8B. ASRH Abstract Session: Epidemiology, prevention & public health: Syphilis - using data to inform public health responses
Tracks
| Tuesday, September 15, 2026 |
| 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM |
Speaker
Dr Laila Khawar
Research Fellow
Kirby Institute, UNSW
Understanding the continuum of care for pregnant people with infectious syphilis in Australia, 2015-2024
Biography
Dr Khawar is an Epidemiologist/ Research Fellow at the Kirby Institute, UNSW. Her research focuses on tracking progress toward the elimination of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and blood-borne viruses (BBVs), and developing surveillance systems to determine national antenatal testing coverage for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B to prevent vertical transmission.
Dr Mihaela Ivan
Senior Medical Advisor
Department of Health Victoria
Lessons learnt from congenital syphilis case reviews in Victoria (2017-2026)
Biography
Dr Mihaela Ivan, MD MSc, FAFPHM, is a Senior Medical Advisor with the Department of Health, Victoria. Dr Ivan is a public health physician and medical epidemiologist with extensive experience in communicable disease prevention and control and plays a leading role in BBV/STI response in Victoria and nationally.
Mr Nicolas Legrand
Phd Student
Kirby Institute
Incidence of primary syphilis infection and reinfection among Northern Territory residents, 2010–2024: a retrospective cohort study using routine laboratory data
Biography
Nicolas Legrand is a Research Officer and PhD candidate at the Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney. His research is focussed on using testing denominator data to enhance surveillance of infectious diseases.
Ms Jedda Tyson
Clinical Nurse/midwife Specialist
08 9222 8581
Thoughtful and Thorough: a case for comprehensive contact tracing in a syphilis outbreak
Biography
Jedda is a clinical nurse midwife specialist with over 15 years of clinical experience. Having pivoted to public health in the last six years, Jedda is involved in the public health follow up of syphilis cases and contacts among complex and priority populations in Perth.
Mr Stuart Manoj-Margison
PhD Candidate
Australian National University
Syphilis surveillance in Australia: a review of data systems and gaps during an epidemic
Biography
Stuart Manoj-Margison is a PhD candidate at the Australian National University's National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, examining the feasibility and acceptability of a national syphilis register in Australia. He is a SRW Foundation scholarship recipient, conducting research to generate evidence to directly inform national policy.
Dr Laila Khawar
Research Fellow
Kirby Institute, UNSW
Assessing first-trimester HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis testing among pregnant people seeking antenatal care in Australian general practice, 2018-2022
Biography
Dr Khawar is an Epidemiologist/ Research Fellow at the Kirby Institute, UNSW. Her research focuses on tracking progress toward the elimination of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and blood-borne viruses (BBVs), and developing surveillance systems to determine national antenatal testing coverage for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B to prevent vertical transmission.
Ms Erin Ogilvie
Project Manager
Kirby Institute
Gaps in syphilis knowledge among Australians: findings from a nationally representative survey
Biography
Erin is the Project Manager for the Third Australian Study of Health and Relationships (ASHR3) within the Surveillance and Evaluation Research Program (SERP). Since joining the Kirby Institute in 2014, she has managed and contributed to research across sexual and reproductive health, HIV prevention, public health surveillance, and implementation research.
Dr Michael Traeger
Research Fellow
Burnet Institute
