Christopher Blyth Australian Society for Microbiology Annual Scientific Meeting 2016

Christopher Blyth

Chris Blyth is a clinical academic and mid-career clinician-scientist. He is Professor of Paediatric Infectious Diseases (School of Medicine, University of Western Australia and Director of the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Telethon Kids Institute). He established the Department of Paediatric Infectious Diseases at Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH). His research program focuses on influenza, COVID-19 and other vaccine-preventable respiratory tract infection. His PhD (Preventing influenza morbidity in Australian children through vaccination; 2016) evaluated the WA preschool influenza vaccination program, significantly influencing national influenza policy. He was appointed as a member of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) in 2012, serving until December 2021. He was deputy chair from 2015 and co-chair from 2018, leading development and implementation of Australia’s COVID-19 vaccination program. He was appointed to the Commonwealth Government’s COVID-19 Vaccines and Treatments for Australia Science and Industry Technical Advisory Group (SITAG) in August 2020 and continues in this role.