, Suppiah V, George J, Grebely J, Drummer HE, Hellard M
  PLoS One. 2013 Nov; 8(11):e80216
• Hepatitis C transmission and treatment in contact networks of people who inject drugs.
  Rolls DA, Sacks-Davis R, Jenkinson R, McBryde E, Pattison P, Robins G, Hellard M
  PLoS One. 2013 Nov; 8(11):e78286
• Modelling a disease-relevant contact network of people who inject drugs
  Rolls DA, Wang P, Jenkinson R, Pattison PE, Robins GL, Sacks-Davis R, Daraganova G, Hellard M, McBryde E
  Soc Net. 2013 Apr; 35(4):699-710

2012 (6)

• Hepatitis C virus phylogenetic clustering is associated with the social-injecting network in a cohort of people who inject drugs.
  Sacks-Davis R, Daraganova G, Aitken C, Higgs P, Tracy L, Bowden S, Jenkinson R, Rolls D, Pattison P, Robins G, Grebely J, Barry A, Hellard M
  PLoS One. 2012 Oct; 7(10):e47335
• Modelling antiviral treatment to prevent hepatitis C infection among people who inject drugs in Victoria, Australia.
  Hellard ME, Jenkinson R, Higgs P, Stoové MA, Sacks-Davis R, Gold J, Hickman M, Vickerman P, Martin NK
  Med J Aust. 2012 Jun; 196(10):638-641
• Identifying newly acquired cases of hepatitis C using surveillance: a literature review.
  Sacks-Davis R, Van Gemert C, Bergeri I, Stoové M, Hellard M
  Epidemiol Infect. 2012 Jun; 140(11):1925-1934
• Behavioural interventions for preventing hepatitis C infection in people who inject drugs: A global systematic review.
  Sacks-Davis R, Horyniak D, Grebely J, Hellard M
  Int J Drug Policy. 2012 May; 23(3):176-184
• The more you look, the more you find: effects of hepatitis C virus testing interval on reinfection incidence and clearance and implications for future vaccine study design.
  Vickerman P, Grebely J, Dore GJ, Sacks-Davis R., Page K, Thomas DL, Osburn WO, Cox AL, Aitken CK, Hickman M, Hellard M
  J Infect Dis. 2012 May; 205(9):1342-1350
• Modelling hepatitis C transmission over a social network of injecting drug users.
  Rolls DA, Daraganova G, Sacks-Davis R, Hellard M, Jenkinson R, McBryde E, Pattison PE, Robins GL
  J Theor Biol. 2012 Mar; 297:73-87

2011 (3)

• A systematic examination of the use of Online social networking sites for sexual health promotion.
  Gold J, Pedrana AE, Sacks-Davis R, Hellard ME, Chang S, Howard S, Keogh L, Hocking JS, Stoové MA
  BMC Public Health. 2011 Jul; 11:583
• Barriers to receiving hepatitis C treatment for people who inject drugs: Myths and evidence.
  Higgs P, Sacks-Davis R, Gold J, Hellard M
  Hepat Mon. 2011 Jul; 11(7):513-518
• The Australian national binge drinking campaign: campaign recognition among young people at a music festival who report risky drinking.
  van Gemert C, Dietze P, Gold J, Sacks-Davis R, Stoové M, Vally H, Hellard M
  BMC Public Health. 2011 Jun; 11:482

2010 (2)

• Randomised controlled trial of paper, online and SMS diaries for collecting sexual behaviour information from young people.
  Lim MS, Sacks-Davis R, Aitken CK, Hocking JS, Hellard ME
  J Epidemiol Community Health. 2010 Oct; 64(10):885-889
• Home-based chlamydia testing of young people attending a music festival--who will pee and post?
  Sacks-Davis R, Gold J, Aitken CK, Hellard ME
  BMC Public Health. 2010 Jun; 10:376

2009 (1)

• Hepatitis C treatment for injection drug users: a review of the available evidence.
  Hellard M, Sacks-Davis R, Gold J.
  Clin Infect Dis. 2009 Aug; 49(4):561-573

News Articles (11)

2022 (2)

• Modelling quantifies the potential benefits of mask wearing against Omicron
• Burnet research honoured at AIDS 2022

2021 (2)

• How maths is saving lives in 40 countries
• COVID-19 Timeline: How Science Matters

2020 (3)

• New model supports major cuts in quarantine period for travellers
• Macquarie Group Foundation pledges AUD$1 million to Optimise Study
• Testing rate fall leaves thousands of Australians at risk of hepatitis C

2018 (1)

• Hepatitis elimination efforts in great hands

2013 (1)

• Burnet researcher collaborates with University of Montreal

2012 (1)

• Suboxone® in Australia: focus of CREIDU Colloquium

2011 (1)

• Burnet staff and donors recognised at Excellence Awards