Dr Rama Kandasamy

Dr Rama Kandasamy

Visiting Fellow
Medicine & Health
School of Clinical Medicine

I am a paediatrician and researcher based at Sydney Children's Hospital Network and UNSW. I completed my Doctorate of Philosophy at the University of Oxford and a post-doctorate at Imperial College London. This experience has allowed me to develop the ability to apply sophisticated bioinformatic, computational, and molecular approaches to large patient cohorts and pathogen data. I also have experience in clinical studies and trials, with a focus on pneumococcal disease and vaccination, in a wide variety of settings, including the UK and Nepal. I have worked on a EU collaborative study on the genetic basis of childhood infection (EUCLIDS) and continue to work on a major international collaborative study on childhood infection (PERFORM, Horizon 2020 funded with 10 EU partners studying RNA and proteomic approaches to the diagnosis of infection).

  • Journal articles | 2024
    Carter MJ; Shrestha S; O'Reilly P; Gurung P; Gurung M; Thorson S; Kandasamy R; Voysey M; O'Mahony E; Kelly S; Ansari I; Shah G; Amatya P; Tcherniaeva I; Berbers G; Murdoch DR; Pollard AJ; Shrestha S; Kelly DF, 2024, 'Evaluation of Acute and Convalescent Antibody Concentration Against Pneumococcal Capsular Polysaccharides for the Diagnosis of Pneumococcal Infection in Children with Community-Acquired Pneumonia', Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 43, pp. E67 - E70, http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/INF.0000000000004185
    Journal articles | 2024
    Stubbs H; Palasanthiran P; Koirala A; Lee A; Duguid RC; Brogan D; Wood N; Kandasamy R, 2024, 'Adverse events following immunisation: Prospective cohort study evaluating Australian children presenting to specialist immunisation clinics', Vaccine, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.03.025
    Journal articles | 2022
    Carter MJ; Gurung M; Pokhrel B; Bijukchhe SM; Karmacharya S; Khadka B; Maharjan A; Bhattarai S; Shrestha S; Khadka B; Khulal A; Gurung S; Dhital B; Prajapati KG; Ansari I; Shah GP; Wahl B; Kandasamy R; Pradhan R; Kelly S; Voysey M; Murdoch DR; Adhikari N; Thorson S; Kelly D; Shrestha S; Pollard AJ, 2022, 'Childhood Invasive Bacterial Disease in Kathmandu, Nepal (2005-2013)', Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 41, pp. 192 - 198, http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/INF.0000000000003421
    Journal articles | 2022
    Kandasamy R; Lo S; Gurung M; Carter MJ; Gladstone R; Lees J; Shrestha S; Thorson S; Bijukchhe S; Gautam MC; Shrestha R; Gurung S; Khadka B; McGee L; Breiman RF; Murdoch DR; Kelly DF; Shrestha S; Bentley SD; Pollard AJ, 2022, 'Effect of childhood vaccination and antibiotic use on pneumococcal populations and genome-wide associations with disease among children in Nepal: an observational study', The Lancet Microbe, 3, pp. e503 - e511, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2666-5247(22)00066-0
    Journal articles | 2022
    Lo SW; Mellor K; Cohen R; Alonso AR; Belman S; Kumar N; Hawkins PA; Gladstone RA; von Gottberg A; Veeraraghavan B; Ravikumar KL; Kandasamy R; Pollard SAJ; Saha SK; Bigogo G; Antonio M; Kwambana-Adams B; Mirza S; Shakoor S; Nisar I; Cornick JE; Lehmann D; Ford RL; Sigauque B; Turner P; Moïsi J; Obaro SK; Dagan R; Diawara I; Skoczyńska A; Wang H; Carter PE; Klugman KP; Rodgers G; Breiman RF; McGee L; Bentley SD; Almagro CM; Varon E; Brooks A; Corso A; Davydov A; Maguire A; Kiran A; Moiane B; Beall B; Zhao C; Aanensen D; Everett D; Faccone D; Foster-Nyarko E; Bojang E; Egorova E; Voropaeva E; Sampane-Donkor E; Sadowy E; Nagaraj G; Mucavele H; Belabbès H; Elmdaghri N; Verani J; Keenan J; Lees J; N Nair Thulasee Bhai J; Ndlangisa K; Zerouali K; Bentley L; Titov L; De Gouveia L; Alaerts M; Ip M; de Cunto Brandileone MC; Hasanuzzaman M; Paragi M; Nurse-Lucas M; du Plessis M; Ali M; Croucher N; Wolter N; Givon-Lavi N; Porat N; Köseoglu Eser Ö; Ho PL; Eberechi Akpaka P; Gagetti P; Tientcheu PE; Law P; Benisty R; Mostowy R; Malaker R; Grassi Almeida SC; Doiphode S; Madhi S; Devi Sekaran S; Clarke S; Srifuengfung S; Nzenze S; Kastrin T; Ochoa T; Hryniewicz W, 2022, 'Emergence of a multidrug-resistant and virulent Streptococcus pneumoniae lineage mediates serotype replacement after PCV13: an international whole-genome sequencing study', The Lancet Microbe, 3, pp. e735 - e743, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2666-5247(22)00158-6
