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    • Dr Deirdre Collins
      https://www.ecu.edu.au/__data/assets/image/0011/748154/deirdre-collins.jpg
    • Dr Deirdre Collins

      Dr Deirdre Collins

Dr Deirdre Collins

Deirdre is an NHMRC Early Career Fellow working with Professor Thomas Riley's Clostridium difficile research group, based in the R&D laboratories of PathWest Laboratory Medicine, QEII Medical Centre.

Professional Associations

  • Australian Society for Microbiology
  • European Society for Clinical Microbiology Infectious Diseases

Awards and Recognition

National and International Awards

  • Australasian Epidemiological Association Early Career Researcher Travel Award, 2018

Other Awards

  • Vice-Chancellor's Staff Award 2018: Excellence in Research by Early Career Researcher
  • UWA Graduate Research School travel award, 2013
  • International Postgraduate Research Scholarship, UWA, 2012-2016
  • Australian Postgraduate Award, UWA, 2012-2016
  • Friends of the Institute travel award, Telethon Institute for Child Health Research (now Telethon Kids Institute), 2012
  • Highest aggregate mark overall in graduating Masters class, UWA, 2010
  • Highest mark for research project in graduating Masters class, UWA, 2010
  • Highest aggregate mark in specialist stream group in graduating Masters class, UWA, 2010
  • Trinity College Dublin Entrance Exhibition Award, 2003

Research Areas and Interests

  • Clostridium difficile infection
  • Infectious disease epidemiology
  • Molecular epidemiology
  • One Health

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Western Australia, 2017.
  • Master of Infectious Diseases (Medical Microbiology), The University of Western Australia, 2011.
  • Bachelor in Arts, Ireland, 2007.

Research Outputs

2023

Journal Articles

  • Knight, DR., Imwattana, K., Collins, D., Lim, S., Hong, S., Putsathit, P., Riley, T. (2023). Genomic Epidemiology And Transmission Dynamics Of Recurrent Clostridioides Difficile Infection In Western Australia. European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 42(5), 607-619. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-023-04569-x.
  • Khun, PA., Phi, L., Bui, H., Bui, NT., Vu, L., Trinh, L., Collins, D., Riley, T. (2023). Environmental contamination with Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile in Vietnam. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 134(6), Article number lxad118. https://doi.org/10.1093/jambio/lxad118.
  • Khun, PA., Phi, L., Bui, H., Collins, D., Riley, T. (2023). Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile in adults with diarrhoea in Vietnam. Anaerobe, 81(June 2023), Article number 102741. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anaerobe.2023.102741.

2022

Journal Articles

  • Imwattana, K., Putsathit, P., Collins, D., Leepattarakit, T., Kiratisin, P., Riley, T., Knight, D. (2022). Global evolutionary dynamics and resistome analysis of Clostridioides difficile ribotype 017. Microbial Genomics, 8(3), Article Number 000792. https://doi.org/10.1099/mgen.0.000792.
  • Collins, D., Marcella, S., Campbell, M., Riley, T. (2022). Linkage study of surveillance and hospital admission data to investigate Clostridium difficile infection in hospital patients in Perth, Western Australia. Anaerobe, 74(April 2022), article number 102528. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anaerobe.2022.102528.
  • Collins, D., Riley, T. (2022). Ridinilazole: a novel, narrow-spectrum antimicrobial agent targeting Clostridium (Clostridioides) difficile. Letters in Applied Microbiology, 75(3), 526-536. https://doi.org/10.1111/lam.13664.
  • Lim, SC., Collins, D., Imwattana, K., Knight, D., Perumalsamy, S., Hain-Saunders, N., Putsathit, P., Speers, D., Riley, T. (2022). Whole-genome sequencing links Clostridium (Clostridioides) difficile in a single hospital to diverse environmental sources in the community. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 133(3), 1156-1168. https://doi.org/10.1111/jam.15408.
  • Lim, SC., Hain-Saunders, N., Imwattana, K., Putsathit, P., Collins, D., Riley, T. (2022). Genetically related Clostridium difficile from water sources and human CDI cases revealed by whole‐genome sequencing. Environmental Microbiology, 24(3), 1221-1230. https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.15821.
  • Khun, PA., Phi, LD., Pham, PT., Thu Nguyen, HT., Huyen Vu, QT., Collins, D., Riley, T. (2022). Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile in children with diarrhoea in Vietnam. Anaerobe, 74(April 2022), article number 102550. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anaerobe.2022.102550.

2021

Journal Articles

  • Tai, A., Putsathit, P., Eng, L., Imwattana, K., Collins, D., Mulrennan, S., Riley, T. (2021). Clostridioides difficile colonisation and infection in a cohort of Australian adults with cystic fibrosis. Journal of Hospital Infection, 113(July 2021), 44-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2021.03.018.
  • Collins, D., Wu, Y., Tateda, K., Kim, H., Vickers, R., Riley, T. (2021). Evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of ridinilazole and six comparators against Chinese, Japanese and South Korean strains of Clostridioides difficile. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 76(4), 967-972. https://doi.org/10.1093/jac/dkaa522.

