Soraya Leedham

Dr Soraya Leedham is a post-doctoral research fellow with a background in translational biomedical science, specialising in microbiology, immunology, and diagnostic method development. She holds a PhD from Murdoch University, where her research explored the anti-infective properties of plant-based natural products, leading to commercially released disinfectant products and the discovery of novel antiviral compounds.

Dr Leedham has held post-doctoral roles at Murdoch University, Biotome Pty Ltd, and The University of Western Australia, with research spanning sepsis diagnostics, lateral flow assay development, and molecular diagnostics for infectious diseases. Her expertise lies in bridging laboratory research with practical, commercial applications, particularly in infectious disease contexts. She has experience in both molecular and culture-based diagnostic techniques, and her work has contributed to the development of multiplex lateral flows, peptide based ELISAs, and novel antimicrobial screening methods.

Her current work at UWA focuses on streamlining molecular diagnostics for neonatal and adult sepsis, aiming to consolidate complex multiplex reactions into more commercially viable formats.

Microbiology, diagnostic development, the diagnosis of sepsis, point-of-care testing, method development for infectious disease assays, natural products as antimicrobial therapies and infectious diseases more broadly.