Overview
Background
Prof Colleen Lau - MBBS (UWA), MPHTM (JCU), PhD (UQ), FRACGP, FACTM, FISTM.
Prof Colleen Lau is an NHMRC Fellow and Professorial Research Fellow at the UQ Centre for Clinical Research. Her areas of expertise include emerging infectious diseases, neglected tropical diseases, and clinical travel medicine. Her wide range of research interests include infectious disease epidemiology, spatial epidemiology and disease mapping, infectious disease surveillance and elimination, vaccinations, travel health, environmental health, and digital decision support tools. Professor Lau’s research projects focus on answering practical questions in clinical management of infectious diseases and operational questions on improving strategies to solve public health problems. She leads UQ's HERA program on Operational Research and Decision Support for Infectious Diseases (ODeSI).
Availability
- Professor Colleen Lau is:
- Not available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery and Medical Science, University of Western Australia
- Postgraduate Diploma in Travel Medicine, James Cook University
- Masters (Coursework) of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, James Cook University
- Doctor of Philosophy of Public Health, The University of Queensland
- Member, American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
- Member, Asia Pacific Travel Health Society, Asia Pacific Travel Health Society
- Fellow, Australasian College of Tropical Medicine, Australasian College of Tropical Medicine
- Board Member, Australasian College of Tropical Medicine, Australasian College of Tropical Medicine
- Honorary Academic, Australian National University, Australian National University
- Board Member, Healthy Environments and Lives (HEAL) Network, Healthy Environments and Lives (HEAL) Network
- Fellow, International Society of Travel Medicine, International Society of Travel Medicine
- Honorary Academic, James Cook University, James Cook University
- Journal Editorial Board Member, Journal of Travel Medicine, Journal of Travel Medicine
- Journal Editorial Board Member, One Health, One Health
- Fellow, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
- Journal Editorial Board Member, Socio-Environmental Systems Modelling, Socio-Environmental Systems Modelling
- Journal Editorial Board Member, Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease
Research interests
-
Neglected Tropical Diseases
Operational research on lymphatic filariasis elimination. Spatial epidemiology. Disease hotspots. Integrated surveillance. Pacific Islands.
-
Emerging Infectious Diseases
Leptospirosis. Arboviruses. Zoonoses. Spatial epidemiology and disease mapping. Environmental drivers of disease transmission and outbreaks.
-
Clinical Travel Medicine
Vaccinations. Malaria prophylaxis. Health and wellbeing of travellers.
-
Digital decision support tools
Works
Search Professor Colleen Lau’s works on UQ eSpace
2025
Journal Article
Geospatial analysis of leptospirosis clusters and risk factors in two provinces of the Dominican Republic
Mario Martin, Beatris, Sartorius, Benn, Mayfield, Helen J., Cadavid Restrepo, Angela M., Kiani, Behzad, Then Paulino, Cecilia J., Etienne, Marie Caroline, Skewes-Ramm, Ronald, de St. Aubin, Michael, Dumas, Devan, Garnier, Salomé, Duke, William, Peña, Farah, Abdalla, Gabriela, de la Cruz, Lucia, Henríquez, Bernarda, Baldwin, Margaret, Kucharski, Adam, Nilles, Eric J. and Lau, Colleen L. (2025). Geospatial analysis of leptospirosis clusters and risk factors in two provinces of the Dominican Republic. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 19 (6) e0013103, 1-14. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0013103
2025
Journal Article
The future of spatial epidemiology in the AI era: enhancing machine learning approaches with explicit spatial structure
Kianfar, Nima, Sartorius, Benn, Lau, Colleen L., Bergquist, Robert and Kiani, Behzad (2025). The future of spatial epidemiology in the AI era: enhancing machine learning approaches with explicit spatial structure. Geospatial Health, 20 (1) 1386. doi: 10.4081/gh.2025.1386
2025
Conference Publication
Spatial variation in environmental and sociodemographic drivers of leptospirosis in the Dominican Republic using a geographically weighted regression
Martin, Beatris M., Sartorius, Benn, Mayfield, Helen, Cadavid Restrepo, Angela, Then Paulino, Cecilia J., Etienne, Marie C., Skewes-Ramm, Ronald, Nilles, Eric J. and Lau, Colleen L. (2025). Spatial variation in environmental and sociodemographic drivers of leptospirosis in the Dominican Republic using a geographically weighted regression. Annual Meeting of the American-Society-of-Tropical-Medicine-and-Hygiene (ASTMH), New Orleans, LA, United States, 13-17 November 2024. Deerfield, IL, United States: American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.abstract2024
