Shokoofeh Shamsi

Biography

Shokoofeh is an international expert in parasite taxonomy, especially aquatic parasites that cause significant diseases in humans and animals. She couples conventional morphological techniques with modern molecular technologies to diagnose infections and identify parasite species. Shokoofeh discovered several new pathogenic species and strains causing emerging diseases in humans and animals in Australia and worldwide. This led to her receiving a highly competitive award from the Australian Academy of Science in 2011 for international travel and receiving the Recognition Medal of Global Biodiversity Meeting on Parasites and Aquatic Ecosystem Health by University of Allahabad, India for sustained academic efforts and contributions to advanced research. She has been invited to several national and international conferences as a key note speaker. She has also been appointed to the editorial board of the World Register for Marine Species (WoRMS). She reviews for 15 international journals in the field of veterinary Parasitology and food safety. After graduating in Animal Science, Shokoofeh started her research career in 1993 as a Research Fellow in Iranian Fisheries Research Institute (IFRO) working on freshwater fish parasites. She then ranked first in the 1997 national entry exam and completed a Master degree in Medical Parasitology working on the evaluation of rK39 antigen for diagnosis of visceral leishmaniosis. In 2002, she received scholarships from the Australian government and University of Melbourne (IPRS and MIRS) to undertake a PhD in Veterinary Parasitology working on morphological and genetic characterisation of ascaridoid nematodes. After completion of her PhD, she worked as the Director and Senior Research Fellow in the Departments of Marine and Freshwater Health and Diseases, IFRO in Iran leading several national and international research projects. She returned to Australia in 2009 to undertake a Post Doctoral Fellowship with Allergy Group at RMIT University, Melbourne. She has been employed at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences (SAVS), since January 2010. Shokoofeh is a member of CSU Academic Senate and SAVS Research Committee. She is also Animal Science Honours Coordinator. In addition she holds an adjunct position as University Associate, in School of Physical Sciences-Mathematics and Physics, University of Tasmania.

Research Interest

Cophylogeny among parasites and their hosts Parasite taxonomy and systematics Transmission patterns and ecology of parasites Seafood safety