Lay summary
I complete my training as a Clinical Microbiologist in early 2024, at which time I hope to commence my PhD studies. I am a research enthusiast, and have dedicated substantial personal effort to pursuing research projects alongside my clinical work. Infectious diseases remain a significant threat to the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders, and going forwards I intend to pursue a research career dedicated to addressing New Zealand’s foremost infectious health burdens. The bacteria Strep A causes life-threatening infections and post-infectious sequelae such as rheumatic fever, costing the country NZD$30 million annually. An effective Strep A vaccine would have major health and economic benefits nationally. The proposed PhD will use modern scientific methods to characterise the Strep A types causing disease in our population to inform vaccine development, and will sit within a larger government-funded University of Auckland project to implement a Strep A vaccine in Aotearoa New Zealand.