Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) are known for a long time to contribute significantly to the global burden of disease. These lead to epidemics, which upset health security and affect the socio-economy of a nation. Vectors and VBDs are all sensitive to climate, and the ongoing trend of climate change and variable weather conditions may lead to a change in the global scenario of these diseases. With changes in global climate, VBDs may shift to new regions, suitable for the pathogens and their vectors, and as such may switch to new host species. Being a parasitologist, I study parasites of veterinary importance and related diseases. My special research interest lies in understanding how vectors interact with pathogens, the effect of climate change on their ecology and epidemiology, and related sustainable control strategies.
To predict future changes in the ecology and epidemiology of the vectors and VBDs, first, we need to work on and understand the three primary entities within this disease transmission system, i.e. the pathogen, vector and the host. Secondly, we need to identify the climatic and environmental requirements of the vectors and vector-borne pathogens and the underlying cycle of events which run between them to help sustain the disease in a particular region. The global distribution of various VBDs and possibilities of spill over of these diseases between various regions and animal and vector species interests me the most. In the UK, my research was focussed on molecular and spatial epidemiology of ticks and flea-borne diseases. Further, I worked on a climate-based predictive model for the global distribution and risk of Haemonchus contortus (round worm of sheep). This model predicts the survival of worm larvae on pasture, based on the temperature and precipitation data and can help to predict the future spatial and temporal distribution and spread of H. contortus. Further, this model, along with targeted selective treatment (TST) of sheep, could help in reducing the pace at which anthelmintic resistance is developing in H. contortus and may help in sustainable sheep farming.
Currently, my lab is investigating the temporal and spatial distribution of zoonotic parasites among pet dogs in various regions of Southeast Queensland. In this project, we are collecting data from dog owners through an online survey pertaining to their knowledge of risk associated with dog parasites and their transmission into humans. Also, we are collecting dog faecal samples for microscopic and PCR analysis for various parasite eggs and oocysts. The data obtained from this survey will be analysed for determining the risk of spread of parasites among dogs as well as to humans in shared spaces and the relative risk of infection between parks.
Another study being conducted in my lab is about identifying drug resistance mechanisms in canine hookworms in Australia. The study will provide a baseline data on the frequencies of SNPs, known to confer benzimidazole resistance in animal helminths.
We have recently received an NHMRC 2021 grant looking into Targeted surveillance of major zoonotic arboviral and other vector-borne diseases in Australia using spectroscopy technology. Infectious diseases transmitted by vectors represent a significant health threat to the Australian biosecurity. Detection methods used in current surveillance of these pathogens are expensive, time consuming and require highly trained personnel. We propose to conduct a set of experiments to test the best spectroscopy technique to identify infected vectors and demonstrate its capacity as surveillance tool for vector control programs against these pathogens.
I always look forward to collaborating with fellow researchers within Australia and from different parts of the world to gain different perspectives of research of my interest.
Anne is currently appointed as a lecturer in Animal Science and Production and has a broad range of intests within the animal science landscape. Anne began her studies in the field of Equine Science and then further broadened to Agricultural Science which has provided a diverse backdrop to her current interests. The field of parasitology was the focus of her PhD studies as she investigated the underlying physiology of the periparturient relaxation to gastrointestinal worms in sheep, however, this multidisciplinary topic has led to interests across the board in immunology, endocrinology and nutrition. During her post-doctoral term, Anne worked on projects that investigated anthelmintic resistance in important equine and cattle parasites and on the development of molecular diagnostic tools. Her more recent work continues to build on these interests in equine parasitology through supervision of students in this field, but also includes projects focussed on small ruminant parasite management and nutrition. Anne's research interests are industry-focussed with a strong drive for useful outcomes to improve the management of horses and livestock.
Dr. Laura Grogan is a qualified veterinarian, Senior Lecturer in Wildlife Science, Chair of the Wildlife Disease Association Australasian section, and Leader of the Biodiversity Health Research Team (https://www.biodiversity-health.org/) - a collaborative multiple-university research group focused on finding sustainable solutions for the most challenging threatening processes currently affecting biodiversity.
