Sarah Vreugde

Associate Professor Sarah Vreugde

Grant-Funded Researcher (E)

Adelaide Medical School

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

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


Associate Professor Sarah Vreugde
Senior Scientist Group: ENT Surgery

The Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital is committed to excellence in translational research and education. Research in our department is focused mainly on understanding the pathogenesis of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), using a multidisciplinary approach, aimed at identifying new diagnostic/prognostic markers and treatment strategies to the benefit of our patients. Research projects cover all aspects of rhinological research from pathophysiological aspects of CRS to the identification and validation of new treatment strategies in vitro and in vivo, bringing research from bench to bedside.

Our Department of ENT has an excellent track record of Honours and Higher degree supervision with a 100% completion rate. Professor PJ Wormald was recognized for “Excellence in Research Supervision” by The University of Adelaide in 2013. We are always interested in students that have exceptional motivation and are passionate about research and in return we provide them with full support in terms of research supervision direction.

Projects in my laboratory are focused on diseases of the ear, nose and throat. In particular, my research is focused on pathophysiological aspects of chronic rhinosinusitis, aimed at the identification and validation of new diagnostic and treatment strategies in vitro and in vivo. Projects range from defining molecular mechanisms and microbial determinants of chronic inflammation to the validation of anti-bacterial and wound-healing compounds in vitro and in vivo. 

  • Appointments

    Date Position Institution name
    2017 - ongoing Associate Professor The University of Adelaide
    2013 - 2016 Senior Scientist The University of Adelaide
    2008 - 2011 Patent Examiner European Patent Office
    2003 - 2006 Post-doctoral research scientist Istituto Scientifico San Raffaele (IRCCS), Milan
    2003 - 2006 Consultant San Raffaele Hospital, Milan
  • Language Competencies

    Language Competency
    Dutch; Flemish Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review
    English Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review
    French Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review
    German Can read, speak and understand spoken
    Hebrew Can speak and understand spoken
    Italian Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review
  • Education

    Date Institution name Country Title
    1998 - 2002 Tel Aviv University Israel PhD
    1994 - 2000 Free University Brussels Belgium ENT Specialisation
    1994 Free University Brussels Belgium MD
  • Research Interests

