Associate Professor Sarah Auburn

Principal Research Fellow

Qualifications:

PhD (DPhil), University of Oxford, 2007; Bachelor of Science (Honours), University College London, 2003.

Approved level of HDR supervision at Charles Darwin University:

Primary supervisor for PhD

Location:

Darwin - Royal Darwin Hospital campus

Biography:

Associate Professor Sarah Auburn is a molecular biologist, whose passion is using genetics/genomics to learn about the biology and the epidemiology of pathogens and their hosts. In pursuit of this interest, she obtained a PhD in genetic epidemiology from Oxford University, and has acquired research skills transcending field work, molecular laboratory techniques and bioinformatics. In her first post-doc (2007-10), A/Prof Auburn facilitated the establishment of the Sanger Institute's first Plasmodium laboratory and gained expertise in malaria genomics. In 2010, she joined Menzies where she leads the genomic studies on Plasmodium vivax (P.vivax). 

A/Prof Auburn's current research program incorporates molecular biology, population genomics and software development to generate laboratory and analytical tools for molecular surveillance of P. vivax towards elimination of this species. This work leverages on a unique network spearheaded by A/Prof Auburn in partnership with global collaborators - the vivax Genomic Epidemiology Network (vivaxGEN). This network is made up of more than 16 partner countries and has generated more than 1000 global P.vivax genomes.  

In recognition of her translational and capacity building work in vivaxGEN and the Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network (APMEN), Dr Auburn has been invited to join highly reputable committees including the Australian Centre of Research Excellence in Malaria Elimination and the Centre for Genomics and Global Health. 

Associate Professor Sarah Auburn
Email
Research Themes
  1. Trimarsanto, H., Amato, R., Pearson, R. D., Sutanto, E., Noviyanti, R., . . . Auburn, S. (2019). A molecular barcode and online tool to identify and map imported infection with Plasmodium vivax. bioRxiv, 776781. doi: 10.1101/776781
  2. Auburn, S., Getachew, S., Pearson, R. D., Amato, R., Miotto, O., Trimarsanto, H. et al. (2019). Genomic analysis of Plasmodium vivax in southern Ethiopia reveals selective pressures in multiple parasite mechanisms. J Infect Dis, 220(11), 1738-1749. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiz016.
  3. Auburn, S., Benavente, E. D., Miotto, O., Pearson, R. D., Amato, R., Grigg, M. J. et al. (2018). Genomic analysis of a pre-elimination Malaysian Plasmodium vivax population reveals selective pressures and changing transmission dynamics. Nat Commun, 9(1), 2585. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-04965-4.
  4. Trimarsanto, H., Benavente, E. D., Noviyanti, R., Utami, R. A., Trianty, L., . . . Auburn, S. (2017). VivaxGEN: An open access platform for comparative analysis of short tandem repeat genotyping data in Plasmodium vivax Populations. PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 11(3), e0005465. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005465.
  5. Rutledge, G. G., Bohme, U., Sanders, M., Reid, A. J., Cotton, J. A., Maiga-Ascofare, O. et al. (2017). Plasmodium malariae and P. ovale genomes provide insights into malaria parasite evolution. Nature, 542(7639), 101-104. doi: 10.1038/nature21038.
  6. Auburn, S., Bohme, U., Steinbiss, S., Trimarsanto, H., Hostetler, J., Sanders, M. et al. (2016). A new Plasmodium vivax reference sequence with improved assembly of the subtelomeres reveals an abundance of pir genes. Wellcome Open Res, 1, 4. doi: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.9876.1.
  7. Auburn, S., Serre, D., Pearson, R., Amato, R., Sriprawat, K., To, S. et al (2016). Genomic analysis reveals a common breakpoint in amplifications of the Plasmodium vivax multidrug resistance 1 locus in Thailand. J Infect Dis, 214(8),1235–1242. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiw323.
  8. Pearson, R. D., Amato, R., Auburn, S., Miotto, O., Almagro-Garcia, J., Amaratunga, C., et al. (2016). Genomic analysis of local variation and recent evolution in Plasmodium vivax. Nat Genet, 48(8), 959-964. doi: 10.1038/ng.3599.
  9. Noviyanti, R., Coutrier, F., Utami, R.A., Trimarsanto, H., Tirta, Y.K., Trianty, L., et al. (2015). Contrasting Transmission Dynamics of Co-endemic Plasmodium vivax and P. falciparum: Implications for Malaria Control and Elimination. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 9(5): e0003739.​​​​​​
  10. Manske, M., Miotto, O., Campino, S., Auburn, S., Almagro-Garcia, J., Maslen, G., et al. (2012). Analysis of Plasmodium falciparum diversity in natural infections by deep sequencing. Nature, 487(7407): 375-379.
  1. MEDIA RELEASE | Menzies researchers RESPOND to priority diseases in our global neighbourhood

