JCU > Research Portfolio > Prof Emma McBryde

About

Emma McBryde is an infectious diseases physician who did her PhD in mathematics; specifically Mathematical and Statistical modelling of disease transmission in hospitals. Since then, she has moved into modelling infectious diseases of global significance, including influenza, SARS and tuberculosis. Emma has led consultancies for AusAID, DFAT, the Commonwealth Department of Health and participated in Gates funded work on modelling to guide policy in tuberculosis. She is developing work on allocative efficiency for tuberculosis program development in partnership with the Global Fund and the World Bank.

Emma moved to Townsville from Melbourne, leaving the position of Head of Epidemiology at the Victorian Infectious Diseases Service. She continues to collaborate with many researchers in Melbourne across University of Melbourne and the Burnet Institute, but is looking forward to new collaborations in the Tropics; across James Cook University and further afield with regional partners.

Emma has published over 80 peer reviewed publications on epidemiology and modelling; has supervised 4 PhD students (1 to completion and 3 to submission status) and is currently supervising 3 additional PhD students. She has numerous grants from both ARC and NHMRC, including a current centre for research excellence (NHMRC-CRE) in modelling infectious diseases to inform public health policy. Emma is actively collaborating across James Cook University with research areas of health systems, basic science (microbiology and immunology), health economics, genomics and across Australia in epidemiology and modelling and specifically in tuberculosis research. She is an elected official of the Australasian Tuberculosis Forum and an affiliate of the CRE in TB research.

Teaching

MD3012: Introduction to Clinical Healthcare Part 2 of 2 (Level 3; TSV)

Research Disciplines

Socio-Economic Objectives

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

Guernier V, Diefenbach-Elstob T, Pelowa D, Pollard S, Burgess G, McBryde E and Warner J (2018) Molecular diagnosis of suspected tuberculosis from archived smear slides from the Balimo region, Papua New Guinea. International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 67. pp. 75-81
Meehan M, Cocks D, Trauer J and McBryde E (2018) Coupled, multi-strain epidemic models of mutating pathogens. Mathematical Biosciences, 296. pp. 82-92
Alene K, Yi H, Viney K, McBryde E, Yang K, Bai L, Gray D, Clements A and Xu Z (2017) Treatment outcomes of patients with multidrug-resistant and extensively drug resistant tuberculosis in Hunan Province, China. BMC Infectious Diseases, 17.
Alene K, Viney K, McBryde E and Clements A (2017) Spatial patterns of multidrug resistant tuberculosis and relationships to socio-economic, demographic and household factors in northwest Ethiopia. PLoS ONE, 12 (2). pp. 1-14
Alene K, Viney K, McBryde E, Tsegaye A and Clements A (2017) Treatment outcomes in patients with multidrug‐resistant tuberculosis in north‐west Ethiopia. Tropical Medicine and International Health , 22 (3). pp. 351-362
Clifford V, Tebruegge M, Zufferey C, Germano S, Forbes B, Cosentino L, McBryde E, Eisen D, Robins-Browne R, Street A, Denholm J and CUrtis N (2017) Mycobacteria-specific cytokine responses as correlates of treatment response in active and latent tuberculosis. Journal of Infection, 75. pp. 132 - 145
Denholm J, McBryde E, Eisen D, Street A, Matchett E, Chen C, Shultz T, Biggs B and Leder K (2017) SIRCLE: a randomised controlled cost comparison of self-administered short-course isoniazid and rifapentine for cost-effective latent tuberculosis eradication. Internal Medicine Journal, 47 (12). pp. 1433-1436
Dimasuay K, Gong L, Rosario F, McBryde E, Spelman T, Glazier J, Rogerson S, Beeson J, Jansson T, Devenish R and Boeuf P (2017) Impaired placental autophagy in placental malaria. PLoS ONE, 12 (11).
Doan T, Eisen D, Rose M, Slack A, Stearnes G and McBryde E (2017) Interferon-gamma release assay for the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection: a latent-class analysis. PLoS One, 12 (11).
Eisen D, Moore E, Leder K, Lockery J, McBryde E, McNeil J, Pilcher D, Wolfe R and Woods R (2017) Aspirin to inhibit SEPSIS (ANTISEPSIS) randomised controlled trial protocol. BMJ Open, 7 (1). pp. 1-7
Horwood P, Soli K, Maure T, Naito Y, Morita A, Natsuhara K, Tadokoro K, Baba J, Odani S, Tomitsuka E, Igai K, Larkins J, Siba P, Pomat W, McBryde E, Umezaki M and Greenhill A (2017) A high burden of asymptomatic gastrointestinal infections in traditional communities in Papua New Guinea. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 97 (6). pp. 1872-1875
McBryde E, Meehan M, Doan T, Ragonnet R, Marais B, Guernier V and Trauer J (2017) The risk of global epidemic replacement with drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains. International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 56. pp. 14-20

