JCU > Research Portfolio > Dr Cadhla Firth

About

I'm an evolutionary biologist by training, but my current research includes field ecology, molecular biology, phylodynamics and bioinformatics. I take a systems biology approach to asking questions about how our changing world (and especially urbanisation), is likely to impact infectious disease risk for people living in the tropics.

Interests

Research

Urbanisation
Emerging Infectious Diseases
Zoonoses

Research Disciplines

Socio-Economic Objectives

Honours

Fellowships

2019 - HOT NORTH Career Development Fellow
2015 - ARC DECRA Fellow

Publications

These are the most recent publications associated with this author. To see a detailed profile of all publications stored at JCU, visit ResearchOnline@JCU. Hover over Altmetrics badges to see social impact.

Journal Articles

Blasdell K, Morand S, Laurance S, Doggett S, Hahs A, Trinh K, Perera D and Firth C (2022) Rats and the city: Implications of urbanization on zoonotic disease risk in Southeast Asia. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 119 (39).
Steinig E, Aglua I, Duchene S, Meehan M, Yoannes M, Firth C, Jaworski J, Drekore J, Urakoko B, Poka H, Wurr C, Ebos E, Nangen D, Muller E, Mulvey P, Jackson C, Blomfeldt A, Vangstein Aamot H, Laman M, Manning L, Earls M, Coleman D, Greenhill A, Ford R, Stegger M, Ali Syed M, Jamil B, Monecke S, Ehricht R, Smith S, Pomat W, Horwood P, Tong S and McBryde E (2022) Phylodynamic signatures in the emergence of community-associated MRSA. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 119 (45).
Steinig E, Duchene S, Aglua I, Greenhill A, Ford R, Yoannes M, Jaworski J, Drekore J, Urakoko B, Poka H, Wurr C, Ebos E, Nangen D, Manning L, Laman M, Firth C, Smith S, Pomat W, Tong S, Coin L, McBryde E and Horwood P (2022) Phylodynamic Inference of Bacterial Outbreak Parameters Using Nanopore Sequencing. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 39 (3).
Saggiomo S, Firth C, Wilson D, Seymour J, Miles J and Wong Y (2021) The geographic distribution, venom components, pathology and treatments of stonefish (Synanceia spp.) venom. Marine Drugs, 19 (6).
Blasdell K, Morand S, Perera D and Firth C (2019) Association of rodent-borne Leptospira spp. with urban environments in Malaysian Borneo. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 13 (2).
Blasdell K, Perera D and Firth C (2019) High prevalence of rodent-borne Bartonella spp. in urbanizing environments in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 100 (3). pp. 506-509
Wang J, Firth C, Amos-Ritchie R, Davis S, Yin H, Holmes E, Blasdell K and Walker P (2019) Evolutionary history of Simbu serogroup orthobunyaviruses in the Australian episystem. Virology, 535. pp. 32-44
Williams S, Che X, Oleynik A, Garcia J, Muller D, Zabka T, Firth C, Corrigan R, Briese T, Jain K and Lipkin W (2019) Discovery of two highly divergent negative-sense RNA viruses associated with the parasitic nematode, Capillaria hepatica, in wild Mus musculus from New York City. Journal of General Virology, 100 (10). pp. 1350-1362
Firth C, Blasdell K, Amos-Ritchie R, Sendow I, Agnihotri K, Boyle D, Daniels P, Kirkland P and Walker P (2017) Genomic analysis of bluetongue virus episystems in Australia and Indonesia. Veterinary Research, 48.
Peterson A, Ghersi B, Alda F, Firth C, Frye M, Bai Y, Osikowicz L, Riegel C, Lipkin W, Kosoy M and Blum M (2017) Rodent-borne Bartonella infection varies according to host species within and among cities. EcoHealth, 14 (4). pp. 771-782
Huang B, Firth C, Watterson D, Allcock R, Colmant A, Hobson-Peters J, Kirkland P, Hewitson G, McMahon J, Hall-Mendelin S, van den Hurk A and Warrilow D (2016) Genetic characterization of archived bunyaviruses and their potential for emergence in Australia. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 22 (5). pp. 833-840
Blasdell K, Widen S, Wood T, Holmes E, Vasilakis N, Tesh R, Walker P, Guzman H and Firth C (2015) Ledantevirus: a proposed new genus in the Rhabdoviridae has a strong ecological association with bats. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 92. pp. 405-410

More: ResearchOnline@JCU stores 17+ research outputs authored by Dr Cadhla Firth from 2014 onwards.

Current Funding

Current and recent Research Funding to JCU is shown by funding source and project.

