About Us
Who we are
MDU PHL undertakes reference microbiology testing for notifiable pathogens and organisms of public health significance, including surveillance of foodborne diseases, antimicrobial resistance, invasive bacterial pathogens, and sexually transmitted infections.
The team at MDU PHL comprises highly skilled scientists, medical microbiologists, bioinformaticians and genomic epidemiologists dedicated to developing best-practice approaches to public health microbiology. MDU PHL has capacity and expertise in pathogen genomics, providing leadership and guidance in the establishment of sequencing workflows, advice and capacity-building for bioinformatics, and assistance with the integration of genomic and epidemiological data to investigate local outbreaks.
MDU PHL is part of the University of Melbourne’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the School of Biomedical Sciences, and the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (the Doherty Institute), a joint venture between the Royal Melbourne Hospital and the University of Melbourne
Quality Management and NATA Accreditation
MDU PHL is committed to delivering accurate, consistent, and timely services that support public health outcomes. We embed the principles of ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO 15189 across all operations to drive continuous quality improvement.
Quality is a shared responsibility. All staff contribute to reviewing and refining our processes to maintain a high standard of service and legal integrity.
MDU PHL is accredited by the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) for a wide range of testing services, including:
- Human Pathology (ISO 15189)
- Animal Pathology (ISO/IEC 17025)
- Environmental, Food & Beverage, Healthcare, Pharmaceutical and Media Products (ISO/IEC 17025)
- Forensic Operations (ISO/IEC 17025)
These accreditations reflect our commitment to professionalism, reliability, and public health impact.
Our Strategic Plan
The inaugural Strategic Plan for MDU PHL looks to capture the opportunities and respond to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic within the organisation and with our key partners locally, nationally and internationally.
Our strategic plan incorporates an updated vision for MDU PHL:
MDU PHL leads infectious diseases policy and practice through public health excellence, research and innovation.
This vision highlights our intent to achieve and maintain global leadership of our key focus areas in public health microbiology. Our vision aligns with the strategy and mission of the Doherty Institute and the University of Melbourne, and we plan to further contribute to and enhance opportunities for collaborations as part of the Doherty Institute and the future Australian Institute for Infectious Diseases (AIID).