Hannah is an infectious disease epidemiologist and Head of the Infections and Vaccines Program and the Infectious Disease Epidemiology Team within the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases at the Telethon Kids Institute.
Through her PhD which she completed in 2011 at UWA, she established the first ever linkages with routine microbiology data to population-based administrative health datasets in Western Australia. Using these data, Hannah is generating new knowledge about infections in childhood including Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), one of the most common viruses that affects the lungs of babies and young children. This knowledge, which includes estimates of burden, risk factors and understanding the seasonal patterns in different populations is crucial for establishing the need for an RSV vaccination program.
Hannah is also the Western Australian lead on the first national study investigating real-world vaccine effectiveness of routine immunisations for children in Western Australia and New South Wales. She has contributed to maternal influenza vaccination policy in Western Australia and is currently contributing to national seasonal influenza vaccination policy though her involvement in a collaborative network.
She has co-authored over 55 publications in the area of infectious diseases in children. She is passionate about women in science.
Outside of her research she is mum to two young children and enjoys spending time with her family and volunteering at the Perth Dinghy Sailing Club where she spends most of her summer weekends.
