Background

Ashleigh is a PhD student at the Burnet Institute and Monash University, under the supervision of Prof Freya Fowkes, Dr Katherine O’Flaherty, and Dr Ellen Kearney. Her project focuses on identifying candidate vector-biting biomarker regions of Anopheles mosquito salivary proteins. Her project further evaluates these biomarkers in participant samples from intervention trials, to assess their potential use in monitoring malaria transmission in the Asia-Pacific region. To achieve these aims, Ashleigh utilizes peptide screening microarrays, immunoassays, biostatistics, and epidemiology. Through her research, Ashleigh seeks to improve malaria serosurveillance techniques, progressing towards malaria elimination in the Asia-Pacific region.

In 2021, Ashleigh obtained a Bachelor of Biomedicine from the University of Melbourne, majoring in Microbiology. In 2022, Ashleigh completed an Honours in Medical Research at the University of Western Australia and Telethon Kids Institute, in the Plastics in Pregnancy Project (ORIGINS Project).

Qualifications

• 2023-present: Doctor of Philosophy, Monash University, Australia
• 2022: Honours in Medical Research, University of Western Australia, Australia
• 2019-2021: Bachelor of Biomedicine (Microbiology), University of Melbourne, Australia

Positions

• 2023: Research Assistant, The AERIAL Study (Airway Epithelium Respiratory Illnesses and Allergy), Telethon Kids Institute, Australia
• 2021-2022: Laboratory Technician, The ORIGINS Project, Telethon Kids Institute, Australia

Awards

• 2023: Research Training Program (RTP) Stipend and Fees Offset, Monash University, Australia
• 2023: Draw Your Science: People’s Choice Award, Telethon Kids Institute, Australia
• 2022: Best Poster Prize, Australasian Biospecimen Network
• 2020: Margaret Garson Medicine Scholarship, University of Melbourne, Australia
• 2019: Melbourne National Merit Scholarship, University of Melbourne, Australia