Dr Mohana Kunasekaran

Lecturer

Doctor of Philosophy (91ɫ��Ƭ)
Master of International Public Health - Epidemiology (91ɫ��Ƭ)
Master of International Public Health (91ɫ��Ƭ)
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) (91ɫ��Ƭ)

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Medicine & Health

The Kirby Institute

Dr Mohana Kunasekaran is a Lecturer in the Biosecurity Program at the Kirby Institute, 91ɫ��Ƭ Sydney. Her research focuses on infectious disease epidemiology, airborne transmission, and outbreak preparedness in aged care settings. Her work aims to strengthen infection prevention and outbreak response through improving facility design and air quality, and applying surveillance and epidemiological data to inform evidence-based decision-making during infectious disease emergencies. She has specialised expertise in systematic reviews and meta-analysis, with applications across public health and clinical medicine.

Phone

+61 2 9385 0906

E-mail

m.kunasekaran@unsw.edu.au

Journal articles | 2026

Akhtar Z; Notaras A; Tawfiq E; Kunasekaran M; MacIntyre CR; Rawlinson W; Walker GJ, 2026, 'Epidemiology of respiratory syncytial virus within a New South Wales-based multi-centre health district between 2018 and 2024 in Australia', Pathology, 58, pp. 97 - 102,

Journal articles | 2026

MacIntyre CR; Notaras A; Bari N; Doolan C; Mahmoud MMA; Honeyman D; de Araujo Aquino AFV; Seppelt I; Nicholls M; Turville S; Aggarwal A; Kunasekaran M; Gresham R; Walker G; Sevendal A; Rawlinson W; Emmen IE; O'Connor SL; O'Connor DH; de Silva C, 2026, 'Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in aerosol and surface samples in high acuity hospital settings during community epidemic waves – implications for risk-based infection control', Respiratory Medicine, 253,

Journal articles | 2026

Stone H; Kunasekaran M; Poulos C; Macintyre CR; Heslop D, 2026, 'Generating a Contact Matrix for Aged Care Settings in Australia: An Agent-Based Model Study', JASSS, 29,

Journal articles | 2026

Zhang P; MacIntyre R; Kunasekaran M; Chughtai A; Bari N, 2026, 'Emergence of HPAI H5N1 Clade 2.3.4.4b in Australia’s Sub-Antarctic Territory: Implications for National Preparedness and Biosecurity', Global Biosecurity,

Journal articles | 2025

Ansari S; Hosseinzadeh H; Dennis S; Sheng T; Kunasekaran M; Taher S; Zwar N, 2025, 'Patient and provider perspectives of a self-management program for COPD in the context of multimorbidity: a qualitative study', BMC Primary Care, 26,

Journal articles | 2025

Macintyre CR; Chughtai AA; Kunasekaran M; Tawfiq E; Greenhalgh T, 2025, 'The role of masks and respirators in preventing respiratory infections in healthcare and community settings', BMJ,

Journal articles | 2025

Quigley AL; Kunasekaran M; Stone H; Honeyman D; Notaras A; Lim S; MacIntyre R, 2025, 'The impact of the cruise ship Coral Princess on COVID-19 transmission in regional Western Australia in 2022', Journal of Travel Medicine, 32,

Journal articles | 2025

Tawfiq E; Chen R; Honeyman DA; Dawson R; Kunasekaran M; Notaras A; Gurdasani D; Skouteris H; Ayton D; MacIntyre CR, 2025, 'Long Covid Symptom Clusters, Correlates and Predictors in a Highly Vaccinated Australian Population in 2023', Health Expectations, 28,

Journal articles | 2024

Berry MT; Khan SR; Schlub TE; Notaras A; Kunasekaran M; Grulich AE; MacIntyre CR; Davenport MP; Khoury DS, 2024, 'Predicting vaccine effectiveness for mpox', Nature Communications, 15, pp. 3856,

Journal articles | 2024

Chen R; Kunasekaran M; Moa A; Lim S; Chughtai AA; Kpozehouen EB; Chen X; Quigley A; Macintyre CR, 2024, 'Respiratory illness of unknown cause as an early signal of the COVID-19 pandemic', Global Biosecurity, 6,