More: ResearchOnline@JCU stores 110+ research outputs authored by Prof Emma McBryde from 2002 onwards.

Current Funding

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

NHMRC - Project Partnership Grant

Implementation of quality improvement in Indigenous primary health care: Leveraging Effective Ambulatory Practices (LEAP)

Indicative Funding: $1,129,210 over 3 years, in partnership with Northern Territory Department of Health, Top End Health ($20,000 over 3 yrs); Northern Territory Primary Health Network (NTPHN) ($38,700 over 3 yrs) and Western Queensland Primary Health Network (WQPHN) ($210,000 over 3 yrs)
Summary: Despite increased policy attention and funding, not all primary healthcare (PHC) services for Indigenous Australians show the desired improvements in quality of care. Practices which provide PHC services are complex systems and emerging evidence indicates many things affect quality improvement. There remains a knowledge gap regarding what is required for Indigenous PHCs to succeed in improving the quality of their services and, subsequently, health outcomes for their patients. This project will capitalise on emerging research and existing strong partnerships to provide a solid evidence base for interventions to improve quality of priority health services in Indigenous PHC settings.
Investigators: Sarah Larkins, Ross Baille, Jacinta Elston, Paul Burgess, Emma McBryde, Kerry Copley, Rebecca Evans, V Matthews and Karen Carlisle (College of Medicine & Dentistry, The University of Sydney, Division of Tropical Health & Medicine, Department of Health (NT), Australian Institute of Tropical Health & Medicine, Aboriginal Medical Service and Menzies School of Health Research)
Keywords: Learning community; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander; Primary Health Care; Quality Improvement

QLD Department of Science, Information, Technology and Innovation - Advance Queensland Research Fellowship

Combating antibiotic-resistant infections using a health system approach

Indicative Funding: $300,000 over 3 years
Summary: The march of antibiotic resistance across the globe is leading to what many are calling the ?post-antibiotic era?. This puts a massive, preventable burden both on patients and Queensland?s health system, costing millions of dollars each year. North Queensland is geographically vulnerable to emerging infectious diseases, located at the tropical Indo- Pacific gateway, with the highest rates of resistant tuberculosis, and incursions of dengue virus, for example. This project will generate an evidence base for cost and risks of infectious diseases in North Queensland; by linking several health system datasets, to synthesise prospective and retrospective cohorts. Professorial and Infectious Diseases Units at TTH are co-investigators of the project investing personnel to perform the research. Further, TTH infection control and executive policy-makers are the target end-user for translation of the research.
Investigators: Emma McBryde (Australian Institute of Tropical Health & Medicine)
Keywords: Antibiotic resistance; Health systems; Decision support; Health economics; Mathematical models; Operations research

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) - Tropical Disease Research Regional Collaboration Initiative

Tropical partnerships to strengthen health systems responses to infectious diseases threats