  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2024 Principal Supervisor Unravelling the underlying mechanisms of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) pathogenesis and exploring the potential of bacteriophages as a therapeutic option Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Md Hasib Adnan
    2024 Principal Supervisor Developing smart phage cocktails for difficult-to-treat infections Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Connor Jessop
    2024 Principal Supervisor Identification of microbial signatures associated with Head and Neck cancers and their possible therapeutic interventions Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Ahmed Shabbir Chaudhry
    2023 Co-Supervisor Target the tumour microbiome to improve head & neck cancer treatment outcomes Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Lee Mai
    2023 Co-Supervisor Microbiological and immunological interactions in the pathogenesis of fungal chronic rhinosinustis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr James Thomas Connell
    2023 Co-Supervisor Non-steroid based novel treatment options for chronic rhinosinusitis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr William Mark Murphy
    2023 Principal Supervisor Direct Interaction between Virus and Bacteria Facilitating Chronic bacterial Rhinosinusitis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Urmi Bhattacharjee
    2023 Principal Supervisor Exploring The Efficacy Of Bacteriophage Therapy In Disrupting Poly-Microbial Biofilms In Chronic Rhinosinusitis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Xiaohan Sun
    2023 Co-Supervisor Eradicating S. Aureus infection with a novel bacteriophage cocktail in chronic rhinosinusitis and exploring its impact on the sinonasal microbiome: a double-blinded, randomised controlled trial. Master of Philosophy (Surgery) Master Full Time Miss Isabella Amy Burdon
    2023 Principal Supervisor Potential use of essential oils from ethno-medicinal plants in clinical research Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Sumeena Karki
    2023 Principal Supervisor Investigating Phage, Microbe and Host Interactions by Integrating Systems Multiomics Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr George Spyro Bouras
    2023 Co-Supervisor Investigating the Potential of Wound Healing Cells Loaded in Chitosan Succinate-Based Hydrogel on Post Operative Sinus Wound Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Abdul Ali Abbas
    2023 Principal Supervisor Polymer Hydrogels based smart drug delivery systems and wound dressing Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Zahra Aliakbar Ahovan
    2022 Principal Supervisor The role of various Staphylococcus species in eliciting inflammation in Chronic rhinosinusitis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Sintayehu Ambachew Wondemagegn
    2021 Principal Supervisor The Interplay Between Tumour-associated Microbiota, Tertiary Lymphoid Organ Development and Oral Cancer Carcinogenesis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Kenny Ker Li Yeo
    2021 Co-Supervisor Determining the safety and efficacy of novel beta-chitin patch in managing cerebral (low-flow, low-pressure) and carotid (high-flow, high-pressure) bleeding Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Annika Reann Mascarenhas
  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2021 - 2023 Co-Supervisor Investigating Transcription Factors in the Human Airway Mucosal Immunoepigenetics of Chronic Inflammatory Disease Master of Philosophy (Surgery) Master Full Time Mr Harrison Burchill Bolt
    2020 - 2023 Co-Supervisor Topical Therapies for The Management of Recalcitrant Chronic Rhinosinusitis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Anna Katharina Megow
    2020 - 2022 Co-Supervisor The Relationship Between S. Aureus Biofilm Properties, Inflammation, and Disease Severity in Chronic Rhinosinusitis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Gohar Shaghayegh
    2019 - 2023 Principal Supervisor Role of Prophages in Staphylococcus aureus Virulence and Pathogenicity Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Roshan Nepal
    2019 - 2023 Principal Supervisor The Adaption and Inflammation-Inducing Capacity of Staphylococcus Aureus in Chronic Rhinosinusitis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Ghais Houtak
    2018 - 2020 Principal Supervisor The Host-Microbe Interface in Chronic Rhinosinusitis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Sathish Paramasivan
    2018 - 2022 Principal Supervisor Investigating Microbiome - Targeted Treatments for Chronic Rhinosinusitis: A novel approach to combat dysbiosis in the nasal microbiome Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Martha Menberu
    2018 - 2021 Co-Supervisor Modifying Post-Surgical Wound Healing Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Rajan Vediappan
    2018 - 2020 Principal Supervisor The role of viruses in chronic rhinosinusitis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Rachel Katherine Goggin
    2018 - 2022 Principal Supervisor The Role of Colloidal Silver Synthesized from Corymbia Maculata in Eradicating Infection in Chronic Rhinosinusitis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Sholeh Feizi
    2017 - 2020 Co-Supervisor Staphylococcus aureus Exoproteins on Nasal Epithelial Barrier in Chronic Rhinosinusitis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Beula Subashini Panchatcharam
    2017 - 2020 Co-Supervisor Novel Topical Anti-biofilm Agents in the Treatment of Recalcitrant Chronic Rhinosinusitis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Mian Li Ooi
    2017 - 2020 Co-Supervisor Bacteriophage Therapy for Chronic Rhinosinusitis: Targeting Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Biofilms Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Stephanie Anne Fong
    2016 - 2017 Co-Supervisor The microbiome of otitis media with effusion and the influence of Alloicoccus otitidis on Haemophilus influenzae in polymicrobial biofilm Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Chun Chan
    2016 - 2019 Co-Supervisor Corticosteroids and the Sinonasal Microbiome Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Lisa Mary Cherian
    2015 - 2018 Principal Supervisor An Immunological Perspective of the Mucosal Inflammation in Chronic Rhinosinusitis – Lymphoid Neo-organogenesis and Humoral Immunity Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Aden Lau
    2015 - 2018 Co-Supervisor The Mucosal Barrier in Chronic Rhinosinusitis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Jae Viktor Murphy
    2014 - 2017 Co-Supervisor The Role of Immune Cells in Chronic Rhinosinusitis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Dijana Miljkovic
    2014 - 2017 Principal Supervisor Towards Novel Antibiofilm Strategies Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Katharina Richter
    2013 - 2015 Co-Supervisor Management of Major Vessel Haemorrhage in Endonasal Surgery Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Vikram Padhye
    2012 - 2014 Co-Supervisor The Chronic Rhinosinusitis Microbiome Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Edward John Cleland
    2012 - 2015 Co-Supervisor The Effect of Chitosan Dextran Gel as a Haemostatic and Anti Adhesion Agent in the Central Nervous System and Evaluation of Haemostatic Mechanism of Skeletal Muscle Tissue Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Sukanya Rajiv
    2012 - 2015 Co-Supervisor The Role of Surgery and Disease Load in Refractory Chronic Rhinosinusitis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Ahmed Bassiouni
    2012 - 2013 Co-Supervisor Intracellular Staphylococcus aureus in chronic rhinosinusitis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Neil Cheng-Wen Tan
    2012 - 2014 Co-Supervisor The innate immune response to Staphylococcus aureus biofilms on human sinonasal explants Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Daniel Anibal Cantero Cajas
    2012 - 2014 Co-Supervisor Nitric Oxide and Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms: Defining their Intricate Relationship in Chronic Rhinosinusitis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Dr Camille Jardeleza
  • Committee Memberships

    Date Role Committee Institution Country
    2019 - ongoing Chair BHI Strategic Research Directions Committee Basil Hetzel Institute Australia
    2016 - ongoing Member TQEH Human Research Ethics Committee - -
    2014 - ongoing Member The Basil Hetzel Institute Management Committee The Bsil Hetzel Institute Australia
    2011 - ongoing Chair Selection committee for scientist positions - -
  • Memberships

    Date Role Membership Country
    2017 - ongoing Member American Society of Microbiology -
  • Editorial Boards

    Date Role Editorial Board Name Institution Country
    2018 - ongoing Associate Editor Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology Frontiers Journals United Kingdom
    2016 - ongoing Associate Editor Sinusitis - -
  • Position: Grant-Funded Researcher (E)
  • Phone: 0882226928
  • Email: sarah.vreugde@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: TQEH - Basil Hetzel Institute, floor 1E
  • Org Unit: Surgical Specialities

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