28 Jan 2021
It takes a global research effort to fight against infectious disease in resource-limited countries
By University of Melbourne Dr Sarah Dunstan, Senior Research Fellow at the Doherty Institute.
Enthralled by infectious diseases, I left the University of Melbourne after my PhD, studying typhoid fever in model systems, to begin a post-doc to study the human genetics of typhoid in “actual” people.
My change in country, and in research direction, coincided with the modern-day metamorphosis of human genetics, that is, the release of the first human genome sequence. A steep learning curve ensued as I grappled with the enormity and possibilities that the genomic era brought, but still, my focus on infectious disease was ever present.
The disease burden of typhoid fever falls squarely in resource-limited countries, so to get closer to the source, I moved myself, and my research, to Asia. Once working in Ho Chi Minh City, on the site of the largest infectious diseases hospital in southern Vietnam, my eyes were opened (wide!).
A basic laboratory scientist, working in a clinical environment, brought about steep learning curve number two, and a plethora of possibilities. We formed teams of multidisciplinary researchers working on the one patient cohort, and realisation set in that the only way to make a dent on enormous global disease problems, such as tuberculosis (TB), is with a collective of diverse minds tackling the problem from all directions.
Now at the Doherty Institute, the centre of gravity of my research on typhoid and TB remains in Asia. My research utilises genomic technology to interrogate the pathogen and host to acquire critical new knowledge that can be exploited to develop essential new tools for disease control. I recently led a team to show how drug resistant strains of TB can spread in different cities.
I am part of this diverse global research effort, working closely with multidisciplinary partners, to advance the fight against infectious disease in high burden, resource-limited settings.
This article was first published in the Celebrating Five Years of the Doherty Institute Impact Report.