Higher Degree by Research Application Portal

Neisseria meningitidis, the causative agent of epidemic meningitis, is a significant public health burden worldwide causing 1.2 million cases per year globally, with an estimated fatality rate of 10% (WHO). There are a variety of meningococcal vaccines targeting serogroups A, B, C, W, Y.

My research has focussed on the following aspects of N. meningitidis

1. Genomic epidemiology of N. meningitidis during outbreaks of invasive meningococcal disease in Western Australia.

2. The evolution of N. meningitidis in response to vaccination.

3. Dissecting the regulatory networks which control the pathogenesis of this pathogen.

This program includes techniques covering basic microbiology skills, molecular biology techniques (cloning, mutation, sequencing, PCR (both detection and real-time) and bioinformatics.

Contact:

Charlene.kahler@uwa.edu.au

Students are advised that they should have completed a Bachelor of Science majoring in Microbiology OR a major in Biomedical science with at least three units covering Microbiology and Molecular Biology.

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is a program of independent, supervised research that is assessed solely on the basis of a thesis, sometimes including a creative work component, that is examined externally. The work presented for a PhD must be a substantial and original contribution to scholarship, demonstrating mastery of the subject of interest as well as an advance in that field of knowledge. 

Visit the course webpage for full details of this course including admission requirements, course rules and the relevant CRICOS code/s.