Centre for Pathogen Genomics publishes inaugural Biennial Report 2024-2025
The Centre for Pathogen Genomics released its first Biennial Report, showcasing achievements and impact since its establishment in 2022 as a University of Melbourne Centre for Research and Research Training.
The Biennial report outlines progress against the Centres strategic objectives: enabling innovative pathogen genomics research to address infectious diseases and emerging threats, fostering the next generation of research leaders, and delivering impact and leadership in global health across the Asia-Pacific.
Over the reporting period, the Centre produced more than 100 publications addressing antimicrobial resistance, emerging pathogens and a diverse range of research topics, and attracted $45.8 million in grant funding. The Centre’s inaugural Seed Grant Scheme supported 11 collaborative research projects and partners across the Asia Pacific, generating preliminary evidence to support future competitive funding applications. The Centre’s training program engaged more than 150 scientists, bioinformaticians, epidemiologists and policy makers across 20 countries, alongside a cohort of 16 PhD candidates.
The report outlines activity across the Centre’s Training, Bioinformatics and Innovation Hubs and presents a selection of exemplar research findings, including identifying mosquitoes as a transmission route for Buruli ulcer between possums and humans, and demonstrating that rifaximin prophylaxis causes cross-resistance to the last-resort antibiotic daptomycin.
These achievements reflect the strength of the Centre’s collaborative model, drawing on partnerships with academic institutions, clinical and public health laboratories, government agencies and global health organisations across Australia and the Asia-Pacific. The centre gratefully acknowledges these partners for their continued engagement and collaboration across research, training and capacity building initiatives.
