Staff

Research Staff

Microbiology

Dr Jacqui Norris

Dr Katrina Bosward

Dr Denise Wigney

Dr Gary Muscatello

Dr Christine Hawke

Honorary Members

Professor Richard Malik

Research Support

Dr Patricia Martin

Denise McDonell

Veronica Ventura

Students

Table of student details

[[b||Postgraduate Opportunities]]

Dr Jacqui Norris

Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Microbiology

Qualifications

1990 Bachelor of Veterinary Science (University of Sydney) with Honours
1993 Master of Veterinary Clinical Studies (University of Melbourne)
1997 IVAS Cert. Acup
1998 Doctor of Philosophy (University of Sydney): Investigations into the role of Porphyromonas species in the development of feline periodontal disease
2003 Graduate Certificate in Education (Higher)
2006 Member of the Australian Society of Microbiology

Career History

1991-1993: Resident in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Melbourne, Veterinary Clinic
1993-1998: PhD in Periodontal disease with late Professor Daria Love; and
Part time veterinarian at Maroubra Veterinary Hospital
1997-2002: Senior Veterinarian, Inner West Veterinary Hospital
2002-2005: Lecturer in Veterinary Microbiology
2006-present: Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Microbiology

Research Interests

- Pathogenesis of periodontal disease and the role of Porphyromonas species in cats and dogs

- Development of recombinant vaccines against Porphyromonas sp

- The efficacy of antimicrobial agents in vitro compared with their in vivo responses in the oral cavity of cats

- Epidemiology of Malassezia pachydermatis infections of the skin and ears of dogs and cats

- Development of new treatments regimes for Malassezia dermatitis and otitis externa in cats and dogs

- Epidemiology and diagnosis of Feline Infectious Periotonitis (FIP)

Dr Katrina Bosward

Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Microbiology

Qualifications

1991 BSc (Vet), BVSc
2000 PhD
2001 Grad Dipl Vet Clin Sci
2003 Grad Cert (Higher Ed)

Career History

1991 – 1999 Veterinary practice
1995 – present The University of Sydney

Research Interests

Following the completion of a BSc(Vet) in 1990 and BVSc in 1991 at the University of Sydney, Katrina worked in mixed and small animal veterinary practice. Katrina returned to the University of Sydney in 1995 to undertake a PhD in collaboration with CSIRO, Animal Production entitled “Eosinophils and Interleukin 5 in Sheep”. On completion of her PhD, Katrina commenced training in Clinical and Anatomical Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology at the University Veterinary Centre, Camden earning a Graduate Diploma in Veterinary Clinical Studies. She was been employed as Lecturer in Veterinary Pathology in the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney from 2002 to 2006 and transferred to the position of Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Microbiology in 2007. She is a member of the Farm Animal and Veterinary Public Health group working on the Pathogenesis of Ovine Johnes Disease in sheep. Other research interests include wound healing in mulesed sheep; snake envenomation in dogs; feline chronic renal disease; and immunohistochemical studies of tumours in cats and dogs.

Dr Denise Wigney

Title

Qualifications

Career History

Research Interests

Dr Gary Muscatello

Lecturer

Qualifications

1997 BVSc (Melb.)
2005 PhD (Melb.)
2007 GCUT (Graduate Certificate in University Teaching) (Melb.)

Career History

1997-2000 – Small animal clinician – Lort Smith Animal Hospital, Melbourne
2000-2005 – Postgraduate student, Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne
2005-2007 – Research Fellow, Equine Infectious diseases laboratory, Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne
2008-continuing - Lecturer, Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney

Research Interests

Gary is interested in equine infectious diseases, specifically Rhodococcus equi pneumonia and equine transport pneumonia and the use of aerosol culture method to detect respiratory pathogens in the horse. He’s also interested in molecular diagnostics and the use of sequencing techniques to identify unusual bacterial and fungal agents. In addition, he has an interest in educational research, investigating methods to improve student learning and application of veterinary knowledge.

Dr Christine Hawke

Lecturer in Professional Practice

Qualifications

BSc(Vet)(Hons) 1991
BVSc(Hons) 1993
PhD 2003
MACVSc (Veterinary Dentistry) 2007

Career History

Christine graduated in 1993 before working in small animal private practice for 5 years in both Australia and then in the UK.
She returned to Australia in 1999 to undertake a PhD in immunogenetics of autoimmune disease at the Centenary Institute and then in 2005, she started work full-time at the Faculty of Veterinary Science as a Lecturer in Small Animal Clinical Practice.

In 2006, Christine completed a MACVSc in Veterinary Dentistry. Her interest in this has led her to launch a veterinary dental company called ‘Sydney Pet Dentistry’ in 2007 and she is also currently Treasurer, Secretary and NSW representative for the Australian Veterinary Dental Society.

In 2001 she also started in her current position as Lecturer in Professional Practice at the Faculty of Veterinary Science.

Research Interests

Immunology – canine immune responses to vaccination; feline immune responses to feline coronaviruses in the pathogenesis of feline infectious peritonitis

Dental – aetiology and pathogenesis of periodontal disease and feline tooth resorption

Educational – veterinary undergraduate education in professional practice (transition to practice, communication, ethics)

Professor Richard Malik

Adjunct Professor of Veterinary Medicine

Qualifications

BVSc 1981
DipVetAn 1982
PhD 1984 (ANU)
MVetClinStud 1989
FACVSc 1991
DVSc 2005
FASM 2006

Career History

Richard Malik graduated from the University of Sydney in 1981. He initially trained in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, and then moved to ANU where he completed a PhD in neuropharmacology at the John Curtin School of Medical Research. He subsequently completed a Postdoctoral fellowship at the Neurobiology Research Centre at the University of Sydney, before returning to his alma mater as a Medicine Resident in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. He remained there for 16 years in a variety of positions, most notable as the Valentine Charlton Senior Lecturer in Feline Medicine (1995 to 2002). Since 2002 Richard has worked as a Senior Consultant in the Post Graduate Foundation in Veterinary Science, and he finds time also to see cases in a number of practices in the Eastern suburbs of Sydney and at the RSPCA at Yagoona. Richard is a Member of the College in Canine Medicine and a Fellow in Feline Medicine, a registered specialist in Small Animal Medicine in NSW and a Fellow of the Australian Society of Microbiology. Richard has strong and varied research interests, most notably infectious diseases (such as cryptococcosis and mycobacterial infections), genetic diseases, and diseases of cats in general and most recently diseases of koalas. Richard has a strong commitment to veterinary continuing education, and to collegiate interactions with small animal colleagues in Asia.

Research Interests

Feline Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Cardiology, Neurology, Clinical Pharmacology, Clinical Reasoning

Students

Postgraduate Opportunities

Dr Gary Muscatello currently has opportunities for postgraduate research in the following projects:

• Virulent Rhodococcus equi decontamination strategies on horse farms
• An investigation into symbiosis between virulent Rhodococcus equi and protozoa