Raina MacIntyre

Professor Raina MacIntyre is NHMRC Leadership 3 Fellow and Professor of Global Biosecurity at the University of New South Wales, Faculty of Medicine & Health. She heads the Biosecurity Program at the Kirby Institute, conducting research in epidemiology, bioinformatics, health intelligence, vaccinology, bioterrorism prevention, mathematical modelling, and public health. As of 2024, she is ranked #1 globally on Respiratory Protective Devices and highly ranked in Smallpox research according to Expertscape, with an H-index of 81/64 and over 30,000 citations.

Her educational background includes:

• MBBS (1st Class Honours), University of Sydney, 1988
• Master of Applied Epidemiology, Australian National University, 1992
• PhD (Epidemiology), Australian National University, 1998
• Fellow, Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP), 1994
• Fellow, Australian Faculty of Public Health Medicine (FAFPHM), 1995

Professor MacIntyre's research spans four key areas: Personal protective equipment, Vaccinology, Epidemic response and emerging infectious diseases, and bioterrorism prevention. Her innovation, EPIWATCH®, is an advanced AI system for real-time global health intelligence that uses NLP, prioritization algorithms, and LLMs to scan open-source data for early epidemic signals. She has a 31-year track record in pandemics and respiratory virus control, with particular expertise in mask research, having published the largest body of clinical trials on face masks for healthcare workers internationally.

Her research publications demonstrate strong focus on emerging infectious disease modeling, vaccine effectiveness, and biosecurity threats. Recent work emphasizes AI-driven health intelligence systems, airborne transmission mitigation, and preparation for re-emergent pathogens like smallpox. Her articles consistently address practical applications of epidemiological research to inform public health policy and emergency response.

Professor MacIntyre has received numerous prestigious awards including the Eureka Prize for Leadership and Innovation in Science (2022), the Frank Fenner Award for Research in Infectious Diseases (2003), and the Sir Henry Wellcome Medal and Prize (2007). Her work has been globally recognized, with a quote from her mask research featured on the cover of Lancet in 2020.

She currently supervises PhD, ILP, and Masters students in infectious diseases epidemiology and biosecurity. Her research is supported by significant grants including an NHMRC Investigator grant (2023-2027), an MRFF grant for aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2, and a $5.39 million gift from Vitalik Buterin's Balvi Philanthropic Fund for EPIWATCH expansion in low and middle-income countries.

Professor MacIntyre leads a multidisciplinary team at the Kirby Institute including analysts, epidemiologists, AI specialists, and software engineers developing EPIWATCH® into a global hub for epidemic detection and mitigation. She also co-founded the ARM network for Australian outbreak response and serves on multiple WHO committees including the Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Composition and the SAGE Ad Hoc Working Group on Smallpox and Monkeypox.