Martina Jelocnik

Dr. Martina Jelocnik is a Lecturer in Microbiology at the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC), affiliated with the School of Science, Technology and Engineering and the Centre for Bioinnovation. Her research focuses on chlamydial infections in livestock, wildlife, and their zoonotic potential, employing molecular epidemiology and One Health approaches. She leads the 'Molecular Chlamydia' team, investigating diagnostics, pathogen spread, and control strategies for veterinary chlamydiosis.

Education: PhD (Microbiology), BBioMedSc (Hons), and BAppSci from Queensland universities. Her expertise spans veterinary microbiology, molecular diagnostics, and chlamydial genomics.

Research interests include Chlamydia psittaci in horses, C. pecorum in koalas and livestock, and avian Chlamydia strains. She has pioneered rapid diagnostic tools (e.g., LAMP assays) and secured grants like the ARC DECRA Fellowship (2019) for chlamydial research.

Awards: 2023 Jirro Kikkawa Award, 2022 UniSC Excellence Award, and 2017 Fresh Science finalist. Active in STEM outreach and science communication, she collaborates nationally and internationally with research groups, governments, and industries.

Grants include Agrifutures Australia projects on equine chlamydiosis diagnostics and ARC funding for avian/chlamydial epidemiology. Her work emphasizes cross-sector collaboration to address emerging infectious diseases at human-animal interfaces.

Labs/Teams: Leads the Molecular Chlamydia group within the Centre for Bioinnovation, focusing on translational research for disease control and diagnostics.