Background

Dr Julia Cutts is a senior postdoctoral researcher in the Malaria and Infectious Disease Epidemiology group.

Julia is passionate about the role of policy-driven research in expediting malaria elimination, particularly in our region. Julia’s research focuses on establishing evidence for the effectiveness of interventions for malaria control and elimination in the Asia Pacific and she is passionate about conducting high quality collaborative research to address knowledge gaps identified by stakeholders in malaria-endemic countries. She is involved in the design, implementation, and analysis of clinical studies assessing interventions to improve malaria control and elimination in Myanmar and the Greater Mekong Subregion.

Julia is also interested in the acquisition of immunity to malaria and she has conducted cross-population studies of antibody responses to P. vivax and pregnancy-associated P. falciparum.

Julia completed her doctorate in Medical Biology at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, focussing on the cytokine response to malaria and risk of severe disease in Papua New Guinean children. She subsequently completed a Master of Public Health at Monash University in 2014.

In 2018, Julia commenced as Program Manager of the Australian Centre of Research Excellence in Malaria Elimination, an NHMRC-supported multi-institute network of researchers working towards the goal of malaria elimination in Asia Pacific by 2030.

Positions

• 2013: Research Officer, Malaria and Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Burnet Institute
• 2018: Project Manager, Australian Centre of Research Excellence in Malaria Elimination, University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity
• 2011-2012: Research Assistant, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
• 2006-2007: Research Assistant, The Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research

Qualifications

• 2014: Master of Public Health, Monash University
• 2012: DPhil, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute/University of Melbourne
• 2006: Bachelor of Science (Honours), Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research/University of Melbourne
• 2006: Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science, The University of Melbourne

Projects (7)

Current (6)

• co-EC Study: Eliminating hepatitis C/HIV coinfection
  Eliminating hepatitis C transmission by enhancing care and treatment among HIV co-infected individuals.
• Evaluation of Malaria Case-Based Reporting using a mobile phone application in Myanmar
  Evaluating the effectiveness of a mobile phone-based application to improve the reporting and surveillance of malaria in Myanmar
• Host and parasite factors that predict Artemisinin Resistance reservoirs
  Understanding how population immunity seeds transmission of malaria infectious reservoirs, including drug resistant parasites
• Impact of declining transmission on immunity and risk of malaria rebound
  As malaria transmission falls, it is critical to understand how changing immunity affects risk of malaria.
• Optimal community-delivered malaria elimination models for the Greater Mekong Sub-region
  Developing an elimination model that is acceptable, operational, and cost-effective across GMS countries
• Serological surveillance to identify mosquito exposure and malaria transmission
  Identifying and understanding “hot spots” and “hot pops” of malaria transmission are crucial to target interventions for elimination.

Past (1)

• Effectiveness of repellent on malaria incidence in SE Myanmar
  A project to determine whether repellent delivered by volunteers will reduce malaria incidence.

Publications (6)

2020 (2)

• Blood donation amongst people who inject drugs in Australia: research supporting policy change.
  Quinn B, Pearson R, Cutts J, Seed C, Scott N, Hoad V, Dietze P, Wilson D, Maher L, Thompson A, Farrell M, Harrod M, Caris S, Pink J, Kotsiou G, Hellard M
  Vox Sang. 2020 Feb; Epub ahead of print
• Pregnancy-specific malarial immunity and risk of malaria in pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes: a systematic review.
  Cutts JC, Agius PA, Zaw Lin, Powell R, Moore K, Draper B, Simpson JA, Fowkes FJI
  BMC Med. 2020 Jan; 18(1):14

2018 (1)

• Effectiveness of repellent delivered through village health volunteers on malaria incidence in villages in South-East Myanmar: a stepped-wedge cluster-randomised controlled trial protocol.
  Win Han Oo, Cutts JC, Agius PA, Kyaw Zayar Aung, Poe Poe Aung, Aung Thi, Nyi Nyi Zaw, Htin Kyaw Thu, Wai Yan Min Htay, Ataide R, O'Flaherty K, Ai Pao Yawn, Aung Paing Soe, Beeson JG, Crabb B, Pasricha N, Fowkes FJI
  BMC Infect Dis. 2018 Dec; 18(1):663

2016 (1)

• A Toll-like receptor-1 variant and its characteristic cellular phenotype is associated with severe malaria in Papua New Guinean children.
  Manning L, Cutts J, Stanisic DI, Laman M, Carmagnac A, Allen S, O'Donnell A, Karunajeewa H, Rosanas-Urgell A, Siba P, Davis TM, Michon P, Schofield L, Rockett K, Kwiatkowski D, Mueller I
  Genes Immun. 2016 Jan; 17(1):52-59

2014 (2)

• Immunological markers of P. vivax exposure and immunity: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
  Cutts J, Powell R, Agius PA, Beeson JG, Simpson JA, Fowkes FJI
  BMC Medicine. 2014 Aug; 12(1):150
• γδ T cells and CD14+ monocytes are predominant cellular sources of cytokines and chemokines associated with severe malaria.
  Stanisic DI, Cutts J, Eriksson E, Fowkes FJ, Rosanas-Urgell A, Siba P, Laman M, Davis TM, Manning L, Mueller I, Schofield L
  J Infect Dis. 2014 Feb; 210(2):295-305

News Articles (2)

2020 (1)

• New insights into malaria in pregnancy

2014 (1)

• Burnet researchers uncover proteins crucial for effective malaria vaccines