Professor Charlene Kahler is a teaching/ research academic specialising in bacterial pathogenesis. She obtained her BSc (honours in Microbiology) at the University of Queensland. She travelled to the USA to undertake post-doctoral training at Emory University (Atlanta, Georgia) where  she studied the pathogenesis of Neisseria meningitidis. She returned to Australia to work at Monash University where she studied regulatory pathways in N. gonorrhoeae. She moved to the University of Western Australia in 2005 to establish her own laboratory studying both pathogens and has diversified into genomic epidemiology and anti-virulence therapeutics. She is currently Head of Discipline for Microbiology and Immunology and the Deputy Director of the Marshall Center for Infectious Diseases Research and Training at University of Western Australia. Her greatest accomplishment is assisting her students through their PhDs and seeing them fulfil their dreams in microbiology.

National Health and Medical Research Council
Amanda Young Foundation http://www.amandayoungfoundation.org.au/
Western Australia Department of Health

Neisseria meningitidis 

Neisseria meningitidis, the causative agent of epidemic meningitis, is a significant public health burden worldwide causing 1.2 million cases per year globally, with an estimated fatality rate of 10% (WHO). There are a variety of meningococcal vaccines targeting serogroups A, B, C, W, Y.

My research has focussed on the following aspects of N. meningitidis

1. Genomic epidemiology of N. meningitidis during outbreaks of invasive meningococcal disease in Western Australia.

2. The evolution of N. meningitidis in response to vaccination.

3. Dissecting the regulatory networks which control the production of endotoxin by meningococci.

My principle collaborators on this program are Dr Mitali Sarkar-Tyson (UWA), Assc/Prof Michael Wise (UWA), Prof Geoff Coombs (Murdoch Uni), Dr Shaxx Mowlaboccus (Murdoch Uni) and Dr Chris Mullally (Murdoch Uni).

Neisseria gonorrhoeae 

Neisseria gonorrhoeae is the causative agent of the sexually transmitted disease (STD) gonorrhoea and globally causes approximately 20-60 million new cases per annum (WHO). Gonococcal infection is the leading cause of pelvic inflammatory disease in women and ~ one third of patients will become infertile. Increased levels of resistance to traditional antibiotics have raised concerns for future treatment options. To date no successful vaccine strategies have been developed for this organism, primarily because the cell surface proteins elicit limited immunological protection against other strains. To enable the development of innovative approaches to the control of gonococcal infections, we propose to investigate the regulatory networks in gonococci that are important for initial colonization and survival in the human host.

My research is focussed on the following aspects of N. gonorrhoeae

1. Genomic epidemiology of N. gonorrhoeae in Western Australia.

2. The role of central protein homeostasis pathways (oxidoreductases and peptidyl-proline cis-trans isomerases [PPIase]) in bacterial pathogenesis.

3. The design of small molecule inhibitors as medical counter measures against antimicrobial resistant N. gonorrhoeae using the targets, EptA and PPIases.

My principle collaborators on this program are Prof Geoff Coombs (Murdoch Uni), Dr Shaxx Mowlaboccus (Murdoch Uni), Assc/Prof Michael Wise (UWA), Prof Martin Scanlon (Monash Uni), Dr Mitali Sarkar-Tyson (UWA), Prof Alice Vrielink (UWA) and Assc/Prof Keith Stubbs (UWA).

MICR2208 Introductory Microbiology
MICR3330 Bacteria and Bacterial Diseases
MICR5831 Molecular and Cellular Microbiology

MICR5846 Molecular Epidemiology and Microbial Communities

I have graduated 13 PhD students as the primary supervisor. I ensure that my students have a well-rounded experience, not only focussing on the research objectives necessary to obtain their thesis, but also focussing on their transferable skills for other careers outside of academia.

My past students have moved into diverse careers including: medicine, medical scientists (PathWest and Saudi Arabia), research fellow, research analysts (WA Department of Health and the Police Force) and project managment (Defence Material Technology Center).