Dr Willa Huston is a Senior Lecturer and research group leader at the School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney. Her research is focussed on molecular microbiology of the intracellular pathogen Chlamydia, particularly how proteases function in the organism’s pathogenesis. She is especially interested in research into infectious diseases cause human diseases such as infertility and PID in women, and has patented a new diagnostic for Chlamydial infertility. In addition as part of the investigator team of the Australian Chlamydia Treatment Study, her team is culturing and characterising the isolates that have failed to clear after azithromycin treatment to unravel the mechanisms of chlamydial azithromycin resistance. She has published 57 peer reviewed articles and has been funded by NHMRC and ARC.

Dr Neisha Jeoffreys is the Principal Hospital Scientist in charge of Molecular Biology in the Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services (CIDMLS) at NSW Health Pathology-ICPMR. The laboratory is responsible for routine molecular testing for viral and bacterial pathogens from a wide range of clinical samples. In addition to managing the laboratory, Neisha is also responsible for the development and evaluation of new techniques to meet the expanding clinical need. She is particularly interested in the diagnosis and study of sexually transmitted infections.

Dr Amy Jennison is the Supervising Scientist of Molecular Epidemiology, Public Health Microbiology, which is the Queensland reference laboratory responsible for the molecular surveillance of notifiable bacterial pathogens and characterisation of public health related outbreaks. She is leading the team in the application of whole genome sequencing (WGS) to routine molecular surveillance and heads numerous research projects aimed at utilising WGS for improving molecular epidemiological investigation. Dr Jennison has a particular interest in addressing surveillance issues caused by culture independent diagnostic testing (CIDT) where molecular testing leads to underculturing of important bacterial pathogens. She is driving research into innovative approaches for deep sequencing on direct specimens including the generation of molecular typing and antimicrobial resistance information on N. gonorrhoeae from PCR positive urine samples.

Jane Hanrahan is a Senior Hospital Scientist, Second in Charge of the Microbiology Department at NSWHP, East, Randwick. She is a Masters Student the School of Medical Sciences UNSW and her research is focussed on antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae at the WHO Collaborating Centre for STD, Sydney.

Phil Giffard is the Head of Laboratory Science at the Menzies School of Health Research, and Associate Professor of Laboratory Science at Charles Darwin University. Phil has more than 30 years experience in research, primarily in molecular microbiology, and the development of genetics and bioinformatics methods.