Tom Riley

Professor Tom Riley is an Adjunct Professor at the School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University (ECU). His expertise lies in medical microbiology, focusing on infectious disease epidemiology, particularly Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) and its role in healthcare-associated infections. He has held prestigious awards and fellowships, including the Saal-Foley Lecturer (2001), Renown Visiting Researcher Award (2011), and multiple research fellowships. His work emphasizes pathogenesis, antimicrobial resistance, and environmental reservoirs of pathogens.

Education:

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Microbiology, The University of Western Australia, 1985

Research Interests:

• Epidemiology and pathogenesis of C. difficile infections
• Zoonotic transmission and One Health approaches
• Antimicrobial resistance mechanisms
• Environmental contamination and infection control

Grants & Collaborations:

• $3.5M NHMRC/ARC grants as Chief Investigator
• Collaboration with Singapore Ministry of Health under Health Manpower Development Plan (HMDP)
• International partnerships in Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam

Key Achievements:

• Over 25 publications in 2023 alone, focusing on genomic epidemiology and environmental C. difficile
• Leadership in global studies on C. difficile ribotypes and resistome

Labs & Teams: Involved in interdisciplinary teams at ECU and international collaborations, including work on wastewater pathogen surveillance and equine health.