2023 Course
Dates: The next course will take place between Saturday 25th November and Friday 8th December 2023.
Apply: Download the course application form. The deadline for applications to attend the course is 18th August 2023.
Course fee: AUD $1,750 plus GST for Members of the Australian Society for Parasitology, which includes tuition, accommodation and meals. Participants must organise and cover the cost of their travel to and from the Moreton Bay Research station. The research station is about 60-90 minutes travel from Brisbane airport: https://www.uq.edu.au/moreton-bay-research-station/plan-your-visit/travel-and-island-information. Applicants must be ASP members at the time of application deadline to qualify for the discount. Full Course fee: AUD $2,750 plus GST.
Course Convenor: Professor Stuart Ralph (Uni Melb) Email saralph@unimelb.edu.au Telephone +61 3 8344 2284
Download the 2023 Concepts in Parasitology Course flyer.
What is the course about?
The following themes will be explored through lectures, tutorials and practicals during the course:
- Evolution of Parasites
- Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms
- Drug Discovery
- Parasites and the Immune System
- Immuno-diagnostics of Parasitic Infections
- Bioinformatics of parasite genomes
- Epidemiology
- Veterinary and Wildlife Parasitology
- Vector borne Diseases
The course will explore the diversity of parasitic life-styles, answering questions such as:
- What does it take to be a parasite?
- What are the costs and benefits of parasitism?
- What host defences have developed?
- What mechanisms have evolved to find vectors and hosts efficiently?
- What is the advantage of having multiple hosts?
- What specific characteristics must an anti-parasitic drug have?
- What are the chances of developing vaccines against parasitic diseases?
- What will the future of parasitology look like?
In 2018, our expert faculty included:
- Rob Adlard, Queensland Museum
- Ian Beveridge, University of Melbourne
- Phillip Carter, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland
- Brian Cooke, Monash University
- Christian Doerig, Monash University
- Katja Fischer, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
- Sarah George, Elanco Animal Health
- Paul Giacomin, James Cook University
- Barry Hosking, Elanco Animal Health
- Lisa Ioannidis, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research
- David Jenkins, Charles Sturt University
- Aaron Jex, University of Melbourne and The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research
- Aleta Knowles, Virbac Australia
- Alex Maier, Australian National University
- Dominique Marendy, Elanco Animal Health
- Geoff McFadden, University of Melbourne
- Terry Miller, James Cook University, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, WA
- Peter O’Donoghue, University of Queensland
- Michelle Power, Macquarie University
- Stuart Ralph, University of Melbourne
- Peter Rolfe, Elanco Animal Health
- Melanie Rug, Australian National University
- Una Ryan, Murdoch University
- Kevin Saliba, Australian National University
- Robyn Slattery, Monash University
- Brad Sleebs, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research – Melbourne
- Ala Tabor, The University of Queensland
- Giel van Dooren, Australian National University
- Martha Zakrzewski, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
History of the CiP course
In 2014, the ASP ran, for the first time, a two-week parasitology course offering students a unique opportunity to work with prominent Australian parasitologists and learn state-of-the-art cell-biology, immunological, imaging, biochemical, bioinformatic and genetic techniques for parasitology research. The objective of the course was to provide a comparative overview of the most important topics in parasitology, equipping early career researchers with the conceptual framework, technological know-how and skills to meet the challenges of the future. Building on the strength of the Australian parasitological community, world-experts across a wide range of disciplines shared their knowledge and insights with sixteen participants. We would like to acknowledge our sponsors for their support and vital contributions.
Platinum sposnor
We thank our Platinum sponsor, Bayer, for their generous support for the Concepts in Parasitology course.
Concepts in Parasitology would not be possible without the extraordinary and generous support of the course sponsors. We would like to acknowledge these institutions and companies for their vital contributions.
