Deborah Cromer

Associate Professor Deborah Cromer is a mathematical biologist leading the Infection Epidemiology and Policy Analytics Group within the Infection Analytics Program at the Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales (UNSW). She holds an NHMRC Investigator Fellowship and serves as a member of the World Health Organisation's Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Composition. Her work has significantly influenced international vaccination policy, particularly regarding immune correlates of protection for COVID-19.

Her research spans mathematical modeling of infectious diseases from both epidemiological and within-host perspectives. Key areas include COVID-19 immunology and epidemiology, HIV reactivation dynamics during and after antiretroviral therapy, and vaccination impacts on respiratory viruses including influenza, rotavirus, and RSV. She has made seminal contributions to establishing neutralizing antibody levels as predictors of protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants, which has directly informed global vaccine policy.

Analysis of her recent publications (2023-2025) reveals a strong focus on vaccine effectiveness against emerging variants, correlates of protection, immune memory dynamics following vaccination and infection, and mathematical modeling to inform public health responses. Her work bridges theoretical modeling with practical applications for pandemic response, demonstrating how quantitative approaches can directly impact real-world health policy decisions.

• Australian Museum Eureka Prize Finalist (2016 and 2023)
• Young Tall Poppy Science Award (2015)
• Aileen Plant Memorial Prize in Infectious Diseases Epidemiology (2015)
• Vice Chancellor's Post Doctoral Research Fellowship (2010-2014)

Professor Cromer has secured substantial research funding including an Investigator Grant (EL1: 2020-2024, EL2: 2025-2029), ARC Discovery Grants, and NHMRC Project Grants. She is actively involved in science communication, regularly presenting to school students and the public to promote understanding of immunity and vaccination, with a particular passion for encouraging females to pursue mathematics.

Her leadership extends to professional service as a member of the Kirby Institute Executive Committee, Executive Committee Member of the Women in Mathematics Special Interest Group of the Australian Mathematical Society, and Executive Committee Member of the Mathematical Biology Special Interest Group of ANZIAM.