Erin Price

Associate Professor Erin Price is a microbiologist and molecular geneticist at the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC), leading the Pathogen-Omics lab. Her primary role involves investigating bacterial pathogens affecting human health, with a focus on chronic respiratory diseases and antibiotic resistance. She holds positions as Theme Leader in Human and Animal Health and Disease at the Centre for Bioinnovation, Cluster Leader in Infectious Diseases & Antimicrobial Resistance at the Sunshine Coast Health Institute, and Honorary Fellow at Menzies School of Health Research.

Education includes a PhD in Microbiology, a Graduate Certificate in Research Communication, and a Bachelor of Applied Science (Honours) from Queensland University of Technology (Qld.UT). Her research emphasizes microbial genomics and transcriptomics to improve diagnostics and treatments for infections like melioidosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Current projects include metagenomics studies in COPD and identifying secondary infections in COVID-19 patients (CoViBac study). She has supervised three PhD and two Honours students in areas like antimicrobial resistance and molecular diagnostics.

Her work has been recognized with awards such as the Fellow of the Australian Society for Microbiology (2017) and the NHMRC Research Excellence Award (2013). Key research grants include a $921,000 NHMRC grant for COPD lung infection studies and an Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowship. Her publications span genomics, pathogen evolution, and diagnostic tool development, with recent focus on Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia pseudomallei.

• Grants & Awards: NHMRC grants, Charles Darwin University awards, and industry partnerships.
• Research Themes: Antimicrobial resistance, microbial genomics, chronic respiratory infections, and diagnostic innovation.
• Labs & Teams: Pathogen-Omics Lab (co-lead), Sunshine Coast Health Institute (Cluster Leader).