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WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis
The WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis works in partnership with the WHO in moving towards viral hepatitis elimination in our region and globally. In conjunction with the designation as a Collaborating Centre and as a WHO Regional Reference Laboratory for Viral Hepatitis in 2010, the Centre assists the WHO Headquarters and WPRO Office with advice and support for approaches to the prevention and management of viral hepatitis, and provides reference testing for samples collected as part of national serosurveys conducted across WPRO.
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Blood-borne viruses and sexually transmissible infections surveillance and research program: surveillance for hepatitis B indicators
A key aspect of Australia’s National Hepatitis B Strategy 2014-2017 is the identification of specific measurable aims and targets, including increasing the proportion of people living with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) who have been diagnosed, increasing treatment uptake in those affected, and reducing the burden of attributable morbidity and mortality associated with the disease.
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Liver cancer prevention: linking viral hepatitis diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes
This data linkage project examines the burden of viral hepatitis and associated adverse outcomes in Victoria, and the uptake and effectiveness of interventions such as antiviral treatment and liver cancer surveillance of reducing the impact of these infections.
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Coordinated Hepatitis responses to Enhance the Cascade of Care by optimising existing Surveillance systems (CHECCS)
CHECCS is a pilot program that has been funded by the Eliminate Hepatitis C Australia Partnership (EC Australia). Utilising Victoria's existing surveillance system and public health data environment, CHECCS aims to improve the delivery of care to Victorians living with chronic viral hepatitis by identifying people who have been diagnosed with viral hepatitis but have no evidence of follow-up testing or treatment.
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Hepatitis and liver cancer outcomes in general practice – an intervention collaboration (HepLOGIC)
HepLOGIC aims to improve the identification and care of people at risk of liver cancer in general practice. Central to the project is a pilot and feasibility study to test a digital clinical decision-support system that uses data from general practice records to prompt risk-based testing and support the clinical care of people living with chronic viral hepatitis.
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Victorian perinatal research project
This project aims to comprehensively describe the current status of mother to child transmission of hepatitis B elimination efforts in Victoria, using quantitative and qualitative analyses and assessing all aspects of the health care system.
Dr Nicole Allard
- Position:
- Research Fellow
- Theme(s):
- Viral Infectious Diseases
- Discipline(s):
- Education & Professional Development, Global Health, Public Health
- Unit(s):
- The University of Melbourne, Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (VIDRL), WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis
- Lab Group(s):
- Cowie Group
Dr Nicole Allard is a post-doctoral researcher and medical epidemiologist at VIDRL and a general practitioner and public health lead at cohealth. She has a special interest in hepatitis B treatment and COVID-19 care in primary care. Nicole is an honorary Lecturer in the Department of General Practice and Infectious Diseases at the University of Melbourne and is supervising masters and PhD students. She is working across multiple projects including; the surveillance for the national indicators for hepatitis B; perinatal hepatitis B linkage and mapping project in collaboration with Victorian Department of Health; a project extending the Hep B past initiative with Central Australian Aboriginal Congress; and Hep LoGIC - a primary care based intervention to improve the cascade of care. She has been involved in the Western Metro collaborative to implement and evaluate COVID-19 care pathways in primary care. She is Co-Chair of the National COVID-19 Evidence Taskforce Primary & Chronic Care Panel and member of the Guidelines Leadership Group and as Co-Chair of the Liver Cancer Road Map Expert Reference Committee for Cancer Council Australia. She also sits on various national and state advisory committees.
Current appointments
- Medical Epidemiologist - VIDRL/WHOCCVH
- Honorary Lecturer - Department of General Practice and Department of Infectious Diseases
- General practitioner - cohealth
- Public health lead COVID response - cohealth
Current professional memberships:
- Fellow Royal Australian College of General Practice
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Key Achievements
Projects
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Nicole's PhD (2018) developed in cascade of care for Hepatitis B in Australia, components which has informed national and local strategic responses. She has worked developing and delivering education for/to general practitioners in both Hepatitis B and COVID 19 and has developed a Hepatitis B curriculum for countries in the Asia Pacific region. She has participated in WHO scoping visits to Cambodia, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.
Research Groups-
Cowie Group
Ben’s group focuses on viral hepatitis epidemiological research. The team undertakes a broad range of activities supporting local, national and global control of viral hepatitis, through surveillance, treatment and prevention initiatives, and training and regional capacity building.
Lab Team
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Research Fellow
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Senior Epidemiologist, Honorary Lecturer
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Roisin McCollResearch Administration Officer
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Infectious Disease Modeler
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Epidemiologist
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Program Manager, WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis
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PhD Scholar
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