Helen Marshall

Professor Helen Marshall

Medical Director VIRTU & A-Prof Vaccinology, Affiliate Lecturer

Adelaide Medical School

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.

Professor Marshall is a medical clinician researcher and NHMRC Practitioner Fellow with specialist training in child health, vaccinology, and public health having completed a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery, Doctorate of Medicine, Master in Public Health and Diploma in Child Health at the University of Adelaide and completed the international Advanced Vaccinology Course at the Pasteur Merieux Institute, France. She holds the position Professor in Vaccinology, School of Medicine and Deputy Director, Robinson Research Institute University of Adelaide and is the Medical Director of VIRTU, the Vaccinology and Immunology Research Trials Unit, in the Discipline of Paediatrics at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital. She has been awarded two NHMRC Career Development Fellowships in 2010 and 2015. In recognition of her research leadership she was awarded the South Australia Science Award for Excellence in Research for the Public Good in 2010, a national Public Health Association of Australia Fellowship in 2013 and a NHMRC "10 of the best" for 2016.

Professor Marshall’s research program is directed to address urgent priorities in infectious disease prevention and includes clinical trials in investigational vaccines, infectious and social epidemiology and public health. She is the lead investigator on the "B Part of It study, the largest study of its kind globally assessing the herd immunity impact of meningococcal B vaccine. Professor Marshall has received NHMRC funding for influenza and pertussis vaccine research. Her main interests include meningococcal, Human Papillomavirus and pertussis infections and their prevention by immunisation. Professor Marshall has been an investigator on over 50 paediatric, adolescent and adult clinical trials. Professor Marshall’s research group VIRTU is one of only two research centres in Australia using social science research methodologies to investigate community acceptance of immunisation programs and the only centre assessing community attitudes to introduction of new vaccines. Since 2004, she has published over 140 peer-reviewed papers in high quality general medicine and specialist journals across diverse disciplines with individual paper citations> 210. She has been awarded 12 NHMRC, ARC, Government, Foundation and Industry grants totaling >$25 million. Her leadership is recognised by >50 international and national invited speaker invitations.

Available Research Projects

The research program at the Vaccinology and Immunology Research Trials Unit (VIRTU) is directed to address urgent priorities
in infectious disease prevention and includes clinical trials in investigational vaccines, infectious and social epidemiology and public health. VIRTU conducts ongoing research on meningococcal, influenza, pneumococcal and pertussis vaccines and suitable HDR projects within these broad areas can be developed after discussion with Prof. Helen Marshall, Director of the Unit. One of the main areas of current research at VIRTU includes meningococcal disease.
Meningococcal disease causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide and invasive meningococcal disease can result in long-term disability. VIRTU currently conducts several projects on meningococcal disease including the following:

  1. The “B Part of It study, the largest study of its kind globally assessing the herd immunity impact of meningococcal B vaccine.
  2. Assessing long-term physical, neurocognitive, economic and societal impact of invasive meningococcal disease in Australian adolescents and young adults
  3. Evaluation of the newly implemented South Australian immunisation program against meningococcal B disease

In addition to projects suitable for HDR students, VIRTU routinely conducts systematic reviews and meta-analyses on infectious diseases and vaccines which are suitable for third year undergraduate research students.

 

My Research

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  • Appointments
    Date Position Institution name
    2015 Deputy Director Robinson Research Institute
    2014 Professor in Vaccinology Robinson Research Institute
    1998 Senior Medical Practitioner Women's and Children's Health Network

  • Awards and Achievements
    Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount
    2013 Recognition Awarded a national Public Health Association of Australia Fellowship in recognition of contribution to public health — Australia —

  • Education
    Date Institution name Country Title
    — University of Adelaide Australia MBBS
    — University of Adelaide Australia MD
    — University of Adelaide Australia MPH

  • Postgraduate Training
    Date Title Institution Country
    1999 - 1999 Diploma in Child Health Women's and Children's Hospital and University of Adelaide Australia

  • Research Interests
    Child and Adolescent Health Immunology and Infection Translational Health Outcomes

Competitive Research Funding

 

National Competitive Schemes

Date Project/No. Investigators Funding Body Amount
2015 - 2018 APP1084951

Marshall H (CIA)

 NHMRC - Career Development Fund $455,452
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  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2019 Co-Supervisor Characteristics of close contacts of a meningococcal case Master of Philosophy (Public Health) Master Part Time Ms Brianna Ruby Morello
    2019 Co-Supervisor The One Health approach to Q fever prevention and control in South Australia Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Md Rezanur Rahaman
    2017 Principal Supervisor Assessing the impact of obesity and antibiotics on maternal and infant vaccine responses Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Mrs Michelle Clarke
    2017 Principal Supervisor Pertussis and Influenza Vaccination during Pregnancy: Maternal and Neonatal Health Outcomes Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Hassen Ibrahim Mohammed
    2017 Principal Supervisor Meningococcal carriage pre and post a meningococal B vaccine program in adolescents Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Mark McMillan

  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2016 - 2019 Principal Supervisor GBS STUDY: Assessing Disease Burden and Risk Factors for Neonatal Group B Streptococcal Infection to Inform the Best Strategies to Prevent Life Threatening Infections in Newborns Master of Philosophy (Clinical Science) Master Full Time Dr Marianne Yanni
    2015 - 2020 Principal Supervisor Influenza Vaccination in Children with Special Risk Medical Conditions Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Jane Tuckerman
    2014 - 2019 Principal Supervisor Improving Adolescent Health Through Immunisation: A Case Study - Invasive Meningococcal Disease Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Bing Wang
    2012 - 2014 Co-Supervisor Influenza vaccination during pregnancy: A systematic review of effectiveness and safety Master of Clinical Science Master Full Time Mr Mark McMillan
    2012 - 2014 Principal Supervisor Clinical outcomes, costs, knowledge and awareness of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in South Australia Master of Philosophy (Public Health) Master Full Time Dr Bing Wang
    2012 - 2016 Principal Supervisor Determinants of Severe Pertussis Infection in Australian Children and Awareness and Uptake of Pertussis Vaccination in Adults Master of Philosophy (Public Health) Master Part Time Mrs Michelle Clarke
    2011 - 2014 Co-Supervisor Postmarketing Vaccine Safety Passive Surveillance: An exploratory study of parent and healthcare provider reporting of Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI) Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Adriana Parrella
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  • Board Memberships
    Date Role Board name Institution name Country
    2015 - ongoing Chair Adelaide Medical Students Foundation The University of Adelaide Australia

  • Committee Memberships
    Date Role Committee Institution Country
    2014 - ongoing Member Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation Commonwealth Government Australia
  • Position: Medical Director VIRTU & A-Prof Vaccinology, Affiliate Lecturer
  • Phone: 81618115
  • Email: helen.marshall@adelaide.edu.au
  • Fax: 8161 7031, 8313 6885
  • Campus: Womens & Childrens Hospital
  • Building: WCH - Clarence Rieger Building, floor 2,WCH - Good Friday Building
  • Org Unit: Women's and Children's Health, Public Health
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