2025
Conference Publication
Impact of triple-drug mass drug administration on the seroprevalence of antibodies to lymphatic filariasis in Samoa
Lawford, Harriet, Mayfield, Helen, Sam, Filipina Amosa-Lei, Viali, Satu, Kamu, Tito, Thomsen, Robert and Lau, Colleen (2025). Impact of triple-drug mass drug administration on the seroprevalence of antibodies to lymphatic filariasis in Samoa. Annual Meeting of the American-Society-of-Tropical-Medicine-and-Hygiene (ASTMH), New Orleans, LA, United States, 13-17 November 2024. Deerfield, IL, United States: American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.abstract2024
2025
Journal Article
Progression of lymphatic filariasis antigenaemia and microfilaraemia over 4.5 years in antigen-positive individuals, Samoa 2019-2023
Mayfield, Helen J., Sartorius, Benn, Muttucumaru, Ramona, Sheridan, Sarah, Howlett, Maddison, Martin, Beatris Mario, Hedtke, Shannon M., Field, Emma, Thomsen, Robert, Viali, Satupaitea, Graves, Patricia M. and Lau, Colleen L. (2025). Progression of lymphatic filariasis antigenaemia and microfilaraemia over 4.5 years in antigen-positive individuals, Samoa 2019-2023. International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 155 107891, 1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2025.107891
2025
Journal Article
Waning immunity 1–2 years after fractional intradermal Japanese encephalitis vaccination
Mills, Deborah J., Gyawali, Narayan, Nammunige, Nirupama A., Mills, Christine, Devine, Gregor J., Lau, Colleen L. and Furuya-Kanamori, Luis (2025). Waning immunity 1–2 years after fractional intradermal Japanese encephalitis vaccination. Journal of Travel Medicine, 32 (5) taaf040, 1-3. doi: 10.1093/jtm/taaf040
2025
Journal Article
Integrated serological surveillance for neglected tropical diseases, vaccine-preventable diseases, and arboviruses in Samoa, 2018
Lawford, Harriet L. S., Mayfield, Helen J., Sam, Filipina Amosa-Lei, Viali, Satupaitea, Kamu, Tito, Thomsen, Robert and Lau, Colleen L. (2025). Integrated serological surveillance for neglected tropical diseases, vaccine-preventable diseases, and arboviruses in Samoa, 2018. Scientific Reports, 15 (1) 12667, 1-11. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-96769-y
2025
Journal Article
Spatial multilevel analysis of individual, household, and community factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the Dominican Republic
Kiani, Behzad, Sartorius, Benn, Martin, Beatris Mario, Cadavid Restrepo, Angela, Mayfield, Helen J., Paulino, Cecilia Then, Jarolim, Petr, De St Aubin, Micheal, Ramm, Ronald Skews, Dumas, Devan, Garnier, Salome, Etienne, Marie Caroline, Peña, Farah, Abdalla, Gabriela, Kucharski, Adam, Duke, William, Baldwin, Margaret, Henríquez, Bernarda, de la Cruz, Lucia, Nilles, Eric J. and Lau, Colleen L. (2025). Spatial multilevel analysis of individual, household, and community factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the Dominican Republic. Scientific Reports, 15 (1) 11203, 1-13. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-94653-3
2025
Journal Article
Persistent lymphatic filariasis transmission seven years after validation of elimination as a public health problem: a cross-sectional study in Tonga
Lawford, Harriet L.S., Tukia, ‘Ofa, Takai, Joseph, Sheridan, Sarah, Ward, Selina, Jian, Holly, Martin, Beatris Mario, ‘Ofanoa, Reynold and Lau, Colleen L. (2025). Persistent lymphatic filariasis transmission seven years after validation of elimination as a public health problem: a cross-sectional study in Tonga. The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific, 57 101513, 1-13. doi: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2025.101513
2025
Journal Article
Overseas-acquired infections in travellers returning to Queensland, Australia
Furuya-Kanamori, Luis, Young, Megan, Williams, Olivia, Vasant, Bhakti, Mills, Deborah J., Lau, Colleen L. and Smoll, Nicolas (2025). Overseas-acquired infections in travellers returning to Queensland, Australia. Journal of Travel Medicine, 32 (3) taaf010, 1-4. doi: 10.1093/jtm/taaf010
2025
Other Outputs
Effectiveness and impact of rotavirus vaccination, real-world study: a systematic review