2020

Journal Articles

  • Imwattana, K., Knight, D., Kullin, B., Collins, D., Putsathit, P., Kiratisin, P., Riley, T. (2020). Antimicrobial resistance in Clostridium difficile ribotype 017. Expert Review of Anti-infective Therapy, 18(1), 17-25. https://doi.org/10.1080/14787210.2020.1701436.
  • Collins, D., Sohn, KM., Wu, Y., Ouchi, K., Ishii, Y., Elliott, B., Riley, T., Tateda, K. (2020). Clostridioides difficile infection in the Asia-Pacific region. Emerging Microbes and Infections, 9(1), 42-52. https://doi.org/10.1080/22221751.2019.1702480.
  • Lew, T., Putsathit, P., Sohn, KM., Wu, Y., Ouchi, K., Ishii, Y., Tateda, K., Riley, T., Collins, D. (2020). Antimicrobial susceptibilities of clostridium difficile isolates from 12 Asia-pacific countries in 2014 and 2015. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 64(7), Article number e00296-20. https://doi.org/10.1128/AAC.00296-20.

2019

Journal Articles

  • Collins, D., Carson, K., Riley, T. (2019). Microbiological evaluation of the ability of the DEKO-190 Washer/Disinfector to remove Clostridium difficile spores from bedpan surfaces. Infection, Disease and Health, 24(4), 208-211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.idh.2019.07.001.
  • Luo, Y., Cheong, E., Bian, Q., Collins, D., Ye, J., Shin, JH., Yam, WC., Takata, T., Song, X., Wang, X., Kamboj, M., Gottlieb, T., Jiang, J., Riley, T., Tang, Y., Jin, D. (2019). Different molecular characteristics and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Clostridium difficile in the Asia-Pacific region. Emerging Microbes and Infections, 8(1), 1553-1562. https://doi.org/10.1080/22221751.2019.1682472.
  • Collins, D., Riley, T. (2019). Clostridium difficile in Asia: Opportunities for One Health Management. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, 4(1), Article number tropicalmed4010007. https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed4010007.
  • Greenhill, A., Mutreja, A., Bulach, D., Belousoff, M., Jonduo, M., Collins, D., Kas, M., Wapling, J., Seemann, T., Lafana, A., Dougan, G., Brown, M., Horwood, P. (2019). Wave 2 strains of atypical Vibrio cholerae El Tor caused the 2009-2011 cholera outbreak in Papua New Guinea. Microbial Genomics, 5(3), Article number 000256. https://doi.org/10.1099/mgen.0.000256.
  • Alfayyadh, M., Collins, D., Tempone, S., McCann, R., Armstrong, P., Riley, T., Cook, A. (2019). Recurrence of Clostridium difficile infection in the Western Australian population. Epidemiology and Infection, 147(2019), article no. e153. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0950268819000499.
  • Imwattana, K., Knight, D., Kullin, B., Collins, D., Putsathit, P., Kiratisin, P., Riley, T. (2019). Clostridium difficile ribotype 017 - characterization, evolution and epidemiology of the dominant strain in Asia. Emerging Microbes and Infections, 8(1), 796-807. https://doi.org/10.1080/22221751.2019.1621670.

2018

Journal Articles

  • McGovern, A., Androga, G., Moono, P., Collins, D., Foster, N., Chang, B., Riley, T. (2018). Evaluation of the Cepheid® Xpert® C. difficile binary toxin (BT) diagnostic assay. Anaerobe, 51(June 2018), 12-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anaerobe.2018.03.004.
  • Riley, T., Collins, D., Karunakaran, R., Kahar, M., Adnan, A., Hassan, SA., Zainul, N., Rustam, F., Wahab, Z., Ramli, R., Lee, YY., Hassan, H. (2018). High prevalence of toxigenic and nontoxigenic Clostridium difficile strains in Malaysia. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 56(6), article no.e00170-18. https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.00170-18.

