Roslyn Hickson

Conjoint Associate Professor Roslyn Hickson serves as Science Leader for Emerging Infectious Diseases through a joint appointment between James Cook University and CSIRO. She holds affiliations with the Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine (AITHM), Centre for Tropical Biosecurity (CTB), Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS), WHO Collaborating Centre for Vector Borne Diseases, and previously with the University of Melbourne's School of Mathematics and Statistics.

• PhD in Engineering (Heat/Mass Transfer), UNSW Canberra 2010
• Research Fellow, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health (ANU)
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Newcastle (2011-2014)
• Research Scientist, IBM Research Australia (2014-2018)
• Research Fellow, Australian Centre of Research Excellence in Malaria Elimination (University of Melbourne, 2018)

Her research program focuses on mathematical modeling of infectious disease transmission with emphasis on emerging pathogens, zoonotic spillover events, and vector-borne diseases through One Health and biosecurity frameworks. She develops quantitative tools for risk assessment, surveillance optimization, and policy evaluation across Australian, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Island contexts. Current projects integrate ecological niche modeling, behavioral epidemiology, and multi-scale transmission dynamics to address challenges in pandemic preparedness and tropical disease control.

Analysis of her 28 publications reveals consistent focus on mathematical frameworks applicable to real-world health security challenges. Her work spans influenza, dengue, malaria (particularly Plasmodium vivax), Japanese encephalitis, and bat-borne pathogens, with increasing emphasis on model reproducibility and policy translation since the COVID-19 pandemic. Key methodological contributions include multiscale modeling approaches, behavior-disease interaction frameworks, and spillover risk prediction systems.

• Victorian Young Tall Poppy Science Award (2018)
• ITS Award for Excellence in Research and Development (2020)
• Ria de Groot Prize for best female postgraduate student (2010)
• Two-time EmTech Asia Innovators Under 35 Finalist (2016, 2017)
• Corporate Social Responsibility Award (2017)

As primary advisor for five doctoral candidates and multiple honours students, she supervises research on bat-pathogen ecology, feral pig zoonoses, and wildlife disease dynamics. Her committee service includes PREZODE international working group, Biosecurity Commons Advisory Panel, and editorial roles for BMC Infectious Diseases. Current research integrates ecological modeling with public health decision support systems through partnerships with WHO, CSIRO, and regional health authorities across the Indo-Pacific.