Yu, Fan, Cao, Jin, Furuya Kanamori, Luis, Kiani, Behzad, Lau, Colleen and Sartorius, Benn (2025). Effectiveness and impact of rotavirus vaccination, real-world study: a systematic review. Middletown, DE United States: INPLASY - International Platform of Registered Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocols. doi: 10.37766/inplasy2025.3.0055
2025
Journal Article
Spatial prediction of immunity gaps during a pandemic to inform decision making: A geostatistical case study of COVID-19 in Dominican Republic
Restrepo, Angela Cadavid, Martin, Beatris Mario, Mayfield, Helen J., Paulino, Cecilia Then, de St. Aubin, Michael, Duke, William, Jarolim, Petr, Oasan, Timothy, Gutierrez, Emily Zielinski, Ramm, Ronald Skewes, Dumas, Devan, Garnier, Salome, Etienne, Marie Caroline, Pena, Farah, Abdalla, Gabriela, Lopez, Beatriz, de la Cruz, Lucia, Henriquez, Bernarda, Baldwin, Margaret, Kucharski, Adam, Sartorius, Benn, Nilles, Eric J. and Lau, Colleen L. (2025). Spatial prediction of immunity gaps during a pandemic to inform decision making: A geostatistical case study of COVID-19 in Dominican Republic. Tropical Medicine and International Health, 30 (5), 382-392. doi: 10.1111/tmi.14094
2025
Journal Article
The Utility of Infectious Disease Prevalence Studies to Inform Public Health Decision-Making in the Samoan Islands: A Systematic Review
Martin, Beatris Mario, Brown, Alison, Amosa-Lei Sam, Filipina, Tufa, Aifili, Furuya-Kanamori, Luis and Lau, Colleen L. (2025). The Utility of Infectious Disease Prevalence Studies to Inform Public Health Decision-Making in the Samoan Islands: A Systematic Review. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, 10 (3) 71, 1-16. doi: 10.3390/tropicalmed10030071
2025
Journal Article
Overseas- and locally-acquired sexually transmissible infections in Australia, 2017-2023
Shiferaw, Wondimeneh, Dean, Judith A., Mills, Deborah, Lau, Colleen L. and Furuya-Kanamori, Luis (2025). Overseas- and locally-acquired sexually transmissible infections in Australia, 2017-2023. Journal of Travel Medicine, 32 (3) taaf022. doi: 10.1093/jtm/taaf022
2025
Journal Article
Long-term immunogenicity of a single-dose live recombinant chimeric Japanese encephalitis vaccine in adults
Mills, Deborah J., Gyawali, Narayan, Nammunige, Nirupama A, Mills, Christine, Devine, Gregor J., Lau, Colleen L. and Furuya-Kanamori, Luis (2025). Long-term immunogenicity of a single-dose live recombinant chimeric Japanese encephalitis vaccine in adults. Journal of Travel Medicine, 32 (2) taaf006, 1-5. doi: 10.1093/jtm/taaf006
2025
Journal Article
Systematic review exploring the burden of sexually transmissible infections and bloodborne viruses in refugees and asylum seekers: insights to inform policy and practice
Shiferaw, Wondimeneh, Martin, Beatris Mario, Dean, Judith Ann, Koh, Kenneth, Mills, Deborah, Lau, Colleen and Furuya-Kanamori, Luis (2025). Systematic review exploring the burden of sexually transmissible infections and bloodborne viruses in refugees and asylum seekers: insights to inform policy and practice. Sexually Transmitted Infections, 101 (5) sextrans-2024-056395, 1-12. doi: 10.1136/sextrans-2024-056395
2025
Journal Article
Advancing adoptability and sustainability of digital prediction tools for climate-sensitive infectious disease prevention and control
Phung, Dung, Colón-González, Felipe J., Weinberger, Daniel M., Bui, Vinh, Nghiem, Son, Chu, Cordia, Phung, Hai, Sinh Vu, Nam, Doan, Quang-Van, Hashizume, Masahiro, Lau, Colleen L., Reid, Simon, Phan, Lan Trong, Tran, Duong Nhu, Pham, Cong Tuan, Do, Kien Quoc and Dubrow, Robert (2025). Advancing adoptability and sustainability of digital prediction tools for climate-sensitive infectious disease prevention and control. Nature Communications, 16 (1) 1644, 1-8. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-56826-6
2025
Journal Article
A study protocol for developing a spatial vulnerability index for infectious diseases of poverty in the Caribbean region
Kiani, Behzad, Mario Martin, Beatris, Cadavid Restrepo, Angela, Mayfield, Helen J., Skinner, Eloise, Karina Maldonado Alcaíno, Ana, Nilles, Eric J., Lau, Colleen L. and Sartorius, Benn (2025). A study protocol for developing a spatial vulnerability index for infectious diseases of poverty in the Caribbean region. Global Health Action, 18 (1) 2461867, 2461867. doi: 10.1080/16549716.2025.2461867
2025
Other Outputs
Human spillover risk of Japanese encephalitis virus in Australia: a modelling analysis linking vector-host transmission to public health risk, 2025
Skinner, Eloise, Satorius, Benn, Furuya-Kanamori, Luis, Craig, Adam, Kiani, Behzad, Johnson, Brian, Moore, Kevin, Hickson, R. I., Mordeci, Erin, Devine, Gregor and Lau, Colleen (2025). Human spillover risk of Japanese encephalitis virus in Australia: a modelling analysis linking vector-host transmission to public health risk, 2025. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.5117588