Indicative Funding: $2,000,000 over 2 years
Summary: The Asia Pacific Region is facing frequent threats from emerging and existing infectious diseases. The capacity to mount a timely effective response is compromised in poorly functioning health systems seen in parts of the region. The resulting vulnerability affects the whole region, including Australia. Strengthening capacity to prepare and respond to these threats is thus a shared responsibility. This proposal aims to tackle the problem through collaboration with institutions, researchers and policy makers across the region, building on long held partnerships.
Investigators: Emma McBryde, Sarah Larkins, Archie Clements, Barend (Ben) Marais, Peter Siba, Maxine Whittaker, Tom Burkot, David MacLaren, George Milne and Richard Speare (Australian Institute of Tropical Health & Medicine, College of Medicine & Dentistry, Australian National University, The University of Sydney, Institute of Medical Research (PNG), College of Public Health, Medical & Vet Sciences and The University of Western Australia)
Keywords: Health system strengthening; Infectious Diseases; Epidemiology; Disease Surveillance

World Diabetes Foundation - Research Grant

Increased awareness of and access to diabetes and tuberculosis care in New Ireland Province of Papua New Guinea

Indicative Funding: $307,331 over 5 years
Summary: The 3-year project is intended to (1) raise awareness of Diabetes and TB among the general populationin New Ireland Province (2) Train doctors, nurses, pharmacists and community health workers to effectively treat Diabetes and TB (3) Establish better monitoring of Diabetes and TB in remote areas with the help of electronic registry and mobile phone technology (4) conduct public health campaigns by the local health professionals and to screen and monitor the diseases with the help of mobile phone technology.
Investigators: Usman Malabu, Emma McBryde, Venkat Vangaveti, Matthew McLee and Frank Apamumu (Australian Institute of Tropical Health & Medicine, College of Medicine & Dentistry and Kavieng General Hospital)

Townsville Hospital and Health Service - Research Grant

SRETA - Study Research Education Trust Account - Linkage of Queensland Health databases for description and research of infectious diseases affecting Queenslanders

Indicative Funding: $21,050
Summary: It is possible to examine health data using stored information from Queensland Health databases. A standardised process of data-linkage is followed after approval of release of patient information under the Public Health Act. The resulting information is anonymised. Datasets containing de-identified information on patients admitted to hospital with sever infections would allow for the types of retrospective cohort studies needed to understand the reasons people have these infections and how they should be treated. Using information linked under the structure described in the Queensland Data Linkage Framework will allow us to perform observational analysis with large amounts of patient data.
Investigators: Damon Eisen and Emma McBryde in collaboration with Subashini Srirengam (College of Medicine & Dentistry and Australian Institute of Tropical Health & Medicine)
Keywords: Infectious Diseases; inpatient; cohort; retrospective; Database; administrative data-linkage

Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation - Research Grant

Unravelling the correlates of protection against tuberculosis

Indicative Funding: $5,000
Summary: Tuberculosis is a major global public health problem and continues to cause significant morbidity and mortality due to the low efficiency of the only licensed anti-tuberculosis vaccine, BCG. This project aims to unravel the immunological correlates that mediate protection against tuberculosis. Using high-dimensional immune profiling and microbiome analyses we will compare immune responses to BCG vaccination with Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in children in the Torres Strait.
Investigators: Andreas Kupz, Emma McBryde and Severine Navarro (Australian Institute of Tropical Health & Medicine)
Keywords: Mycobacterium Tuberculosis; Mycobacteria); BCG (Mycobacteria); Vaccine development; Immunology; 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 epidemiology of tuberculosis in the Balimo district of Western Province, Papua New Guinea (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Identification and Molecular Characterization of Food Allergens in Aquatic Products from Vietnam (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Genomics and Transmission Dynamics of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis in PNG and the Torres Strait (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM)
Using mathematical models to develop TB control strategies in Bangladesh (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM)
Epidemiological profile of tuberculosis patients from the Torres Strait Islands, including Treaty visitors from Papua New Guinea to the Torres Strait Protected Zone (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM)

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.