Dr Philipp du Cros
Co-Head Tuberculosis Elimination & Implementation Science; Principal Research Fellow
Working groups

Background
Philipp is a Principal Research Fellow and Co-head of the Tuberculosis Elimination and Implementation Science Working Group. An infectious diseases physician and researcher, he has more than 15 years of clinical and public health experience in TB and infectious diseases programs. He has an appointment at Monash Health as an infectious diseases physician.
Philipp’s research has a strong focus on improving the management of drug resistant TB through shorter multi-drug resistant TB treatment being a member of the steering committee for the TB-PRACTECAL randomised clinical trial. Current research interests include strategies for TB elimination, improving TB diagnostics, and implementation research on TB active case finding, TB preventive treatment, and combined TB /COVID testing.
In addition, Philipp is the chair of the WHO Western Pacific Regional Green Light Committee, providing TB Expert advice to National TB programs in the western pacific region at the country’s invitation. He is a member of the steering committee for the MSF Global Health and Humanitarian Medicine course which is a part time, online course which aims to provide affordable, global access to high-quality education in tropical medicine, and is recognised by the Royal College of Physicians as sufficient to sit for the diploma in tropical medicine and hygiene.
Qualifications
- 2006: Masters of Clinical Epidemiology – Monash University
- 2004: Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians – Infectious Diseases Specialist
- 1995: Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, MBBS University of Western Australia
Appointments
- 2023 – ongoing: Honorary Principal Fellow, Department of University of Melbourne
- 2022 – ongoing: Chair of the Western Pacific Regional Green Light Committee (rGLC WPR), World Health Organization
- 2021 – ongoing: Principal Research Fellow, Burnet Institute
- 2020 – 2021: Member of the Western Pacific Regional Green Light Committee (rGLC WPR), World Health Organization
- 2018 – ongoing: Working group Head, Burnet Institute
- 2017 - 2023 Member of MSF Scientific Days Editorial Committee
- 2017 Member of the Guidelines Development Group for Isoniazid Resistant Tuberculosis Guidelines, World Health Organization
- 2016-2018 Member of the European Research Initiative for Tuberculosis (ERI-TB), World Health Organization
- 2015 – ongoing: Member Steering Committee Médecins Sans Frontières Global Health and Humanitarian Medicine Course
- 2017 – 2021: Senior Research Fellow, Burnet Institute
- 2010-2017: Member of the Operations Platform, Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) Operational Centre Amsterdam
- 2010-2016 Chair of Médecins Sans Frontières Scientific Days Editorial Committee
- 2010-2017 Member Médecins Sans Frontières UK Management Team member
- 2012 – ongoing Fellow of the Australasian College of Tropical Medicine
- 2014 Honorary Consultant, Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne Australia
- 2010 – 2011 Honorary Clinical Fellow (Infectious Diseases), Imperial College
Positions
- 2021 (current): Consultant Infectious Diseases Physician, Mycobacteriology Clinic & Refugee Health Infectious Diseases Community Clinic, Monash Health,
- 2017 (current): Working group head, tuberculosis elimination and implementation science, Burnet Institute
- 2017: Research Adviser / Course Director MSF Global Health and Humanitarian Medicine Course Médecins Sans Frontières UK
- 2010-2017: Head of the Manson Unit / TB-HIV Adviser Médecins Sans Frontières UK
- 2008-2010: Tuberculosis Program Implementer, Manson Unit, Médecins Sans Frontières
- 2007-2008: Infectious diseases doctor, HIV Programme Lagos, Nigeria, Médecins Sans Frontières
- 2006-2007: Physician, Perth Chest (Tuberculosis) Clinic
- 2005-2006: Planning Coordinator for Monitoring and Evaluation of Malaysian National Needle Syringe Exchange Program Pilot
- 2005: Interim Country Medical Coordinator, Merlin (Medical Emergency Relief International) Tajikistan
- 2005: Consultant Specialist, The Alfred Hospital Travel Medicine Clinic
- 2004-2005: Clinical Adviser for National HIV Training Curriculum, Australasian Society of HIV Medicine
- 2002-2004: Infectious Diseases Registrar, The Alfred Hospital
- 2004: Facilitator, Antiretroviral Train the Trainer Program, India
- 1998-2002: Medical Registrar, The Alfred Hospital, North West Regional Hospital, Royal Perth Hospital, Kalgoorlie Hospital
- 1999: Doctor, Médecins Sans Frontières, Mae Sot Thailand
- 1996-1998: Resident Medical Officer, Royal Perth Hospital
Awards
- Royal Australasian College of Physicians International Medal 2018
Burnet publications
View 36 moreSputum culture contamination and associated characteristics in a diagnostic clinical trial, Papua New Guinea
Public Health Action
ND. Tenakanai et al
Community-Wide Active Case Finding for Tuberculosis: Time to Use the Evidence We Have
Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease
Mikaela Coleman et al
Global health action delayed: people’s health and wellbeing denied
Public Health Research & Practice
Jonathan Abrahams et al
Current projects
View 1 more
LOCATE-TB
We assess the operational feasibility and acceptability of use of a mobile TB active case finding service in Indonesia.
ZTB: Zero TB Team, Indonesia
The ZTB team is working towards eliminating tuberculosis and providing accessible services with treatment and prevention options.

Diagnostic accuracy of Molbio Truenat for diagnosis of TB and rifampicin resistance
Tuberculosis (TB) is the second leading cause of death in Papua New Guinea). There is an urgent need for accurate, battery operated and cheaper TB diagnostics.
Past projects
View 2 more
IndoPacLab
We aim to strengthen accurate, timely and scalable testing of COVID-19, HIV, TB and malaria.

RID-TB: Reducing the Impact of Drug-Resistant TB in Western Province, Papua New Guinea
We're a partner in a multi-stakeholder response to the major tuberculosis epidemic in Western Province, Papua New Guinea.

PRIME-TB: Papua New Guinea and the Republic of Indonesia for the Micro Elimination of TB
The program operates across Papua New Guinea and Indonesia to progress elimination of tuberculosis in the region.
News and features

Integration of care in PNG a focus for NHMRC funding
Research into the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases and continuing high prevalence of tuberculosis and HIV in Papua New Guinea will benefit from new funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council.

Boosting research capacity through operational training
Burnet is working to reduce the burden of tuberculosis in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
