Vasilli Kasimov

Background

About Vasilli Kasimov

As a dedicated microbiologist with a strong focus on infectious and zoonotic diseases, I have recently completed my PhD, where I investigated the epidemiology, molecular and genomic characterisation of infectious diseases within wild Australian birds. My work has contributed to the detection of novel and traditional zoonotic Chlamydia, as well as the first-time discovery of the exotic and lethal parrot herpesvirus (PsAHV-1) in wild Australian birds. My expertise includes the development and optimisation of LAMP, PCR, qPCR and probe-based qPCR diagnostic assays, viral and bacterial culture, and the application of molecular-typing techniques. I am also proficient in statistical analysis and programming using R and SPSS, particularly for data surveillance and correlation studies. I also have experience in teaching and running tutorials for university subjects, including virology and molecular biology. Throughout my academic career, I have presented my research at various at domestic and international conferences, including the Australian Society of Microbiology (ASM) and the Australasian Ornithological Conference (AOC). My work has been published in collaboration with microbiologists, bioinformaticians, veterinarians and epidemiologists across Australia, Europe and New Zealand. I have been recognized with a First-Class Honours Degree, an RTP scholarship for my PhD, and awarded a research grant from Birds Queensland in 2021.