    Journal articles | 2021
    Gurung M; Bijukchhe SM; Hariri P; Voysey M; Kandasamy R; Thorson S; Maskey P; Pandit R; Shrestha B; Gautam MC; Maharjan M; Lama L; Acharya B; Basi R; K.c M; O'reilly P; Shrestha S; Ansari I; Shah GP; Kelly S; O'brien KL; Goldblatt D; Kelly DF; Murdoch DR; Pollard AJ; Shrestha S, 2021, 'Persistence of Immunity Following 2-Dose Priming with a 10-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine at 6 and 10 Weeks or 6 and 14 Weeks of Age in Nepalese Toddlers', Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 40, pp. 937 - 943, http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/INF.0000000000003223
    Journal articles | 2020
    Carter MJ; Gurung P; Jones C; Rajkarnikar S; Kandasamy R; Gurung M; Thorson S; Gautam MC; Prajapati KG; Khadka B; Maharjan A; Knight JC; Murdoch DR; Darton TC; Voysey M; Wahl B; O'Brien KL; Kelly S; Ansari I; Shah G; Ekström N; Melin M; Pollard AJ; Kelly DF; Shrestha S, 2020, 'Assessment of an Antibody-in-Lymphocyte Supernatant Assay for the Etiological Diagnosis of Pneumococcal Pneumonia in Children', Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 9, http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2019.00459
    Journal articles | 2020
    Gladstone RA; Lo SW; Goater R; Yeats C; Taylor B; Hadfield J; Lees JA; Croucher NJ; van Tonder AJ; Bentley LJ; Quah FX; Blaschke AJ; Pershing NL; Byington CL; Balaji V; Hryniewicz W; Sigauque B; Ravikumar KL; Almeida SCG; Ochoa TJ; Ho PL; Plessis MD; Ndlangisa KM; Cornick JE; Kwambana-Adams B; Benisty R; Nzenze SA; Madhi SA; Hawkins PA; Pollard AJ; Everett DB; Antonio M; Dagan R; Klugman KP; von Gottberg A; Metcalf BJ; Li Y; Beall BW; McGee L; Breiman RF; Aanensen DM; Bentley SD; Akpaka PE; Ampofo K; Belabbès H; Bigogo G; Brooks AW; Carter PE; Clarke SC; Corso A; de Cunto Brandileone MC; Davydov A; Diawara I; Doiphode S; Egorova E; Elmdaghri N; Eser ÖK; Faccone D; Ford R; Gagetti P; Givon-Lavi N; Hasanuzzaman M; Hulten KG; Ip M; Kapusta A; Kandasamy R; Kastrin T; Keenan J; Law PY; Lehmann D; Moïsi J; Mucavele H; Nurse-Lucas M; Obaro SK; Paragi M; Sadowy E; Saha SK; Sampane-Donkor E; Sekaran SD; Shakoor S; Shrestha S; Skoczynska A; Ko S; Srifuengfung S; Tientcheu PE; Titov L; Turner P; Urban Y; Verani J; Voropaeva E; Wolter N, 2020, 'Visualizing variation within global pneumococcal sequence clusters (GPSCS) and country population snapshots to contextualize pneumococcal isolates', Microbial Genomics, 6, pp. 1 - 13, http://dx.doi.org/10.1099/mgen.0.000357
    Journal articles | 2020
    Kandasamy R; Voysey M; Collins S; Berbers G; Robinson H; Noel I; Hughes H; Ndimah S; Gould K; Fry N; Sheppard C; Ladhani S; Snape MD; Hinds J; Pollard AJ, 2020, 'Persistent circulation of vaccine serotypes and serotype replacement after 5 years of infant immunization with 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in the United Kingdom', Journal of Infectious Diseases, 221, pp. 1361 - 1370, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiz178
    Journal articles | 2020
