Location:
Level 6, Seminar Room Wallace Wurth Building UNSW Australia Sydney NSW 2052
Open to
All
Contact for enquiries
Rata Joseph +61 (0)2 9385 0900 rjoseph@kirby.unsw.edu.au
The Kirby Institute is pleased to present:
Mr Philip Cunningham, Chief Operating Officer
NSW State Reference Laboratory for HIV & Molecular Diagnostic Medicine Laboratory,
St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney Limited
Dr Tanya Applegate,Senior Lecturer, Viral Hepatitis and Clinical Research Porgram, Kirby Institute
"Implementation of HIV and HCV point of care tests: Current issues and considerations."
Abstract:
Over recent years, clinical medicine has seen significant advances in our ability to treat HIV and HCV infections. However, identifying those in need of treatment and monitoring treatment outcome remains a challenge, particularly in hard to reach or remote communities. Simplified diagnostic strategies are required for both HIV and HCV to improve screening, diagnosis and linkage to care in order to increase access to treatment, cure and achieve elimination. Point of care tests or rapid diagnostic tests may provide a convenient and acceptable form of testing for those at risk, potentially improving the rates of testing in many settings. With a number of HIV and HCV point of care tests currently registered or undergoing evaluation, the implementation of these tests to support public health programs needs careful consideration of the quality and technical limitations and requires a strong framework for standard operating and reporting procedures. The current status of HIV and HCV point of care testing, challenges and approaches for implementation and future opportunities to help those at risk will be discussed.
Bio:
Philip Cunningham is the Chief Operating Officer and Senior Scientist at the NSW State Reference Laboratory for HIV at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney. The laboratory was established in 1982 and plays an essential role in public health surveillance to monitor trends, evaluate interventions and provide early warning of changing patterns of HIV infection in Australia.
He has developed and implemented testing strategies focused on diagnosis of recent HIV infection. He has led a number of local and international licensing studies for a range of tests for infectious diseases including point-of-care tests. He has implemented laboratory quality management programs with the goal of accreditation in resource constrained settings in South East Asia and the Western Pacific. These expanding programs have supported the wider availability of antiretroviral treatments in these countries.
Philip is actively engaged in public health research involving surveillance of target priority populations at risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Recently his research interests have focused on improving access to HIV testing at the point of care and monitoring through sustainable and quality pathways aimed at increasing demand for testing in hard to reach populations that may be of risk of infection. Philip is immediate past Vice President of the Australasian Society of HIV Medicine (ASHM), is co-chair on the National HIV Testing Policy review and Expert Reference Group for the NSW Ministry of Health panel for HIV POCT. He is a visiting senior research fellow at the Kirby Institute at the University of New South Wales and is the Chief Operating Officer for the St Vincent’s Centre for Applied Medical Research.
Dr Tanya Applegate is a Senior Lecturer in the Viral Hepatitis and Clinical Research Program at the Kirby Institute, UNSW Australia and leads the Hepatitis C research laboratory team. Tanya currently leads the HCV research laboratory at The Kirby Institute, manages clinical samples from VHCRP-driven clinical trials/cohorts and facilitates all translational research conducted on these samples, including original research. Tanya has a strong interest in HCV translational research, focusing on the development and implementation of molecular diagnostics to improve HCV health care, particularly among marginalised populations and those living in lower and middle-income countries.