Postgraduate scholars

The centre for Food Allergy Research has supported 17 PhD candidates since 2013, ensuring Australia remains at the forefront of food allergy research.

Could you be next?

Thanks to a third consecutive round of National Health and Medical Research Council funding, we are thrilled to offer four more Postgraduate Scholarships – two to commence in 2024 (round 1) and two in 2025 (round 2).

Leading researchers in the field – CFAR Chief and Associate Investigators – supervise each Scholar, while our national network of food allergy experts provide invaluable mentorship and training opportunities.

Round 1 applications closed in September 2023. Become a CFAR member to receive email alerts when round 2 applications open - Join CFAR

Chia-Lun (Natalie) Chang 

  • PhD, The University of Melbourne
  • Project: Exploration of the role of skin barrier biomarkers in the development of food allergies
  • Supervisors: Professor Adrian Lowe, Associate Professor Caroline Lodge, Dr Elasma Milanzi, Dr Diego Jose Lopez Peralta

Dr Andrew Fong

  • PhD, Western Sydney University
  • Project: Cost-Effective Treatment and Management of Food Allergies in Australia
  • Supervisors: Associate Professor Lei Si, Dr Peter Hsu and Associate Professor Jennifer Protudjer

Dr Tim Brettig

  • PhD, The University of Melbourne (completed 2023)
  • Project: Exploring the investigation, diagnosis and clinical management of tree nut and peanut allergy in children
  • CFAR Supervisors: Professor Kirsten Perrett and Associate Professor Jennifer Koplin

Daniela Ciciulla

  • PhD, The University of Melbourne
  • Project: The impact of food allergy in adolescence: the SchoolNuts cohort
  • CFAR Supervisors: Associate Professor Jennifer Koplin and Assosciate Professor Rachel Peters

Dr Marie Estcourt

  • Master’s, The University of Western Australia (completed 2020)
  • Project: Pertussis Immunisation and Food Allergy (PIFA): Case-control study of the association of whole cell pertussis vaccination and IgE-mediated food allergy.
  • CFAR Supervisors: Professor Dianne Campbell

Nur Sabrina Idrose

  • PhD, The University of Melbourne
  • Project: Compared to non-food allergic children, are food allergic children at higher risk of adverse events when exposed to pollen?
  • CFAR Supervisors: Professor Shyamali Dharmage and Associate Professor Jennifer Koplin

Shaymaviswanathan Karnaneedi

  • PhD, James Cook University
  • Project: Improving Diagnostics and Management of Shellfish Allergy: Identifying Putative Allergens in Shellfish and Cross-Reactive Novel Allergens in Edible Insects
  • CFAR Supervisors: Professor Andreas Lopata and Professor Dianne Campbell

Dr Catherine Lai

  • PhD, The University of Sydney (completed 2022)
  • Project: Regulatory immune mechanisms in food allergies
  • CFAR Supervisors: Professor Dianne Campbell

Dr Vicki McWilliam

  • PhD, The University of Melbourne (completed 2019)
  • Project: Exploring the prevalence, natural history and adverse events related to tree nut allergy
  • CFAR Supervisors: Professor Katie Allen, Associate Professor Jennifer Koplin, Professor Mimi Tang, Professor Shyamali Dharmage and Professor Kirsten Perrett

Dr Jessica Metcalfe

  • PhD, The University of Western Australia (completed 2016)
  • Project: Early life egg allergen exposure in the primary prevention of egg allergy
  • CFAR Supervisors: Professor Susan Prescott

Dr John Molloy

  • PhD, Deakin University (completed 2017)
  • Project: A population-based investigation of early life risk factors in relation to IgE-mediated food allergy in infants
  • CFAR Supervisors: Professor Katie Allen, Professor Mimi Tang, Professor Peter Vuillermin

A/Prof Rachel Peters

  • PhD, The University of Melbourne
  • Project: 
  • CFAR Supervisors: Prof Katie Allen, Prof Shyamali Dharmage

Dr Kristina Rueter

  • PhD, The University of Western Australia (completed 2022)
  • Project: The influence of vitamin D on allergy outcome in early childhood
  • CFAR Supervisors: Professor Susan Prescott and Associate Professor Debbie Palmer

Dr Thimo Ruethers

  • PhD, James Cook University (completed 2020)
  • Project: Tackling fish allergy: Bio-molecular studies on allergenic proteins causing fish allergy in Australian children for improved diagnosis
  • CFAR Supervisors: Professor Andreas Lopata and Professor Dianne Campbell

Dr Victoria Soriano

  • PhD, The University of Melbourne (completed 2022)
  • Project: Early life oral exposures as risk factors for food allergy and the impact of infant feeding guidelines
  • CFAR Supervisors: Associate Professor Jennifer Koplin, Profesor Shyamali Dharmage and Professor Anne-Louise Ponsonby

Dr Noor Suaini

  • PhD, The University of Melbourne (completed 2019)
  • Project: Environmental and genetic risk factors for food allergy in children with Asian background
  • CFAR Supervisors: Professor Katie Allen, Associate Professor Jennifer Koplin and Dr David Martino

Dr Rosita Zakaria

  • PhD, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (completed 2019)
  • Project: Paediatric food allergy and the role of vitamin D
  • CFAR Supervisors: Professor Katie Allen and Associate Professor Jennifer Koplin

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