    Lo SW; Gladstone RA; Van Tonder AJ; Du Plessis M; Cornick JE; Hawkins PA; Madhi SA; Nzenze SA; Kandasamy R; Ravikumar KL; Elmdaghri N; Kwambana-Adams B; Almeida SCG; Skoczynska A; Egorova E; Titov L; Saha SK; Paragi M; Everett DB; Antonio M; Klugman KP; Li Y; Metcalf BJ; Beall B; McGee L; Breiman RF; Bentley SD; Von Gottberg A; Brooks AW; Corso A; Davydov A; Maguire A; Pollard AJ; Kiran A; Moiane B; Sigauque B; Aanensen D; Lehmann D; Faccone D; Foster-Nyarko E; Bojang E; Voropaeva E; Sampane-Donkor E; Sadowy E; Nagaraj G; Bigogo G; Mucavele H; Belabbès H; Diawara I; Moïsi J; Verani J; Keenan J; Nair Thulasee Bhai JN; Ndlangisa KM; Zerouali K; De Gouveia L; Alaerts M; De Cunto Brandileone MC; Ip M; Hasanuzzaman M; Ali M; Croucher N; Wolter N; Givon-Lavi N; Eser ÖK; Ho PL; Akpaka PE; Turner P; Gagetti P; Tientcheu PE; Carter PE; Law P; Benisty R; Mostowy R; Ford R; Henderson R; Malaker R; Dagan R; Shakoor S; Doiphode S; Sekaran SD; Srifuengfung S; Obaro S; Clarke SC; Kastrin T; Ochoa TJ; Hryniewicz W; Balaji V; Urban Y, 2020, 'A mosaic tetracycline resistance gene tet(S/M) detected in an MDR pneumococcal CC230 lineage that underwent capsular switching in South Africa', Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 75, pp. 512 - 520, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jac/dkz477
    Journal articles | 2020
    Smith EL; Wheeler I; Adler H; Ferreira DM; Sá-Leão R; Abdullahi O; Adetifa I; Becker-Dreps S; Esposito S; Farida H; Kandasamy R; Mackenzie GA; Nuorti JP; Nzenze S; Madhi SA; Ortega O; Roca A; Safari D; Schaumburg F; Usuf E; Sanders EAM; Grant LR; Hammitt LL; O'Brien KL; Gounder P; Bruden DJT; Stanton MC; Rylance J, 2020, 'Upper airways colonisation of Streptococcus pneumoniae in adults aged 60 years and older: A systematic review of prevalence and individual participant data meta-analysis of risk factors', Journal of Infection, 81, pp. 540 - 548, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jinf.2020.06.028
    Journal articles | 2019
    Kandasamy R; Gurung M; Thorson S; Yu LM; Galal U; Voysey M; Kelly S; Wahl B; Berbers G; Finnegan K; Ansari I; Paudel K; Murdoch DR; O'Brien KL; Kelly DF; Goldblatt D; Shrestha S; Pollard AJ, 2019, 'Comparison of two schedules of two-dose priming with the ten-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in Nepalese children: an open-label, randomised non-inferiority controlled trial', The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 19, pp. 156 - 164, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(18)30568-1
    Journal articles | 2019
    Lo SW; Gladstone RA; van Tonder AJ; Lees JA; du Plessis M; Benisty R; Givon-Lavi N; Hawkins PA; Cornick JE; Kwambana-Adams B; Law PY; Ho PL; Antonio M; Everett DB; Dagan R; von Gottberg A; Klugman KP; McGee L; Breiman RF; Bentley SD; Brooks AW; Corso A; Davydov A; Maguire A; Pollard A; Kiran A; Skoczynska A; Moiane B; Beall B; Sigauque B; Aanensen D; Lehmann D; Faccone D; Foster-Nyarko E; Bojang E; Egorova E; Voropaeva E; Sampane-Donkor E; Sadowy E; Bigogo G; Mucavele H; Belabbès H; Diawara I; Moïsi J; Verani J; Keenan J; Nair Thulasee Bhai JN; Ndlangisa KM; Zerouali K; Ravikumar KL; Titov L; De Gouveia L; Alaerts M; Ip M; de Cunto Brandileone MC; Hasanuzzaman M; Paragi M; Nurse-Lucas M; Ali M; Elmdaghri N; Croucher N; Wolter N; Porat N; Köseoglu Eser Ö; Akpaka PE; Turner P; Gagetti P; Tientcheu PE; Carter PE; Mostowy R; Kandasamy R; Ford R; Henderson R; Malaker R; Shakoor S; Grassi Almeida SC; Saha SK; Doiphode S; Madhi SA; Devi Sekaran S; Srifuengfung S; Obaro S; Clarke SC; Nzenze SA; Kastrin T; Ochoa TJ; Balaji V; Hryniewicz W; Urban Y, 2019, 'Pneumococcal lineages associated with serotype replacement and antibiotic resistance in childhood invasive pneumococcal disease in the post-PCV13 era: an international whole-genome sequencing study', The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 19, pp. 759 - 769, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(19)30297-X
    Journal articles | 2018
