17 Sep 2024
Dr Mark Davies and the StrepA Outbreak Prevention team awarded the 2024 Australian Museum Eureka Prize
The University of Melbourne's Dr Mark Davies, Laboratory Head at the Doherty Institute, alongside researchers from The University of Queensland, CONACYT and the University of Wollongong have been awarded the prestigious 2024 Australian Museum Eureka Prize for their work on preventing Streptococcus A outbreaks.
Streptococcus A (strep A) bacteria can cause infections in the skin, soft tissues, and respiratory tract. These infections range from mild to severe and are transmitted through respiratory droplets or contact with contaminated surfaces.
The StrepA Outbreak Prevention team has played a key role in tracking of Strep A strains where there has been a notable increase in Strep A infections since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It’s an honour to receive this recognition for our collaborative research program. The biggest questions in infectious disease can only be addressed by partnerships and collaboration. Through national and international collaboration coupled with global investment, we will continue to strive to achieve better health outcomes," Dr Davies said.
The team are leading disease-tracking efforts and hoping to develop an essential vaccine.
Research team: Professor Mark Walker, Dr Amanda Walker, Dr Stephan Brouwer, and Miguel Aguirre, from the Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB) at The University of Queensland, Dr Tania Rivera Hernandez from CONACYT, Dr Mark Davies from the University of Melbourne, and Professor Sanderson-Smith, from UOW’s School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience and Molecular Horizons Research Institute.