Dr. Vijay Dhanasekaran

Biography

Vijay Dhanasekaran is an Adjunct Associate Professor at Monash University, specializing in the Laboratory of Virus Evolution. His research focuses on applying computational and experimental methods at the intersection of medicine, epidemiology, and population genetics to identify determinants of transmission and evolution across spatio-temporal scales. Dhanasekaran’s work emphasizes disease surveillance and genome sequencing, integrating genomic data with clinical, epidemiological, and immunological data derived from disease surveillance laboratory experiments, particularly using phylogenetic methods. His studies explore factors influencing the diversity and evolution of pathogens, particularly considering natural reservoirs in birds and bats, livestock production systems, and the origins of human pandemics. His research functionally investigates the effects of host innate and adaptive immune responses on the transmission of human pathogens, including influenza and Enterovirus 71. This scholarship has significantly contributed to the fields involved in epidemic preparedness and response, specifically regarding methodologies that incorporate multi-stream data to better understand infectious disease dynamics.

Research Interests

Experience