The Paediatric Infectious Disease Research Group is involved in the development and management of projects improving antibiotic allergy management, the treatment of congenital, neonatal, and paediatric infections, antibiotic stewardship, the treatment and epidemiology of serious infections, including sepsis, and infectious disease surveillance including CMV, HIV, fungal infections, and polio.
We're also involved in trials of vaccines, optimal and novel therapies for infectious diseases, and the development of guidelines for the management of infections in children.
Our goals
Promoting optimal therapy for paediatric infectious diseases.
Promoting effective surveillance of paediatric infectious diseases.
Improved management of infections in immunocompromised children and young people.
Improved antimicrobial stewardship in the hospital and community.
Improved rate and support for immunisation in hospitalised children and the community.
Supporting other clinicians treating patients with a spectrum of infections and improve the quality of care for these patients.
Research strengths
The team has diverse research interests, with an emphasis on:
Antibiotic stewardship and resistance
- The management of perinatal and congenital infections
Australian Neonatal Sepsis Study
A multi-site study analysing samples collected from hospitalised infants collected within the last ten years to describe the management and outcomes of neonatal sepsis. (Led by Dr Phoebe Williams).
Disease surveillance
- Promoting best practice and quality improvement
HOMEFREE
A multisite project to improve the timeliness and rate of a switch from IV to oral medicine in children, an important antibiotic stewardship intervention enabling earlier discharge home. (Led by Dr Brendan McMullan).
Infections in immunocompromised children and young people
- Cryptococcal Australia: A national review of paediatric cryptococcosis, a serious opportunistic fungal infection of children. (Led by Dr Brendan McMullan)
Australian and New Zealand Paediatric HIV Observational Database (ANZpHOD)
A collaboration between paediatric services across Australia and New Zealand aiming to establish an observational database for the incidence and management of paediatric HIV. (Led by Dr Adam Bartlett with Kirby Inst.)
Our results
The team consistently contributes to literature in the areas of infectious diseases, paediatrics, microbiology, and antimicrobial stewardship and resistance. This includes:
Internationally recognised research leaders in paediatric infectious diseases, CMV, HIV, and antibiotic stewardship.
High research output, as individual researchers and as a team.
The development of national and international policy, for example guidelines for transitioning from IV to oral antibiotic therapy in children undertaken with the Australia and New Zealand Paediatric Infectious Diseases Group.
Formulating guidelines for the management of COVID-19 in children with the National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce.
Awarded multiple grants from the NHMRC, UNSW, Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation, and others.
Our collaborations and partners
Australiasian Society for Infectious Diseases (ASID) and the Australia and New Zealand Society for Infectious Diseases Pediatric Interest Group (ANZPID)
Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit (APSU)
Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM)
National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce Paediatric and Adolescent Care Panel
Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance network (PAEDS)
Sydney Children’s Hospital Network
UTOPIA collaboration, UNSW