Journal articles | 2024

Greenhalgh T; MacIntyre CR; Baker MG; Bhattacharjee S; Chughtai AA; Fisman D; Kunasekaran M; Kvalsvig A; Lupton D; Oliver M; Tawfiq E; Ungrin M; Vipond J, 2024, 'Masks and respirators for prevention of respiratory infections: a state of the science review', Clinical Microbiology Reviews, 37, pp. e00124 - e00123,

Journal articles | 2024

Gurdasani D; Trent M; Ziauddeen H; Mnatzaganian E; Turville S; Chen X; Kunasekaran MP; Chughtai AA; Moa A; Mceniery J; Greenhalgh T; Macintyre CR, 2024, 'Acute hepatitis of unknown aetiology in children: evidence for and against causal relationships with SARS-CoV-2, HAdv and AAV2', BMJ Paediatrics Open, 8,

Journal articles | 2024

Shrestha A; Chen R; Kunasekaran M; Honeyman D; Notaras A; Sutton B; Quigley A; MacIntyre CR, 2024, 'The risk of cognitive decline and dementia in older adults diagnosed with COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis', Ageing Research Reviews, 101,

Journal articles | 2023

Chen R; Kezhekkekara SG; Kunasekaran MP; MacIntyre CR, 2023, 'Universal masking during COVID-19 outbreaks in aged care settings: A systematic review and meta-analysis', Ageing Research Reviews, 93,

Journal articles | 2023

Chen X; Kunasekaran MP; Hutchinson D; Stone H; Zhang T; Aagerup J; Moa A; MacIntyre CR, 2023, 'Enhanced EPIRISK tool for rapid epidemic risk analysis', Public Health, 224, pp. 159 - 168,

Journal articles | 2023

Hutchinson D; Kunasekaran M; Quigley A; Moa A; MacIntyre CR, 2023, 'Could it be monkeypox? Use of an AI-based epidemic early warning system to monitor rash and fever illness', Public Health, 220, pp. 142 - 147,

Journal articles | 2023

Hutchinson D; Kunasekaran M; Stone H; Chen X; Quigley A; Moa A; Macintyre CR, 2023, 'Healthcare Workers' SARS-CoV-2 Infections in Four Hospital Outbreaks during Delta Variant Prevalence in Sydney, Australia', Nursing Research and Practice, 2023, pp. 1806909,

Journal articles | 2023

MacIntyre CR; Chen X; Kunasekaran M; Quigley A; Lim S; Stone H; Paik HY; Yao L; Heslop D; Wei W; Sarmiento I; Gurdasani D, 2023, 'Artificial intelligence in public health: the potential of epidemic early warning systems', Journal of International Medical Research, 51,

Journal articles | 2023

Moa A; Kunasekaran M; Akhtar Z; Costantino V; MacIntyre CR; Zubair Akhtar AM, 2023, 'Systematic review of influenza vaccine effectiveness against laboratory-confirmed influenza among older adults living in aged care facilities', Human Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics, 19, pp. 2271304,

Journal articles | 2023

Raphael M; Kelly-Hanku A; Heslop D; Hutchinson D; Kunasekaran M; Quigley A; Macintyre R, 2023, 'Early pandemic use of face masks in Papua New Guinea under a mask mandate', Western Pacific Surveillance and Response Journal, 14,

Journal articles | 2023

Stone H; Heslop D; Lim S; Sarmiento I; Kunasekaran M; Raina MacIntyre C, 2023, 'Open-Source Intelligence for Detection of Radiological Events and Syndromes Following the Invasion of Ukraine in 2022: Observational Study', Jmir Infodemiology, 3,

Journal articles | 2022

Honeyman D; Buisson E; Hutchinson D; Kunasekaran M; Aagerup J; Chen X; Moa A; Hyde Z, 2022, 'SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant: a systematic review of transmissibility and severity in children', Global Biosecurity, 4,

Journal articles | 2022

Hutchinson D; Kunasekaran M, 2022, 'Emergence of novel orthopox virus in Alaska, USA', Global Biosecurity, 4,