    MEDIA RELEASE | Menzies researchers RESPOND to priority diseases in our global neighbourhood

    Date

    Menzies will lead a 4-year health system strengthening partnership in the Asia-Pacific region, under the Partnerships for a Healthy Region Initiative by the Australian Government.

  2. MEDIA RELEASE | Five Menzies researchers awarded NHMRC Investigator Grants

    MEDIA RELEASE | Five Menzies researchers awarded NHMRC Investigator Grants

    Date

    Five researchers from Menzies have been awarded NHMRC Investigator Grants in today’s funding round announcement, totaling more than $9 million.

  3. Presentation | GenRe-Mekong Scientific Forum 2022

    Presentation | GenRe-Mekong Scientific Forum 2022

    Date

    At the GenRe-Mekong Scientific Forum, A/Prof. Sarah Auburn presented on the use of genetic epidemiology in tackling malaria in the Greater Mekong Sub-regions.

  4. Finding innovative solutions to eliminate vivax malaria by 2030

    Finding innovative solutions to eliminate vivax malaria by 2030

    Date

    New research by Menzies’ malaria team is identifying innovative new ways to eliminate Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax) malaria by 2030.

  5. Media release | Tracking malaria through genetic surveillance

    Media release | Tracking malaria through genetic surveillance

    Date

    The goal of eliminating malaria is one-step closer thanks to a an NHMRC Ideas grant to Menzies senior research fellow Dr Sarah Auburn.

  6. Sarah Auburn receives Georgina Sweet Award

    Sarah Auburn receives Georgina Sweet Award

    Date

    Dr Sarah Auburn has been awarded a Georgina Sweet Award for Women In Quantitative Bioscience, in recognition of her ground-breaking research on P. vivax genomic epidemiology.

  7. New study shows faster way to cure vivax malaria

    New study shows faster way to cure vivax malaria

    Date

    A large clinical trial in Africa and Asia has shown that a 7 day course of high dose primaquine, a drug used to treat P. vivax malaria, is well tolerated.

  8. 7th International Conference on Plasmodium vivax Research | Final Report

    7th International Conference on Plasmodium vivax Research | Final Report

    Date

    MESA Correspondents bring you cutting-edge coverage from the 7th International Conference on Plasmodium vivax Research (ICPVR 2019).

  9. Coverage from the 7th International Conference on Plasmodium vivax Research

    Coverage from the 7th International Conference on Plasmodium vivax Research

    Date

    Wrapping up the 7th International Conference on Plasmodium vivax Research, day three focused on the topics of P. vivax drugs and approaches for P. vivax elimination.

  10. NT News | Brains Trust Born

    NT News | Brains Trust Born

    Date

    Researchers at Darwin's Menzies School of Health Research will play a key role in a new push to fight the scourge of malaria in the Asia-Pacific region.

  11. New Australian-led malaria research powerhouse gears up to hunt down malaria across the Asia-Pacific

    New Australian-led malaria research powerhouse gears up to hunt down malaria across the Asia-Pacific

    Date

    Australia will take a leadership role in the Asia-Pacific region in a new initiative to help our nearest neighbours rid the scourge of malaria, in a new National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Centre for Research Excellence in Malaria Elimination.