The articles on this page bring together news, stories, and updates from the Public Health Alliance for Genomic Epidemiology (PHA4GE). They highlight our projects, collaborations, events, and milestones as we work with partners around the world to strengthen genomic epidemiology and public health practice.
Browse the posts below to explore what PHA4GE has been doing, learn about new resources and initiatives, and follow how our community is growing and evolving over time.
Dr Shurendar Selva Kumar has joined PHA4GE as a postdoctoral research fellow to lead the development of a Mycobacterium tuberculosis standard specification. Based at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore, he discusses his journey from clinical medicine and public health to pathogen genomics, the challenges facing genomic implementation across Asia, and how greater metadata standardisation can support more comparable and interoperable TB genomic data across countries.
Meet Khaleila Flisher, an early-career scientist exploring human genetics, bioinformatics and disease research. She shares her journey into genomics, her work on kidney and Parkinson’s disease and why greater African representation in genomics research matters.
The PHA4GE Data Structures Working Group is advancing pathogen genomics data standards and interoperability, from an upcoming IPSN workshop in Nepal to new metadata and genotyping specifications and work integrating PHA4GE standards with HL7 FHIR.
Dr Stephanie van Wyk, a malaria researcher and bioinformatician at the University of Cape Town, leads PHA4GE’s new funding committee as it explores collaborative and innovative approaches to public health research funding.
PHA4GE postdoctoral research fellow Dr Rekha Sathyan discusses her journey into bioinformatics, her work across scientific, training and project initiatives, and her ambition to use genomics, research and international collaboration to strengthen global public health.
PHA4GE member Dr Barbara Ghiglione will present an early case study at EDAR8 in Brisbane, demonstrating how the PHA4GE Wastewater Contextual Data Specification is supporting interoperable, standards-based antimicrobial resistance surveillance in a resource-limited hospital setting in Buenos Aires.
Meet Dr Palesa Makoti, a PHA4GE postdoctoral research fellow working to advance bioinformatics, genomics, and public health capacity in Africa and other LMICs. In this member profile, she shares her academic journey, her passion for infectious disease surveillance, and her hopes for making genomic tools more accessible for public health.
PHA4GE has welcomed its first cohort of postdoctoral research fellows to strengthen support across its working groups and driver projects. Dr Palesa Makoti, Dr Rekha Sathyan, and Dr Stanford Kwenda will contribute to key activities in pathogen genomics, including the development of the PHA4GE meningitis community standard through to the end of 2026.
Professor Alan Christoffels represented South Africa in Geneva during WHO discussions on pathogen data sharing, equitable benefit access and the PABS annex of the global pandemic agreement.