Journal articles | 2022

Hutchinson D; Kunasekaren M; Chen X; Moa A; Kunasekaran M, 2022, 'Japanese Encephalitis Outbreak in South-Eastern Australia, 2022', Global Biosecurity, 4,

Journal articles | 2022

Kalyar F; Chen X; Kunasekaran M; Moa A; Chughtai A; Maclntyre R; MacIntyre R, 2022, 'An unprecedented global resurgence of monkeypox', Global Biosecurity, 4,

Journal articles | 2022

Kenrick Gardiner ER; Notaras A; Kunasekaran MP; Quigley A, 2022, 'Legionnaires’ disease: A critical report of the pneumonia of unknown origin outbreak in Argentina', Global Biosecurity, 4,

Journal articles | 2022

Kunasekaran M; Hutchinson D; Stone H; Chen X, 2022, 'Unknown skin disease among Senegalese fishermen', Global Biosecurity, 4,

Journal articles | 2022

Kunasekaran M; Moa A; Hooshmand E; Trent M; Poulos CJ; Chughtai AA; Heslop DJ; Raina MacIntyre C, 2022, 'Effectiveness estimates for enhanced trivalent influenza vaccines in an aged care summer outbreak', Vaccine, 40, pp. 7170 - 7175,

Journal articles | 2022

Kunasekaran M; Poulos CJ; Chughtai AA; Heslop DJ; MacIntyre CR, 2022, 'Factors associated with repeated influenza vaccine uptake among aged care staff in an Australian sample from 2017 to 2019', Vaccine, 40, pp. 7238 - 7246,

Journal articles | 2022

Kunasekaran M; Quigley A; Rahman B; Chughtai AA; Heslop DJ; Poulos CJ; Macintyre CR, 2022, 'Factors Associated with SARS-CoV-2 Attack Rates in Aged Care-A Meta-Analysis', Open Forum Infectious Diseases, 9, pp. ofac033,

Journal articles | 2022

Kunasekaran MP; Chughtai AA; Heslop DJ; Poulos CJ; MacIntyre CR, 2022, 'Influenza cases in nine aged care facilities in Sydney, Australia over a three-year surveillance period, 2018—2020', Vaccine, 40, pp. 4253 - 4261,

Journal articles | 2022

Kunasekaran MP; Mongha A; Chughtai AA; Poulos CJ; Heslop DJ; MacIntyre CR, 2022, 'Policy Analysis for Prevention and Control of Influenza in Aged Care', Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 23, pp. 1741 - 1741.e18,

Journal articles | 2022

Lai YA; Chen X; Kunasekaran M; Rahman B; MacIntyre CR, 2022, 'Global epidemiology of vaccine-derived poliovirus 2016–2021: A descriptive analysis and retrospective case-control study', Eclinicalmedicine, 50,

Journal articles | 2022

Quigley A; Kunasekaran M; Hutchinson D; Gardiner E; Kannan A; Abraham. S, 2022, 'Tomato Flu/Fever-An analysis of the Hand Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak reported in India.', Global Biosecurity, 4,

Journal articles | 2021

Chughtai AA; Seale H; Rawlinson WD; Kunasekaran M; Raina Macintyre C, 2021, 'Selection and use of respiratory protection by healthcare workers to protect from infectious diseases in hospital settings', Annals of Work Exposures and Health, 64, pp. 368 - 377,

Journal articles | 2021

Costantino V; Kunasekaran M; MacIntyre CR, 2021, 'Modelling of optimal vaccination strategies in response to a bioterrorism associated smallpox outbreak', Human Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics, 17, pp. 738 - 746,

Journal articles | 2021

Hooshmand E; Moa A; Trent M; Kunasekaran M; Poulos CJ; Chughtai AA; MacIntyre CR, 2021, 'Epidemiology of 2017 influenza outbreaks in nine Australian Aged care facilities', Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses, 15, pp. 278 - 283,

