JAMSpod

For our new World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2020 special of JAMSpod we’ll be speaking to different experts taking different approaches to tackle antibiotic resistance in Australia:

Professor Trevor Lithgow: a Professor at the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, A Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and Director of the newly established Centre to Impact AMR at Monash University. He is a world-renowned expert in molecular biology, host-pathogen interactions and bacterial cell biology and has received many prestigious awards including most recently the Lemberg Medal for outstanding contribution to Science from the Australian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Dr Mark Blaskovich: the Director of the Centre for Superbug Solutions in the Institute for Molecular Bioscience at the University of Queensland and co-founder of CO-ADD (Community for Open Antimicrobial Drug Discovery). He is an expert in antibiotic discovery and development and has received over $20 mill in funding including the world-renowned CARB-X (Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator) grant and recently an NHMRC development grant.

Associate Professor Slade Jensen: in the School of Medicine at University of Western Sydney and a Group Leader of the Antibiotic Resistance and Mobile Elements Group (ARMEG) based at the Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research. He is an expert in microbial evolution and acquisition of antibiotic resistance through mobile genetic elements. He has received numerous grants for his outstanding work including an Excellence in Teaching Award. 

Associate Professor Deborah Williamson: a Clinical Microbiologist and Deputy Director of the Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory (MDU PHL). She is also a Laboratory Head in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Melbourne. She’s an expert in public health laboratory services and specialises in epidemiology, antimicrobial resistance, and surveillance of infectious diseases. She has been awarded the prestigious L’Oreal-UNESCO for Women in Science Fellowship for her achievements and is a member of the Royal College of Physicians and a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists.

Associate Professor Andrea Whittaker: a Convenor of Anthropology in the School of Social Sciences at Monash University. She is also a Co-Leader of the Health and Biofutures Focus Program and Lead Researcher for the Centre for Impact in Antimicrobial Resistance at Monash University. Her research specialises in global medical trade and mobility, anthropology, international public health and antimicrobial resistance. She has been awarded the prestigious Academy of Social Sciences in Australia Fellowship and was a Member-at-Large on the Board of the Society for Medical Anthropology, American Anthropology Association.

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JAMS is proud to introduce JAMSpod, your new favourite Australian microbiology podcast where you will get to know the amazing scientists behind the microscope.JAMSpod and our National Science Week special ‘Getting to know your friendly neighbourhood microbiologist’ can be accessed on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/jamspod/id1527365795
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https://open.spotify.com/show/5NMjffHzYeDP9d35iRPlc1
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The Joint Academic Microbiology Seminars team is excited to introduce a brand new, microbiology-themed series of podcasts called Getting to Know Your Friendly Neighbourhood Microbiologist. Join us on a microscopic journey with host Dr. Lucie Semenec, and producer Dr. Amy Cain from Macquarie University as they interview a range of microbiologists in National Science Week. 

In the JAMSpod, listeners will explore questions like: who are the researchers behind the microscope that society is placing their trust in understanding the new coronavirus and other widespread diseases? Where are the places to search for drugs and what are the challenges of vaccine and drug discovery and development? How are they trying to improve our lives, from health to environment, with their research? 

In each episode, national leaders in microbiology will share insights about their research, discuss establishing a career and issues they’ve faced. Scientists in different microbiology fields will share how have they been impacted by COVID19 – whether it’s helped or hindered their careers in infection and microbiology. 

The JAMSpod will ask all your burning questions: will the current pandemic place a larger spotlight on the importance of microbiology? Where do you see this COVID situation in 1 years’ time? Can you take us through a day in your life in the lab?

Guest questions from the public will also be included, and can be submitted via the online JAMS Twitter feed.

Guests will include those on the frontline of infectious disease such as viral expert Dr. Tim Newsome (University of Sydney), Prof. Liz Harry who does antimicrobial drug discovery within the natural product space (think manuka honey) and A/Prof Willa Huston who tackles nasty sexually-transmitted diseases (the ithree Institute, University of Technology Sydney). 

The JAMSpod will also be talking to local microbiome pioneers, like Prof. Michael Gillings (Macquarie University) and Dr. Brendan Burns (Deputy Director of the Australian Centre for Astrobiology, University of New South Wales) about how studying microorganisms in the gut and in the environment can help us combat environmental disasters and a range of diseases. 

Other guests to be interviewed will include Prof. Ian Paulsen (Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology), who creates Sci-fi style “neo-biochemistry” of Frankenstein-bugs for industrial purposes, as well as fungal expert Prof. Dee Carter (University of Sydney) who looks at persistent fungal infections. 

Beyond research in their respective fields, the JAMSpod will reveal how these microbiology superstars got to where they are now and what their day to day life as a scientist is like.

A big thank you to all our our interviewed guests so far as well as Nick Coleman, Hugh Goold, Thomas Jeffries and Joanna Rothwell for assisting in editing the podcast.