Dr. Grogan has a background in research on wildlife diseases, ecology and conservation. She's particularly interested in investigating the dynamics, relative importance, and impacts of infectious diseases among other threats affecting wildlife across both individual and population scales, to improve conservation management. While she works across taxa and methodological approaches, her main study system currently involves the devastating amphibian fungal skin disease, chytridiomycosis, where at the individual scale she focuses on the pathogenesis and amphibian immune response to the disease, untangling the roles of resistance and tolerance in defense against infection. At the population and landscape scale she explores mechanisms underlying persistence in the face of endemic infection, focused on the endangered Fleay's barred frog. She also studies population and infection dynamics of chlamydiosis in koala using a mathematical modelling approach, exploring the relative benefits of different management approaches. In addition to working on amphibian and koala diseases, Laura is a keen birdwatcher and wildlife photographer, and supervises projects in other wildlife-related fields.
You can find out more about her research team here: www.biodiversity-health.org. Dr. Grogan has been awarded around $1.3 million in research funding since 2018. In late 2019 she was awarded an Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA; DE200100490), worth $426,742. This project, titled "Understanding infection tolerance to improve management of wildlife disease", commenced in late 2020. Dr. Grogan was identified as one of the four top-ranked science DECRA awardees by the Australian Academy of Science’s 2020 J G Russell Award, and was also recipient of the highest award of the Wildlife Disease Association Australasia Section with their 2019 Barry L Munday Recognition Award.
PhD and Honours projects are now available in the following areas (plus many more areas - please get in touch if you have an idea):
Can frogs be ‘vaccinated’ by antifungal treatment of active infections to develop protective immunity to the devastating chytrid fungus? (Principal Supervisor)
Establishing the conservation status of south-east Queensland’s amphibians - occupancy surveys and species distribution models (Principal Supervisor)
Tadpoles as a reservoir of the lethal frog chytrid fungal disease – measuring sublethal effects on growth, time to metamorphosis and ability to forage (mouthpart loss) (Principal Supervisor)
Impacts of chytrid fungus on the survival of juvenile endangered Fleay’s barred frogs, Mixophyes fleayi, and importance for population recruitment (Principal Supervisor)
Measuring the infection resistance versus tolerance of barred frogs to the devastating chytrid fungal disease to improve management outcomes (Principal Supervisor)
Mapping the impacts of fire-fighting chemicals on endangered frog habitats (Co-Supervisor)
Bowra birds: what do long-term monitoring data reveal about bird communities in the semi-arid region? (Co-Supervisor)
Impacts of fire-fighting chemicals on endangered frogs: Implications for conservation and management (Co-Supervisor)
Dr. Tatiana Proboste is a Research Fellow at the Spatial Epidemiology Lab (UQ), specialising in zoonotic disease transmission and spatiotemporal analysis. Her work utilises spatial models and network analysis techniques to enhance our understanding of disease transmission dynamics, particularly within wildlife populations and at the wildlife-human interface.
As a veterinarian with a robust background in terrestrial ecology and biodiversity management, Dr. Proboste brings a unique perspective to her research. She holds a Master’s degree from the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, where she focused on wildlife disease ecology and molecular tools. Her academic pursuits led her to earn a PhD from the University of Queensland in 2020, with her doctoral research centring on the use of genetic analysis tools to study wildlife’s role in disease transmission in modified environments.
Dr. Proboste’s contributions to research are extensive and varied. She has been involved in projects ranging from the molecular detection of tick-borne pathogens to the development of tools for exploring wildlife’s role in disease transmission. Recent years have seen her focus on investigating mosquito-borne disease outbreaks, identifying Q fever clusters in Queensland and associated risk factors, and applying network analysis to estimate contact rates in feral pig populations in eastern Australia. In addition to her research, Dr. Proboste is a casual lecturer at the School of Veterinary Science. She is also part of the Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Q fever Interest Group and the HEAL Network
