Dr Catriona Bradshaw, Monash University/University of Melbourne
01 September 2011
New ways of looking at old diseases
When Catriona Bradshaw volunteered as a visiting medical officer in sexual health and HIV medicine at an African hospital, it was a turning point that confirmed her career choice – in sexual health.
Her L’Oréal For Women In Science Fellowship allowed Catriona to work on clearing up confusion about a common genital infection of women – bacterial vaginosis. She suspects that bacterial vaginosis may be sexually transmitted. By studying the spread of the disease in young women she plans to determine if this is the case.
Qualifications
2007 Commenced postdoctoral studies Monash University Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine Sexual health physician, Melbourne Sexual Health Centre honorary Fellow School of Population Health, The University of Melbourne
2006 PhD The University of Melbourne School of Population Health
2003 Admitted as a Fellow of The Australasian Chapter of Sexual Health Physicians, Royal Australian College of Physicians
1999 Diploma of Venereology Melbourne Sexual Health Centre
1998 Certificate in Sexual and Reproductive Health Family Panning Victoria
1992 Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, First Class honours Monash University
Career Highlights
2007 NHMRC Public Health Fellowship
2003-2006 NHMRC Public Health Postgraduate Research Scholarship (PhD)
2003 HR Ackerman Travelling Scholarship, The University of Melbourne, Australia
1999 Venereology Society of Victoria Prize, Diploma of Venereology
Research Highlights
Recipient (with others) of NHMRC public health research project grant, $255,425 for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis: a randomised controlled trial.
Major research projects undertaken:
- A cross sectional study of 350 women to examine the epidemiological associations of BV
- A prospective study of 130 women with BV to evaluate the efficacy of current recommended therapy
- A case control study of non-gonococcal urethritis to examine possible causative agents and epidemiological and clinical associations in 636 men
- A cross-sectional study of street-based injecting drug users to determine the prevalence of blood-borne viruses and sexually transmitted infections.
- A randomized controlled trial to determine the efficacy of combination antibiotic therapy in the treatment of BV (NHMRC project grant) – in progress (n=450)
Visiting Medical Officer (volunteer) in sexual health and HIV medicine at the Queen Elizabeth Central hospital, Blantyre.
Six months in Kenya at the start of PhD (2002) developing a research protocol to examine access and provision of antiretroviral therapy to Kenyan sex workers, and genital tract shedding of HIV-1.
20 journal articles including 9 first author; 1 book chapter.
