Boosting Australia鈥檚 response to infectious disease outbreaks
University of Sydney researchers will partner with other leading national experts in clinical, laboratory and public health research on a new $5m initiative to boost Australia's capacity to respond to infectious disease outbreaks.
Funded by , the initiative establishes a Centre of Research Excellence in Infectious Disease Emergency Response Research, entitled The Australian Partnership for Preparedness Research on Infectious Disease Emergencies (APPRISE) to deliver a nationally coordinated, evidence-based response to infectious diseases.
The new partnership will focus on major infectious diseases threats.
鈥淭he new partnership will focus on major infectious diseases threats such as influenza, coronaviruses, haemorrhagic viral diseases, arboviruses, novel pathogens and antimicrobial resistance,鈥� said the University of Sydney鈥檚聽, an APPRISE chief investigator.
Professor Sorrell, who is also Director of the聽, will lead the initiative鈥檚 education and capacity building cross cutting theme.
Co-chief investigator,聽聽will lead the infection prevention and control theme and associate investigator聽, both also from the Marie Bashir Institute, will lead the ethics research and policy development theme.
History tells us that new infectious diseases will continue to emerge but that we cannot predict when, where or how.
聽said the new Centre would play an important role in Australia鈥檚 readiness to respond to future pandemics and other infectious disease emergencies.
鈥淗istory tells us that new infectious diseases will continue to emerge but that we cannot predict when, where or how.
"The purpose of this significant NHMRC grant is to establish national capability to respond rapidly when such threats do emerge by undertaking the research needed to inform the public health response,鈥� Professor Kelso said.
The new Centre for Research Excellence brings together researchers from the University of Sydney through the Marie Bashir Institute, the University of Melbourne through the Doherty Institute, the Westmead Institute for Medical Research, the Australian Red Cross Blood Service, the Burnet Institute, Deakin University, Griffith University, James Cook University, the Menzies School of Health Research, Monash University, The Kirby Institute, 聽University of New South Wales, the University of Queensland, and the University of Western Australia.