National Health & Medical Research Council - Ideas Grants

The ecological and evolutionary factors influencing the establishment and persistence of community associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) in resourcelimited, high-burden settings

Indicative Funding: $603,908 over 3 years
Summary: Our preliminary data suggests that there is high circulation of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) in the highlands of PNG. We propose a hospital- and community-based study to determine the ecological and evolutionary factors associated with the establishment of the highly virulent MRSA ST93 clone in the highlands of PNG. This study will provide vital information for clinicians, public health professionals and policy makers in PNG to guide treatment and interventions to reduce the impact of MRSA-associated AHO in the country. Indeed, these findings will also inform strategies for the treatment and prevention of MRSA-associated AHO in other resource-limited settings.
Investigators: Paul Horwood, Izzard Aglua, Andrew Greenhill, Simon Smith, Cadhla Firth, Eike Steinig and Celestina Aho (College of Public Health, Medical & Vet Sciences, Kundiawa General Hospital, Federation University Australia, Menzies School of Health Research and Institute of Medical Research (PNG))
Keywords: Staphylococcus Aureus; MRSA; Osteoarthritis; Papua New Guinea; Zoonosis; Genomics

Tropical Australian Academic Health Centre Limited - Contract Research

Can portable genome sequencing provide a rapid, comprehensive, point-of-care diagnostic test for Far North Queensland hospitals and healthcare centres?

Indicative Funding: $49,987 over 2 years
Summary: Respiratory disease, fevers, and sepsis are common in FNQ and treatment often requires admission to hospital. These infections have many different causes, and diagnosing them requires multiple tests that take weeks to perform. Consequently, patients are treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics before a pathogen is identified, leading to poorer outcomes for the patient and contributing to the spread of antibiotic-resistant infections. We will trial new genome sequencing technology as a point-of-care diagnostic test for fever, sepsis, and pneumonia at Cairns Hospital, and test the hypothesis that this approach will increase the proportion of infections that are diagnosed and reduce the time-to-diagnosis.
Investigators: John McBride, Cadhla Firth, Simon Smith, Joshua Hanson, Matt Field, Emma McBryde, John Miles, Damon Eisen and Christopher Heather (College of Medicine & Dentistry, Australian Institute of Tropical Health & Medicine and Queensland Health)
Keywords: Genomics; Healthcare; pathogens

Menzies School of Health Research - 2019/2020 Hot North Pilot and Translation Projects

Portable genome sequencing as a point-of-care diagnostic test in remote tropical Australia.

Indicative Funding: $36,159 over 1 year
Summary: Respiratory disease, fevers, and sepsis are common in tropical northern Australia, and treatment often requires admission to hospital. We will trial new portable genome sequencing technology as a point-of-care diagnostic test for fever, sepsis, and pneumonia at Thursday Island Hospital in Far North Queensland. We will test the hypothesis that this new approach will increase the proportion of infections that are diagnosed and reduce the time it takes to achieve a diagnosis. Throughout the course of this project, clinical staff and health workers will have the opportunity to be trained in specimen preparation, genome sequencing, and data interpretation.
Investigators: Cadhla Firth, John McBride, Joshua Hanson, Matt Field and Anthony Brown in collaboration with Simon Smith (Australian Institute of Tropical Health & Medicine, College of Medicine & Dentistry, Cairns & Hinterland Hospital & Health Service and Torres & Cape Hospital & Health Service)
Keywords: Infectious Diseases; Diagnostics; Respiratory Health

Menzies School of Health Research - HOT NORTH Fellowship

Metagenomics for Pathogen Detection and Dynamics in Australia?s Tropical North

Indicative Funding: $182,779 over 2 years
Summary: Metagenomic NGS (mNGS) can reveal features of the host response to infection, identify genes associated with antimicrobial resistance or virulence, and allow for real-time epidemiological tracking of outbreaks. Given the complex clinical and epidemiological landscape of Australia?s tropical north, mNGS techniques have the potential to improve diagnostic capabilities, reduce time-totreatment and exposure to unnecessary antimicrobials, and increase our understanding of the patterns of emergence and spread of infectious diseases in the region.
Investigators: Cadhla Firth in collaboration with John McBride (Australian Institute of Tropical Health & Medicine and College of Medicine & Dentistry)
Keywords: Metagenomics; Next Generation Sequencing; Infectious disease

Supervision

Advisory Accreditation: I can be on your Advisory Panel as a Primary or Secondary Advisor.

These Higher Degree Research projects are either current or by students who have completed their studies within the past 5 years at JCU. Linked titles show theses available within ResearchOnline@JCU.

Current

The Threat of Feral Pigs as a Reservoir of Zoonotic Diseases in North Queensland (PhD , Secondary Advisor/AM)
Development of a Framework for determining Zoonotic emerging Infectipous Disease risk profiles at Traditional Food Markets as a method for implementing long-term Risk Mitigation measures and improved Self-governance (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
The effects of rainforest fragmentation on parasite infections in terrestrial mammals (PhD , Secondary Advisor)

Collaboration

The map shows research collaborations by institution from the past 7 years.
Note: Map points are indicative of the countries or states that institutions are associated with.