Dee Carter

Professor Dee Carter is a faculty member in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Sydney. She holds affiliations with the Sydney Environment Institute, Sydney Institute of Agriculture, and the Centre for Drug Discovery Innovation. Her research focuses on microbial pathogenesis, antifungal drug development, and the antimicrobial properties of natural products like honey and plasma-activated water. She has conducted extensive studies on Cryptococcus, dermatophytes, and fungal biofilms, with a particular interest in drug synergy mechanisms and novel therapeutic approaches.

Dee Carter earned her PhD from Imperial College London (1992), followed by postdoctoral fellowships in France and the USA. She has been at the University of Sydney since 1995. Her work integrates microbiology, pharmacology, and environmental science to address challenges in infectious disease and food safety. Key contributions include identifying the antifungal potential of Australian stingless bee honey and developing plasma-activated water as a biofilm treatment.

Her research has been supported by grants such as 'A peptide-based adjuvant therapy to reduce the toxicity of Amphotericin B' (2021) and 'Future-Proofing the NSW Apiary Industry' (2020). She collaborates with industry partners on food safety and agricultural sustainability projects. Her publications span over three decades, with recent work emphasizing honeybee health, fungal pathogen dynamics, and innovative antimicrobial strategies.

Professor Carter’s lab investigates the ecological and medical applications of natural products, particularly in combating drug-resistant fungal infections. Current projects explore the microbiome of stressed bee colonies and the degradation of plastics by filamentous fungi. She is a sought-after expert in fungal pathogenesis and has contributed to policy discussions on foodborne disease prevention.