Journal articles | 2021

Kunasekaran M; Hutchinson D; Stone H; Chen X; Moa A, 2021, 'Is the Delta Plus Variant (B.1.617.2/AY1) more serious than the Delta Variant?', Global Biosecurity, 3,

Journal articles | 2021

Lesmanawati DAS; Adam DC; Hooshmand E; Moa A; Kunasekaran MP; MacIntyre CR, 2021, 'The global epidemiology of Hepatitis A outbreaks 2016-2018 and the utility of EpiWATCH as a rapid epidemic intelligence service', Global Biosecurity, 3,

Journal articles | 2021

Lina SMM; Kunasekaran MP; Moa A, 2021, 'Brucellosis Outbreak in China, 2019', Global Biosecurity, 3,

Journal articles | 2021

Stone H; Lim S; Kunasekaran M; Nunes-Vaz R, 2021, 'Greater Sydney SARS-CoV-2 Observations from the 16th of June to the 13th of July', Global Biosecurity, 3,

Journal articles | 2021

Stone H; Lim S; Kunasekaran M, 2021, 'Greater Sydney SARS-CoV-2 Observations from the 16th of June to the 13th of July', Global Biosecurity,

Journal articles | 2020

Chughtai AA; Tan TC; Hitchen EM; Kunasekaran M; MacIntyre CR, 2020, 'Association of influenza infection and vaccination with cardiac biomarkers and left ventricular ejection fraction in patients with acute myocardial infarction', Ijc Heart and Vasculature, 31,

Journal articles | 2020

Costantino V; Trent MJ; Sullivan JS; Kunasekaran MP; Gray R; MacIntyre R, 2020, 'Serological immunity to smallpox in New South Wales, Australia', Viruses, 12,

Journal articles | 2020

Lai E; Tan HY; Kunasekaran M; Chughtai AA; Trent M; Poulos C; MacIntyre CR, 2020, 'Influenza vaccine coverage and predictors of vaccination among aged care workers in Sydney Australia', Vaccine, 38, pp. 1968 - 1974,

Journal articles | 2020

MacIntyre CR; Chen X; Kunasekaran M; Kannan A; Nayak V; Bayaraa K; Sitnikova E; Nguyen PY; German T, 2020, 'Tailored intelligence to detect unusual epidemic activity following the explosion at Vector, Russia', Global Biosecurity, 1,

Journal articles | 2020

MacIntyre R; Chugtai AA; Kunasekaran MP; Bhattacharjee S; Engells TE, 2020, 'Risk mitigation of inadvertent exposure to biothreats to front line law enforcement', Global Biosecurity, 2,

Journal articles | 2020

Nguyen PY; Chen XJ; Kunasekaran M, 2020, 'Rise in pneumonia cases of unknown aetiology in Kazakhstan in June 2020: A rapid analysis', Global Biosecurity, 2,

Journal articles | 2019

Armstrong J; Adam D; Kunasekaran M; MacIntyre R; Nand D; Heslop D, 2019, 'Themes and correlations of participant experience and evaluation of an interactive bioterrorism release exercise – a mixed methods study', Journal of Global Biosecurity, 1, pp. 1,

Journal articles | 2019

Kunasekaran M; Chen X; Costantino V; Chughtai A; MacIntyre R, 2019, 'Evidence for Residual Immunity to Smallpox After Vaccination', Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 34, pp. s129 - s129,

Journal articles | 2019

Kunasekaran M; Trent M; Lai E; Tan H; Chughtai A; Poulos C; MacIntyre R, 2019, 'Influenza Vaccine Uptake and Associated Factors in Aged Care Facilities', Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 34, pp. s140 - s140,

Journal articles | 2019

Kunasekaran M, 2019, 'Report of Monkeypox cases in 2018 in the United Kingdom', Global Biosecurity, 1, pp. 140,

Journal articles | 2019

Kunasekaran MP; Chen X; Costantino V; Chughtai AA; MacIntyre CR, 2019, 'Evidence for residual immunity to smallpox after vaccination and implications for re-emergence', Military Medicine, 184, pp. e668 - e679,

