• Prof Suzanne M Garland, Royal Women's Hospital Melbourne

Professor Garland is a clinical microbiologist and sexual health physician, with a particular interest and expertise in infectious diseases as they pertain to reproductive health and the neonate. With her team, Suzanne has been a leader in the role of patient self-collected genital sampling in the detection by molecular techniques (polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of reproductive tract infections, particularly those sexually transmitted, such as Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Trichomonas vaginalis and herpes simplex virus and has published extensively on clinical epidemiology of sexually transmitted and reproductive tract infections in Australia. A key area of research has been her interest in cervical cancer and the role of human papillomaviruses (HPV). She has been involved in defining the molecular epidemiology of HPV in cervical dysplasia, cervical cancer, and the healthy population within Australia, as well as being chief investigator defining the prevalence of HPV genotypes in urban, rural, indigenous and non-indigenous Australian women pre-HPV vaccine rollout. She is currently chief investigator of two 4-year follow-up clinical trials of prophylactic HPV vaccines in young women and the lead author of NEJM published article of the phase 3 quadrivalent vaccine which showed safety, immunogenicity and efficacy in preventing cervical dysplasia, as well as genital warts. Professor Garland is an Advisor to WHO and currently is working as an Advisor to WHO on prophylactic HPV vaccines, particularly looking at measuring efficacy and development of international standards for HPV DNA and serological assays. She has published extensively in more than 280 peer-reviewed journals, as well as giving keynote and plenary presentations at national and international meetings. She is the inaugural President of the newly formed society, AOGIN (Asian-Oceania Research Organization on Genital Infection and Neoplasia), which brings together clinicians and scientists within the Asian and Oceania regions and whose work is related to genital infections and neoplasia. The aims of the Organisation are to promote and develop, at an Asia-Oceania level, research, training, screening, prevention and information concerning genital infections, pre-cancers and cancers in women. This organisation brings together representatives from the Asia-Oceania region, of a multidisciplinary specialist areas including: gynaecologists, sexual health physicians, dermatologists, pathologists, molecular biologists, oncologists and basic scientists.

• A/Prof Paul D Johnson, Infectious Diseases Department, Austin Health

Assoc/Prof. Paul Johnson MBBS, PhD, FRACP, MASM is an Infectious Diseases Physician, based at Austin Health & University of Melbourne. He also holds honorary appointments at VIDRL and Monash University, and has served with the WHO Global Buruli Ulcer Initiative since 1998. His major research interests are in all aspects of Mycobacterium ulcerans infection, Staphylococcus aureus (epidemiology, pathogenesis and resistance) and hospital infection control.