Centre for Infectious Disease and Microbiology | The Westmead Institute for Medical Research

The Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology (CIDM) was established in 1992 to combat the huge cost in human lives, lost productivity, social and economic instability caused by infections.

Preventing, controlling and treating infection can save the health system many millions of dollars every year. Our world-leading research aims to find better ways of controlling new and re-emerging infectious diseases, reducing the burden of hospital- and community-acquired infections, and improving health outcomes.

Diseases we research

Potentially fatal infections caused by bacteria and fungi
Antibiotic resistance
Cryptococcal meningitis

Our research themes include:

The causes, diagnosis and treatment of potentially fatal blood and neurological infections caused by bacteria and fungi
The origin and spread of antibiotic resistance in gram negative bacteria and its identification in clinical contexts
The pathogenesis of cryptococcal meningitis and fungal virulence determinants
The transmission dynamics, virulence characteristics and/or global epidemiology of bacterial, viral and fungal pathogens with epidemic or hospital transmission potential, using next generation sequencing and other cutting edge techniques
Development and testing of new diagnostics and novel therapeutics
Specific bioremediation of the human microflora, using novel plasmid manipulation and bacteriophage therapy techniques

Our research informs public health in NSW, and we play an important part in the Australian and global effort to tackle emerging outbreaks. We provide research training and education programs as well as a range of resources in clinical, epidemiological and laboratory aspects of infectious diseases and microbiology.

Research Teams

Critical Infection / BARRD Group

Fighting infection costs the health system billions of dollars every year, so treating infection is one of the most cost-effective interventions in modern medicine.

Emerging and Re-Emerging Infectious Diseases Group

Our research aims to understand and find better ways of controlling new and re-emerging infectious diseases such as tuberculosis.

Fungal Pathogenesis Group

We are one of a few groups in Australia researching the molecular and cell biology of pathogenic fungi to determine how they cause life threatening infections in immune suppressed patients, particular those with HIV.

Infectious Diseases Group

Our group has a strong track record over 20 years in research into the pathogenesis, epidemiology, risk factors, clinical features and outcomes of invasive disease due to the serious fungal pathogens Cryptococcus and Candida.

Translational Public Health Bacterial Genomics Group

We study the genetic profile of pathogens with epidemic potential to understand the transmission patterns and dynamics of outbreaks. Our work improves the efficiency of epidemic investigation and disease monitoring, and is improving understanding of drug resistance.

Molecular Mycology Research Group

Our research group is one of the world leading molecular epidemiology groups investigating fungal disease outbreaks.

Centre for Infectious Disease and Microbiology Email Centre