Rowena Anne Bull

Professor Rowena Anne Bull is a tenured research scientist at the School of Medical Sciences and Kirby Institute for Infection and Immunity of the University of New South Wales. She obtained her PhD in 2008 and is internationally recognized for her expertise in RNA viruses and immunovirology.

• PhD, 2008

Her research focuses on training immune responses to combat genomically diverse RNA viruses (e.g., SARS-CoV-2, hepatitis C, dengue, influenza) through the development of high-throughput next-generation sequencing tools and flow cytometry-based methods for single B-cell analysis. She leads projects on memory B cells in hepatitis C reinfection and viral genomics.

She holds an NHMRC Investigator Grant (2020-2025) and has secured over $12 million in competitive funding, including a $9.06 million NHMRC Program Grant (2019-2024) for hepatitis C and drug dependence research.

Scientific Awards & Honors:

• Adrian Lee Travel scholarship, UNSW (2006)
• Australian Society of Microbiology Travel Award (2008)
• UNSW Citation Prize (2008)
• NHMRC Postdoctoral Training fellowship (2010)
• Dean’s Rising Star Award, UNSW Faculty of Medicine (2012)
• Australasian Virology Society Young Investigator Award (2013)
• SOMS Teaching Award for Adaptability & Innovation – Pathology UNSW (2020)

Prof Bull advises policymakers, consults for WHO and CDC, and serves as Treasurer for the Australian Centre for Hepatitis Virology and Vice President of the Australasian Virology Society. Her work bridges clinical research, bioinformatics, and public health policy.