    Balsells E; Dagan R; Yildirim I; Gounder PP; Steens A; Muñoz-Almagro C; Mameli C; Kandasamy R; Givon Lavi N; Daprai L; van der Ende A; Trzciński K; Nzenze SA; Meiring S; Foster D; Bulkow LR; Rudolph K; Valero-Rello A; Ducker S; Vestrheim DF; von Gottberg A; Pelton SI; Zuccotti GV; Pollard AJ; Sanders EAM; Campbell H; Madhi SA; Nair H; Kyaw MH, 2018, 'The relative invasive disease potential of Streptococcus pneumoniae among children after PCV introduction: A systematic review and meta-analysis', Journal of Infection, 77, pp. 368 - 378, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jinf.2018.06.004
    Journal articles | 2018
    Lo SW; Gladstone RA; Van Tonder AJ; Hawkins PA; Kwambana-Adams B; Cornick JE; Madhi SA; Nzenze SA; Du Plessis M; Kandasamy R; Carter PE; Eser ÖK; Ho PL; Elmdaghri N; Shakoor S; Clarke SC; Antonio M; Everett DB; Von Gottberg A; Klugman KP; McGee L; Breiman RF; Bentley SD, 2018, 'Global distribution of invasive serotype 35D streptococcus pneumoniae isolates following introduction of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine', Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 56, http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JCM.00228-18
    Journal articles | 2018
    Voysey M; Fanshawe TR; Kelly DF; O'Brien KL; Kandasamy R; Shrestha S; Thorson S; Hinds J; Pollard AJ, 2018, 'Serotype-Specific Correlates of Protection for Pneumococcal Carriage: An Analysis of Immunity in 19 Countries', Clinical Infectious Diseases, 66, pp. 913 - 920, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cid/cix895
    Journal articles | 2016
    Kandasamy R; Voysey M; McQuaid F; De Nie K; Ryan R; Orr O; Uhlig U; Sande C; O'Connor D; Pollard AJ, 2016, 'Non-specific immunological effects of selected routine childhood immunisations: Systematic review', BMJ (Online), 355, http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.i5225
    Journal articles | 2016
    Voysey M; Kandasamy R; Yu LM; Baudin M; Sadorge C; Thomas S; John T; Pollard AJ, 2016, 'The predicted persistence and kinetics of antibody decline 9 years after pre-school booster vaccination in UK children', Vaccine, 34, pp. 4221 - 4228, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.06.051
    Journal articles | 2015
    Hamaluba M; Kandasamy R; Ndimah S; Morton R; Caccamo M; Robinson H; Kelly S; Field A; Norman L; Plested E; Thompson BAV; Zafar A; Kerridge SA; Lazarus R; John T; Holmes J; Fenlon SN; Gould KA; Waight P; Hinds J; Crook D; Snape MD; Pollard AJ, 2015, 'A cross-sectional observational study of pneumococcal carriage in children, their parents, and older adults following the introduction of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine', Medicine (United States), 94, pp. e335, http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000000335
    Journal articles | 2015
    Hamaluba M; Kandasamy R; Upreti SR; Subedi GR; Shrestha S; Bhattarai S; Gurung M; Pradhan R; Voysey M; Gurung S; Pradhan S; Thapa AK; Maharjan R; Kiran U; Kerridge SA; Hinds J; van der Klis F; Snape MD; Murdoch DR; Kelly S; Kelly DF; Adhikari N; Thorson S; Pollard AJ, 2015, 'Comparison of two-dose priming plus 9-month booster with a standard three-dose priming schedule for a ten-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in Nepalese infants: A randomised, controlled, open-label, non-inferiority trial', The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 15, pp. 405 - 414, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(15)70007-1
    Journal articles | 2015
    Kandasamy R; Gurung M; Thapa A; Ndimah S; Adhikari N; Murdoch DR; Kelly DF; Waldron DE; Gould KA; Thorson S; Shrestha S; Hinds J; Pollard AJ, 2015, 'Multi-serotype pneumococcal nasopharyngeal carriage prevalence in vaccine naive nepalese children, assessed using molecular serotyping', PLoS ONE, 10, http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0114286
    Journal articles | 2004
    Riminton DS; Kandasamy R; Dravec D; Basten A; Baxter AG, 2004, 'Dermal Enhancement: Bacterial Products on Intact Skin Induce and Augment Organ-Specific Autoimmune Disease', Journal of Immunology, 172, pp. 302 - 309, http://dx.doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.172.1.302