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This PhD project will investigate how hepatitis C virus (HCV) spreads in custodial settings across Australia, New York and Kenya. The successful candidate will combine viral genomics, epidemiology, behavioural research and public health implementation science to investigate HCV infection transmission in the prisons settings.

By integrating viral genomic sequencing with epidemiological, behavioural and health-system data, the project will identify transmission networks and examine how factors such as injecting drug use, prison mobility, healthcare access, treatment coverage and prevention services influence HCV transmission. Comparing diverse settings will enable identifying both shared and context-specific drivers of transmission and inform targeted, culturally appropriate public health responses.

The candidate will join an internationally-recognised prison-health research team, supervised by Prof Rowena Bull,A/Prof Behzad Hajarizadeh and Dr Yumi Sheehan from The Kirby Institute, and A/Prof Matthew Akiyama at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. Together, the supervisory team brings expertise in HCV virology, viral genomics, epidemiology, prison health, infectious diseases and implementation science. The project may also provide opportunities to conduct research in New York and Kenya.

This internationally collaborative research will provide high-level training while contributing to more equitable HCV elimination in prisons nationally and globally.