2025
Journal Article
Sensitivity of anti-filarial antibodies for lymphatic filariasis surveillance: Insights from a serological survey in Samoa in 2018
Lawford, Harriet L. S., Sartorius, Benn, Mayfield, Helen J., Sam, Filipina Amosa-Lei, Viali, Satupaitea, Kamu, Tito, Thomsen, Robert and Lau, Colleen L. (2025). Sensitivity of anti-filarial antibodies for lymphatic filariasis surveillance: Insights from a serological survey in Samoa in 2018. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 19 (1) e0012835, 1-19. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012835
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Colleen Lau is:
- Not available for supervision
Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
Integrated serological surveillance of neglected tropical diseases and vaccine preventable diseases in Samoa
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Benn Sartorius
-
Doctor Philosophy
The Effect of Variant-Vaccine Mismatch on Relative Vaccine Effectiveness for Vaccine-Preventable Respiratory Infections
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Machine learning in epidemiology research on African Swine Fever epidemic in the Philippines Outline
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Luis Furuya Kanamori, Associate Professor Yoni Nazarathy, Associate Professor Benn Sartorius
-
Doctor Philosophy
A big-data approach to the epidemiology of foodborne and enteric zoonoses in Queensland
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Dwan Vilcins, Professor Ricardo Soares Magalhaes
-
Doctor Philosophy
Effectiveness of digital Dengue early warning system (E-DENGUE) for Dengue control in the Mekong Delta Region
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Dung Phung
-
Doctor Philosophy
Epidemiology and burden of rotavirus infections in Australia
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Luis Furuya Kanamori, Dr Behzad Kiani, Associate Professor Benn Sartorius
-
Doctor Philosophy
Enhancing infectious disease surveillance through the integration of routinely collected data
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Amalie Dyda
-
Doctor Philosophy
Epidemiology and risk factors of overseas acquired infectious diseases in Australian travellers
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Benn Sartorius, Dr Alec Henderson, Associate Professor Luis Furuya Kanamori
-
Doctor Philosophy
The burden, risk factors, and preventive practices of sexually transmissible infections among travellers in Australia
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Judith Dean, Associate Professor Luis Furuya Kanamori
Completed supervision
-
2026
Doctor Philosophy
Spatial epidemiological methods to support decision-making for infectious disease prevention and control in the Dominican Republic
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Helen Mayfield, Associate Professor Benn Sartorius
-
2026
Doctor Philosophy
Integrated watershed management for public and ecosystem health in the Pacific Islands: overlapping drivers and strategies to prevent leptospirosis and improve coral reef health
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Helen Mayfield, Dr Amelia Wenger, Associate Professor Carissa Klein
-
2026
Doctor Philosophy
Epidemiology and clinical outcomes of gram-negative bloodstream infections in children
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Geoff Spurling, Mr Mark Chatfield, Associate Professor Adam Irwin
-
2026
Doctor Philosophy
The long-term cardiovascular complications of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccines
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Helen Mayfield, Professor Nathan Palpant, Professor Kirsty Short
-
2019
Doctor Philosophy
Spatiotemporal impact of an eight-year mass drug administration programme on soil transmitted helminth infections and anaemia in Burundi.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Ricardo Soares Magalhaes
-
2019
Doctor Philosophy
Spatial epidemiological approaches to quantify the role of soil-transmitted helminths (STH) in cognitive dysfunction in school-aged population
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Mark Nielsen, Professor Ricardo Soares Magalhaes
Media
Enquiries
Contact Professor Colleen Lau directly for media enquiries about:
- Infectious diseases
Need help?
For help with finding experts, story ideas and media enquiries, contact our Media team: