Project: Unravelling the drivers of group A streptococcal pandemics
Davies Group
Outbreaks of scarlet fever and invasive disease associated with Group A Streptococci (GAS) have occurred recently in both Asia and the United Kingdom, placing a serious strain on health systems. This project applies genomic epidemiology approaches to examine the emergence and transmission of GAS clones and associated mobile genetic elements within a global context. Specifically, we will examine the population structure of pandemic associated GAS lineages, apply statistical genetic models to identify common disease signatures and examine the movement of mobile genetic elements to this alarming health problem.
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Davies Group
4 vacancies
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
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Population genomics of endemic Streptococcus pyogenes
PhD/MPhil, Master of Biomedical Science, Honours
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Unravelling the drivers of group A streptococcal pandemics
PhD/MPhil, Master of Biomedical Science, Honours
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Detecting natural selection in bacterial genomic data
Master of Biomedical Science, Honours
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Real-time phylogenetics and epidemiology in SARS-CoV-2 genome data
PhD/MPhil, Master of Biomedical Science
Research degrees at the Doherty Institute are administered by the University of Melbourne.