Deirdre Collins

Dr. Deirdre Collins is an NHMRC Early Career Fellow at Edith Cowan University (ECU), affiliated with the School of Medical and Health Sciences. She collaborates with Professor Thomas Riley's research group at PathWest Laboratory Medicine, QEII Medical Centre. Her primary focus is Clostridium difficile infection epidemiology, molecular diagnostics, and antimicrobial resistance. Dr. Collins holds a PhD from the University of Western Australia (2017) and a Master of Infectious Diseases (2011).

• Research Interests: Clostridium difficile infection, infectious disease epidemiology, molecular epidemiology, One Health, antimicrobial resistance.
• Key Projects: Includes a One Health/System Dynamics approach to reducing C. difficile infections (NHMRC Ideas Grant 2022–2025) and studies on environmental sources of C. difficile in hospitals.

Her research spans Asia-Pacific regions, emphasizing community and hospital-acquired infections. Notable achievements include:

• Published over 50 peer-reviewed articles on C. difficile genomics, transmission dynamics, and environmental contamination.
• Received awards such as the Australasian Epidemiological Association Travel Award (2018) and Vice-Chancellor's Excellence in Research Award (2018).
• Active in grants totaling over $2M, including NHMRC Early Career Fellowship (2019–2023).

Dr. Collins' work bridges laboratory research and public health policy, addressing global health challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration.