About me
After obtaining a Bachelor of Applied Science (Medical Science) at Curtin University in 1978 I worked as a Medical Scientist in medical microbiology at King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women (1978 – 1992) and Royal Perth Hospital (1992 - 2012), where I was the Principal Scientist in the Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases from 2001 to 2012.
I am currently employed as the Chair of Public Health in the School of Medical, Molecular and Forensic Sciences at Murdoch University At the University I am also a Fellow of the Centre for Biosecurity and One Health. in addition I am the Clinical Scientist (Research and Teaching) for the Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Fiona Stanley Hospital Network, PathWest Laboratory Medicine – WA. I have previously held two adjunct academic appointments:
· Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, School of Biomedical Sciences, Curtin University
· Adjunct Senior Lecturer, School of Laboratory Medicine, University of Western Australia.
in 2017, I, and my Murdoch University colleagues established the antimicrobial resistance and infectious diseases (AMRID) Research Laboratory, a 3.5 million-dollar One Health research and antimicrobial resistance surveillance facility located within the College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education (SHEE) at Murdoch University. With equipment and infrastructure support from Murdoch University and an Australian Research Council Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities Grant (LE170100093) the laboratory has a suite of state-of-the-art molecular and non-molecular technologies including next-generation whole genome sequencing, DNA microarray, real-time PCR, and mass spectrometry. By using robotic platforms, AMRID can perform large-scale screening of human and animal pathogens, including zoonotic, for the detection of antimicrobial virulence and resistance genes. The AMRID research focuses on the key emerging challenges at the human-animal-environment interface in Australia and globally. This includes integrated management of animal health and zoonotic diseases in many developing countries, food safety risk assessment, antimicrobial resistance, and epidemiology of foodborne pathogens (e.g. Campylobacter and Salmonella). The AMRID laboratory also conducts research into emerging infectious diseases of viral origin in multiple species and runs projects examining viruses of native bat species. Our research encompasses the linkages between infectious diseases, livestock production and human health and nutrition.
My current major areas of research are:
· Investigating the molecular evolution of community-associated and live-stock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecium in Australia
· Molecular epidemiology of Neisseria gonorrhoea in Australia
· Antimicrobial resistance surveillance
I have co-authored 234 peer-reviewed scientific papers, presented invited symposia at many national and international conferences, and have over 400 national and international conference publications. I am a Section Editor and on the Advisory Board for the Journal on Global Antimicrobial Resistance and the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents. In addition, I am a reviewer for several international journals including the Journal of Antimicrobials and Chemotherapy, PLoS One, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, the European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Emerging Infectious Diseases.
In the course of my professional career, I have received many awards including an Australian Society for Microbiology (ASM) Foundation Scholarship (1996); the Australian Society for Antimicrobials (ASA)/AstraZeneca Travel Award (2000); the ASA/bioMérieux Identifying Antimicrobial Resistance Award (2003 and 2007); and the ASM/bioMérieux Identifying Antimicrobial Resistance Award (2009).
In 2006 I received a Distinguished Service Award from the Australian Society for Microbiology
In 2010 I was awarded a Royal College of Pathology of Australasia Faculty of Science Fellowship (RCPA FFSc).
In 2013 I was awarded my PhD from the School of Biomedical Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia which was awarded a Chancellor’s Letter of Commendation.
In 2017 I was awarded an Australian Society for Microbiology Fellowship (FASM).
In 2019 I was awarded an International Society for Antimicrobials Fellowship (FISAC)
I am the Chair for the Australian Group for Antimicrobial Resistance (AGAR); President for the Australian Society for Antimicrobials (ASA); Examiner Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Faculty of Science: Microbiology, Executive Committee Member (President) and Trustee of the International Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, and a Member of the American Society for Microbiology, the Australian Society for Microbiology (ASM), and the European Society for Clinical Microbiology; Medical Testing Assessor for the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA); Technical Expert for International Accreditation of New Zealand (IANZ)
From 2001 to 2005 I was the Australian Society for Microbiology Vice President for Corporate Affairs.
Google Scholar (14 June 2024)
(https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=Jl4wRFwAAAAJ&hl=en)
· Citations: 12,588
· h-index: 55
· i10-index: 164
PhD Completions
1. Evolution and Epidemiology of E. faecium CC17 in Western Australian Hospitals.
Student: Terence Lee
Supervisors Prof Geoffrey Coombs, Dr Sam Abraham, Dr Stanley Pang, Dr Josh Ramsay
2. An Anti-virulence Target for Neisseria meningitidis: the Macrophage Infectivity Potentiator Protein (Mip)
Student: Emily Kibble
Supervisors Prof Geoffrey Coombs, A/Prof Charlene Kahler
3. Antimicrobial Resistance at the Human-animal Interface
Student: Riley Murphy
Supervisors Prof Geoffrey Coombs, Dr Sam Abraham, Dr Stanley Pang,
Dr Josh Ramsay
4. Epidemiology and Evolution of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Western Australia.
Student: Alsuwayyid Barakat Ali
Supervisors Dr Charlene Kahler, Dr David Speers, Prof Geoffrey Coombs
Current Postgraduate Students
PhD Murdoch University
The role of the MisRS two-component system in the pathogenesis of hyperinvasive Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W clonal complex 11
Student: Nicolie McCluskey
Supervisors: Prof Geoffrey Coombs, A/Prof Charlene Kahler, Dr Shakeel Mowlaboccus
Investigation of antimicrobial resistant genes associated with human pathogens isolated at the Perth Zoological Park including the zoo’s environment, animal population and staff members
Student: Xinyang (Annie) Guo
Supervisors: Prof Geoffrey Coombs, Dr Mieghan Bruce, Dr Sam Abraham, , Dr Shakeel Mowlaboccus
Molecular characterisation of atypical enterococcal sepsis
Student: Marhami Fahriani
Supervisors: Prof Geoffrey Coombs, Dr Shakeel Mowlaboccus, Dr Christopher Mullally
Investigating Antimicrobial Resistant Bacteria Causing Significant Disease in Human Health in Australian Wildlife
Student: Xing Li
Supervisors: Prof Geoffrey Coombs, Dr Jackson Bethany, Dr Shakeel Mowlaboccus, Dr Chang Cai
Investigating the genetic factor(s) responsible for daptomycin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus from Australia
Student: Wan Chin Lim
Supervisors: Prof Geoffrey Coombs, Dr Shakeel Mowlaboccus, Dr Christopher Mullally
Molecular epidemiology of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium in Australia, 2018-2022
Student: Auriane Form
Supervisors: Prof Geoffrey Coombs, Dr Shakeel Mowlaboccus
Molecular epidemiology of MRSA in Australia, 2018-2022
Student: Sruthi Sudeep
Supervisors: Supervisors: Prof Geoffrey Coombs, Dr Shakeel Mowlaboccus
Prevalence and occupational risk of MRSA carriage in commercially produced food animals in Shandong China
Student: Xiaoyu Ma
Supervisors: Supervisors: Prof Geoffrey Coombs, Dr Shakeel Mowlaboccus, Dr Sam Abraham, Dr Shafi Sahibzada
Genomic Characterisation and Evolution of Panton-Valentine Leukocidin (PVL)-negative Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia
Student: Wei Tek Yee
Supervisors: Supervisors: Prof Geoffrey Coombs, Dr Shakeel Mowlaboccus
TBC
Student: Princy Shoby
Supervisors: Supervisors: Prof Geoffrey Coombs, Dr Shakeel Mowlaboccus