2017

Journal Articles

  • Collins, D., Putsathit, P., Elliott, B., Riley, T. (2017). Laboratory-based surveillance of Clostridium difficile strains circulating in the Australian healthcare setting in 2012. Pathology, 49(3), 309-313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pathol.2016.10.013.
  • Collins, D., Hoskins, A., Snelling, T., Senasinghe, K., Bowman, J., Stemberger, NA., Leach, AJ., Lehmann, D. (2017). Predictors of pneumococcal carriage and the effect of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccination in the Western Australian Aboriginal population. Pneumonia, 9(September), 14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41479-017-0038-x.
  • Knight, DR., Squire, MM., Collins, D., Riley, T. (2017). Genome Analysis of Clostridium difficile PCR Ribotype 014 Lineage in Australian Pigs and Humans Reveals a Diverse Genetic Repertoire and Signatures of Long-Range Interspecies Transmission. Frontiers in Microbiology, 7(2017), Article Number: 2138. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2016.02138.
  • Zainul, NH., Ma, ZF., Besari, A., Hassan, SA., Rahman, RA., Collins, D., Hamid, N., Riley, T., Lee, YY. (2017). Prevalence of Clostridium difficile infection and colonization in a tertiary hospital and elderly community of North-Eastern Peninsular Malaysia. Epidemiology and Infection, 145(14), 3012-3019. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268817002011.
  • Collins, D., Gasem, MH., Habibie, TH., Arinton, IG., Hendriyanto, P., Hartana, AP., Riley, T. (2017). Prevalence and molecular epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection in Indonesia. New Microbes and New Infections, 18(July 2017), 34-37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nmni.2017.04.006.
  • Collins, D., Selvey, L., Celenza, A., Riley, T. (2017). Community-associated Clostridium difficile infection in emergency department patients in Western Australia. Anaerobe, 48(August 2017), 121-125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anaerobe.2017.08.008.
  • Yusof, N., Hamid, N., Ma, ZF., Lawenko, RM., Wan Mohammad, WM., Collins, D., Liong, MT., Odamaki, T., Xiao, J., Lee, YY. (2017). Exposure to environmental microbiota explains persistent abdominal pain and irritable bowel syndrome after a major flood. Gut Pathogens, 9(1), article no.75. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13099-017-0224-7.

2016

Journal Articles

  • Collins, D., Riley, T. (2016). Routine detection of Clostridium difficile in Western Australia. Anaerobe, 37(2016), 34-37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anaerobe.2015.11.007.
  • Cheng, AC., Collins, D., Elliott, B., Ferguson, JK., Paterson, DL., Thean, S., Riley, T. (2016). Laboratory-based surveillance of Clostridium difficile circulating in Australia, September – November 2010. Pathology, 48(3), 257-260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pathol.2016.02.005.

2015

Journal Articles

  • Collins, D., Elliott, B., Riley, T. (2015). Molecular methods for detecting and typing of Clostridium difficile. Pathology, 47(3), 211-218. https://doi.org/10.1097/PAT.0000000000000238.
  • Mori, N., Yoshizawa, S., Saga, T., Ishii, Y., Murakami, H., Iwata, M., Collins, D., Riley, T., Tateda, K. (2015). Incorrect diagnosis of Clostridium difficile infection in a university hospital in Japan. J Infect Chemother, 21(10), 718-22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jiac.2015.06.009.

2014

Journal Articles

  • Tan, XQ., Verrall, AJ., Jureen, R., Riley, T., Collins, D., Lin, RT., Balm, MN., Chan, D., Tambyah, PA. (2014). The emergence of community-onset Clostridium difficile infection in a tertiary hospital in Singapore: A cause for concern. International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents, 43(1), 47-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2013.09.011.
  • Foster, N., Collins, D., Ditchburn, S., Duncan, C., Van Schalkwyk, J., Golledge, C., Keed, A., Riley, T. (2014). Epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection in two tertiary-care hospitals in Perth, Western Australia: a cross-sectional study. New Microbes and New Infections, 2(3), 64-71. https://doi.org/10.1002/nmi2.43.

2013

Journal Articles

  • Collins, D., Hawkey, P., Riley, T. (2013). Epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection in Asia. Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control, 2(1), Article number 21. https://doi.org/10.1186/2047-2994-2-21.
  • Collins, D., Hoskins, A., Bowman, J., Jones, J., Stemberger, N., Richmond, P., Leach, A., Lehmann, D. (2013). High nasopharyngeal carriage of non-vaccine serotypes in Western Australian Aboriginal people following 10 years of pneumococcal conjugate vaccination. PLoS One, 8(12), Article no. e82280. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0082280.

2011

Journal Articles

  • Horwood, P., Collins, D., Jonduo, M., Rosewell, A., Dutta, S., Dagina, R., Ropa, B., Siba, P., Greenhill, A. (2011). Clonal origins of Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor strains, Papua New Guinea, 2009-2011. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17(11), 2063-2065. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1711.110782.

Research Projects

  • A One Health/System Dynamics approach to reducing Clostridioides difficile infection, National Health and Medical Research Council, Ideas grants, 2022 ‑ 2025, $1,284,891.
  • Clostridium difficile infection in paediatric haematology/oncology patients, Channel 7 Telethon Trust, Grant, 2023 ‑ 2024, $220,484.
  • A One Health investigation of the emerging public health threat of Clostridium difficile in our local environments, National Health and Medical Research Council, Early Career Fellowship, 2019 ‑ 2023, $666,822.
  • Reducing hospital-identified Clostridium difficile infection by reducing environmental sources of C. difficile , Department of Health WA, Research Translation Projects, 2017 ‑ 2020, $269,544.
  • Genomic analysis of Clostridium difficile ribotype 017 strains from the Asia-Pacific region, Edith Cowan University, School of Medical and Health Sciences Research Grant Scheme 2017, 2017, $9,790.

Research Student Supervision

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