The Univeristy of Melbourne The Royal Melbourne Hopspital

A joint venture between The University of Melbourne and The Royal Melbourne Hospital

EDUCATION

Research Projects

Project: Real-time phylogenetics and epidemiology in SARS-CoV-2 genome data

Davies Group

This project will investigate the potential of hierarchical Bayesian models to estimate epidemiological parameters in outbreak clusters with rapid transmission. These models exploit different sources of information and are expected to outperform standard phylogenetic techniques. The student will benefit from curated genome data for SARS-CoV-2 and will focus on statistical modelling. This project will develop skills in programming, statistics, and infectious disease epidemiology.

Contact project supervisor for further
information and application enquiries

Project Supervisor

Dr Sebastián Duchêne

Project availability
PhD/MPhil
Master of Biomedical Science

Davies Group

mark.davies1@unimelb.edu.au

4 vacancies

Themes
Antimicrobial Resistance
Bacterial and Parasitic Infections
Cross Cutting Disciplines
Discovery Research
Computational Science and Genomics
Indigenous Health
Public Health

The Davies group aims to apply genome sequencing methodologies and bioinformatics approaches to understand the evolution and transmission of bacterial pathogens. This knowledge can help facilitate a global understanding of pathogen evolution, in addition to informing public health intervention to reduce the disease burden associated with bacterial pathogens. Current projects address key research questions such as: is there a genetic difference between strains causing different disease manifestations? What is driving the emergence and dissemination of bacterial pathogens? Do host immune factors govern disease severity? Our research closely aligns with key international collaborators including the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in the United Kingdom. 


Davies Group Current Projects