The team

Ms Shivani Sivakumar

• PhD Candidate
• The University of Queensland

Shivani is a CEAStAR PhD scholar at the Institute for Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, under the supervision of Professor Mark Blaskovich. She completed her bachelor’s degree in biotechnology at Kumaraguru College of Technology, India, and her master’s in molecular biology at the University of Queensland.

Throughout her research journey, she has gained experience in molecular microbiology, bacterial genetics, biofilm research, microbial cell culture, fluorescence labelling and microscopy, and a range of molecular biology techniques. These experiences have strengthened her interest in understanding how bacteria survive, adapt, and cause disease, with the goal of contributing to the development of innovative strategies to combat antimicrobial resistance.

Her PhD research focuses on bacterial biofilm inhibition and disruption, with the broader aim of contributing to strategies that reduce antimicrobial resistance. In collaboration with industry partner Lixa, she is evaluating novel universal resistance-breaking molecules under different conditions using multiple in vitro models, focusing on opportunistic waterborne pathogens, nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) and Legionella, commonly found in contaminated water systems.

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