Kate Summer
Postdoctoral Research Officer
PhD
Kate is a post-doc researcher with the Strep A Translation team, based remotely in New South Wales. She currently works on STARFISH, a multidisciplinary NHMRC-funded project seeking to address the social and environmental determinants of health underpinning Strep A infections, and the development of Acute Rheumatic Fever (ARF) and Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD), in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. STARFISH integrates a wide range of expertise in environmental health, public health, infectious diseases, and housing, and brings together researchers, clinicians, and community partners.
Kate has a background in health and environmental science research, and recently completed her PhD in peptide-based antimicrobial drug development for respiratory infections. She brings valuable knowledge and skills in microbiology and science communication to the diverse projects within STARFISH.
Education and Qualifications
- PhD – Southern Cross University
- B Env Sc (Hons) – Southern Cross University
- Dip H Sci – Southern Cross University
- Dip VA – Southern Cross University
Awards/Honours
- 2025 – Chancellors Medal, Southern Cross University
- 2018 – University Medal, Southern Cross University
- 2016 – School of Environment, Science and Engineering Prize of Excellence, Southern Cross University
- 2014-2016 – Various scholarships and awards, Southern Cross University
Published research
The need for community-controlled tools to monitor health impacts of housing and living conditions in Australia
Despite millennia of strong and continuous culture, inadequate housing has profound consequences on the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia. For example, the excessive and inequitable burden of childhood skin infections, rheumatic fever, gastrointestinal disease and ear infections can all be linked to failures in housing policy, funding and maintenance.
Recovery of culturable Streptococcus pyogenes from swabs stored at different temperatures
Improving our understanding of superficial Streptococcus pyogenes (Strep A) carriage and transmission necessitates robust sampling methods. Here, we compared the effect of storing swab samples in fridge (+4°C) and freezer (-20°C) conditions on the recovery of laboratory-cultured S. pyogenes.