Our Research

Epidemic response, control and prevention

We conduct research in applied field epidemiology, outbreak response, on performances of deployed international health responders and barriers to deployment, rapid diagnostics, personal protective equipment, vaccines other interventions, and on engagement with response agencies. The ARM network and our links to key NGOs and other organisations involved in epidemic response facilitate this research. ISER contains the largest body of Australian expertise in field epidemiology and epidemic response.

Epidemic intelligence and risk analysis

This research aims to improve decision and policy making in public health by providing better frameworks for epidemic response.  We conduct research on epidemic modelling techniques, risk analysis science, evaluating current bioterrorism response systems, digital disease surveillance, predictive research and ethics in epidemics. This research is collaborative and multi-sectoral. A current focus is rapid intelligence systems for epidemic alert, and toward this, ISER is sponsoring a hackathon to enable students to form teams and develop such systems with guidance from the ISER investigators.

ISER academy

The third pillar of the CRE is a novel, cross-sectoral think-tank that provides a forum for collaboration between public health, health systems, emergency medicine, paramedics, defence, security, law enforcement, legal experts and ethicists, and it includes workshops, research on joint leadership of epidemics, identifying gaps in legislation surrounding bioterrorism, and research surrounding the international law and ethics of engineered pathogens. We also provide capacity building, skills development and mentoring for junior researchers, and encourage linkages between essential sectors in epidemic response. The Academy was initiated at a multi-sectorial stakeholder workshop in Canberra in May 2016.  Please contact us if you would like to be involved and have access to events and mailing lists.