Our expert parasitologist is Professor Michelle Power from Macquarie University. Michelle is particularly interested in parasite epidemiology and zoonotic risks, like the transmission of disease agents from humans to wildlife species. Michelle studies many pathogens with an emphasis on gut parasites and bacteria, and the interactions of these with diverse hosts like flying foxes, possums, koalas, Tasmanian devils, penguins, Australian sea lions and people. Michelle engages in many outreach activities, her Citizen Science project, Scoop a Poop, in collaboration with Taronga Zoo and the University of Sydney, enabled people to contribute to the global fight against antibiotic resistance.

For this story, Michelle will give us her expert opinion about Giardia parasites.

Our expert parasitologist is Dr Cameron Raw. Cameron is a Palawa man; Lecturer and Assistant Dean (Indigenous) in the Faculty of Science at The University of Melbourne. Cameron has been working in the Western Arnhem Land Dog Health Program led by Professor Liz Tudor at the Melbourne Veterinary School for the past ten years and is able to connect the veterinary research work that he is passionate about with serving Indigenous communities.

Episode 4 of ASP Parasite Podcast: What’s eating you? is all about Malaria and will drop in February 2025.

Our expert parasitologist is Dr Jill Chmielewski from Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. Jill works as a researcher, studying malaria, a parasitic disease which kills primarily young children in poorer parts of the tropics and sub-tropics.

For this story, Jill will give us her expert opinion about malaria parasites.

Episode 3 of ASP Parasite Podcast: What’s eating you? is all about Cryptosporidium and will be released on 6 January 2024.

Our expert parasitologist is Professor Una Ryan from Murdoch University. Una’s research has had a real impact. She was a pioneer of molecular epidemiology, especially of Cryptosporidium, discovering unsuspected environmental and zoonotic threats to human health and suggesting simple, practical ways to minimise these threats. Una’s work has led to two patents and the development of new diagnostic tests, not just for Cryptosporidium, but also for a range of other parasites to which she has applied her skills in recent years.

For this story, Una will give us her expert opinion about Cryptosporidium parasites.

Our expert parasitologist is Dr Narelle Dybing from Australian Pork Limited – the National Feral Pig Action Plan and Murdoch University. Narelle’s research has focused on the parasite diversity in, and risks posed by, invasive animals including wild dogs and urban foxes in WA and she is currently working for the National Feral Pig Action Plan where she talks to land mangers around Australia about the impacts of feral pigs and helps to support these land managers to work together to deliver coordinated, effective, and humane best practice management of feral pigs.

For this story, Narelle will give us his expert opinion about Feral Pig parasites.

Episode 1 of ASP Parasite Podcast: What’s eating you? is all about those tiny itchy and scratchy insects we all love to hate “Headlice”.

Our expert parasitologist is Associate Professor Vern Bowles from The University of Melbourne. Vern has studied parasites that live outside of the body also known as ectoparasites for most of his science career such as the sheep blowfly and the dreaded head lice. Vern worked on this for over 15 years, set up a company and developed a new treatment for head lice targeting different life stages.

For this story, Vern will give us his expert opinion about the ectoparasites head lice.