Caroline Van Gemert Email & Phone Number

I have expertise in the epidemiology and control of infectious diseases, including blood borne viruses, sexually transmitted infections, and emerging infectious diseases, in Australia and across the Asia-Pacific region. My research focuses on the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis in Pacific Island Countries and Territories. My training includes field epidemiology, clinical epidemiology, health promotion, international health, and community development. Research that I have led has highlighted the lack of data collection tools and data to measure progress towards achieving WHO 2030 targets for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis in Pacific Island Countries and Territories. My work has included operational research and intervention development and evaluation, establishment of surveillance systems, and bio-behavioural surveys. Between 2020-2022, I was based in Vanuatu with the Vanuatu Ministry of Health provided technical guidance for the COVID-19 response. Prior to this, I spent over ten years with the Burnet Institute and other organizations focusing on infectious diseases surveillance in Australia and in resource-poor setting with a focus on marginalized and hard-to-reach populations. I have been Primary Investigator or Co-Investigator been involved in several research projects in Asia and the Pacific, including in Kiribati, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Vanuatu, Thailand, and Laos, and has consulted for WHO, international NGOs and Australian national and state level health departments.