Journal articles | 2019

MacIntyre CR; Costantino V; Kunasekaran MP, 2019, 'Health system capacity in Sydney, Australia in the event of a biological attack with smallpox', Plos One, 14, pp. e0217704,

Journal articles | 2019

MacIntyre R; Valentina C; Biswajit M; Devina N; Mohana Priya K; David H; Costantino V; Heslop D; Kunasekaran M, 2019, 'Epidemic size, duration and vaccine stockpiling following a large-scale attack with smallpox', Global Biosecurity, 1, pp. 74 - 81,

Journal articles | 2019

Tan HY; Lai E; Kunasekaran M; Chughtai AA; Trent M; Poulos CJ; MacIntyre CR, 2019, 'Prevalence and predictors of influenza vaccination among residents of long-term care facilities', Vaccine, 37, pp. 6329 - 6335,

Journal articles | 2018

Adam DC; Bui CM; Heywood AE; Kunasekaran M; Sheikh M; Narasimhan P; MacIntyre CR, 2018, 'Adherence to anti-vectorial prevention measures among travellers with chikungunya and malaria returning to Australia: Comparative epidemiology', BMC Research Notes, 11, pp. 590,

Journal articles | 2018

Costantino V; Kunasekaran MP; Chughtai AA; MacIntyre CR, 2018, 'How Valid Are Assumptions about Re-emerging Smallpox? A Systematic Review of Parameters Used in Smallpox Mathematical Models', Military Medicine, 183, pp. e200 - e207,

Journal articles | 2018

Hii A; Chughtai AA; Housen T; Saketa S; Kunasekaran MP; Sulaiman F; Yanti NS; MacIntyre CR, 2018, 'Epidemic intelligence needs of stakeholders in the Asia-Pacific region', Western Pacific Surveillance and Response Journal Wpsar, 9, pp. 28 - 36,

Journal articles | 2018

MacIntyre CR; Costantino V; Chen X; Segelov E; Chughtai AA; Kelleher A; Kunasekaran M; Lane JM, 2018, 'Influence of population immunosuppression and past vaccination on smallpox reemergence', Emerging Infectious Diseases, 24, pp. 646 - 653,
Preprints | 2026

Wiblin S; Kunasekaran M; MacIntyre R; Seale H, 2026, Behavioural Drivers of COVID-19 Vaccination and Antiviral Uptake in Australia: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Using the COM-B Framework,

Preprints | 2025

Stone H; MacIntyre CR; Kunasekaran M; Poulos C; Heslop D, 2025, Generating a Contact Matrix for Aged Care Settings in Australia: an agent-based model study,

Preprints | 2023

Berry M; Khan S; Schlub T; Notaras A; Kunasekaran M; Grulich A; MacIntyre R; Davenport M; Khoury D, 2023, Predicting vaccine effectiveness in Mpox,

Preprints | 2022

Stone H; Heslop D; Lim S; Sarmiento I; Kunasekaran M; MacIntyre CR, 2022, Open-Source Intelligence for Detection of Radiological Events and Syndromes Following the Invasion of Ukraine in 2022: Observational Study (Preprint),

Conference Abstracts | 2019

Hii A; Chughtai AA; Housen T; Saketa S; Kunasekaran MP; Sulaiman F; Yanti NS; Macintyre CR, 2019, 'Epidemic intelligence needs of stakeholders in the Asia-Pacific Region, 2017', in INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES, ELSEVIER SCI LTD, Vol. 79, pp. 113 - 113,

Conference Papers | 2018

MacIntyre CR; Kpozehouen E; Kunasekaran M; Harriman K; Conaty S; Rosewell A; Druce J; Martin N; Heywood AE; Gidding HF; Wood J; Nicholl S, 2018, 'Measles control in Australia – threats, opportunities and future needs', in Vaccine, pp. 4393 - 4398,

Conference Presentations | 2010

Kunasekaran M, 2010, 'Introduction to modelling of infectious diseases', presented at 2nd International workshop on "Mathematical modelling of infectious diseases", Chennai, India, 05 December 2010 - 10 December 2010

Kirby Emerging Investigator Award 2024

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Dr Mohana Kunasekaran