LGH specialist to lead peak national infectious diseases body

Professor Katie Flanagan.

July 2022

Congratulations to Launceston General Hospital’s head of infectious diseases Professor Katie Flanagan, who has been appointed president of the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases.

ASID is the region’s peak body for infectious diseases and microbiology and is a key stakeholder for government departments, medical colleges and international organisations.

Through her role Professor Flanagan is focused on increasing support, training, education and general advocacy for those working in the field of infectious diseases.

This includes plans for the establishment of a national Centre for Disease Control to streamline future pandemic governance in Australia. 

Originally from England, Professor Flanagan moved to Tasmania in 2011 and remains at the forefront of Australia’s fight against COVID-19, as member of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation.

She also helped lead the Australasian COVID-19 Trial, known as ASCOT, testing the effectiveness of HIV medication lopinavir-ritonavir, and malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, in treating patients hospitalised with coronavirus.

Most recently Professor Flanagan was awarded $360,000 from the Clifford Craig Foundation for the COVULPOP study, which will quantify and compare vaccine-induced humoral and cellular immune responses to COVID-19 vaccination between pregnant women and the elderly.

She is also leading PICOBOO – a multi-centre adaptive clinical trial evaluating the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 booster vaccine strategies, which will inform vaccine practice and policy Australia-wide.