We are always excited to hear from prospective Honours or Masters students, PhD students, post-doctoctoral researchers, and visitors who have an interest in microbial genomics and antimicrobial resistance. Whether we currently have funded open positions or not, we are always looking for driven individuals to join our team.

Honours & Masters Students

We offer Honours projects through both Monash University’s School of Translational Medicine Honours program, and the Department of Microbiology Honours program. We also host students for research projects through various Monash University Masters programs.

Projects currently on offer can be found here, however, projects can be tailored to meet student interests.

If you’re interested in undertaking a project with us, please send an email to jane dot hawkey at monash dot edu with the following:

  • Academic transcript
  • CV
  • Brief description of your research interests

PhD Students

We offer PhD projects through Monash University’s Doctoral Program via the School of Translational Medicine. Please see the University website for specific details about the application process and eligibility requirements.

We are looking for candidates who have a genuine interest in the work that we do. Candidates should have undertaken a successful Honours year or research Masters project, and have demonstrated ability to undertake independent research. You should also have a background in at least one area of microbiology, genetics, data science or computational biology.

Funded PhD projects are listed below, otherwise, candidates will need to secure their own funding (either a University scholarship or other external funding) to support both living expenses (domestic and international students), and tutiton fees (for international students). University scholarships are extremely competitive: candidates will need a higher distinction or H1 equivalent at either an Honours or Masters level. For international students, candidates generally also require mulitple publications.

How to apply

Please send an enquiry to jane dot hawkey at monash dot edu with the following information:

  • Research interests: A short paragraph detailing your specific research interests and how these align to the lab's current work.
  • CV or resume: Include any research publications with the full author list, title, and journal name. If you have any other outputs, such as code repositories, please include these also.
  • Funding status: Please state if you have any funding available, or if you intend to apply for a scholarship

Please write this email in your own words - whilst AI is a useful tool for proof-reading, AI written emails are easy to spot and don’t demonstrate a real understanding of the work we do.

Funded PhD positions

A translational genomic framework for addressing transmission and resistance in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Fully funded — PhD scholarship included (Centre to Impact AMR) Deadline: September 25, 2026 · Domestic candidates only

Develop the first species-specific genomic framework for Stenotrophomonas maltophilia — a complex of 24+ distinct species routinely treated as one in the clinic — to better understand transmission risk and resistance in this healthcare-associated pathogen.

Primary supervisor: Dr Jane Hawkey (Department of Infectious Diseases)

Co-supervisors:

  • Dr Adam Jenney (Alfred Health, Clinical Microbiology)

  • Professor Rhonda Stuart (Monash Health, Infection Prevention)

  • Dr Isabella Centeleghe (Cabrini Research)

Healthcare-associated infections impose a substantial and growing burden on healthcare systems, primarily targeting our most vulnerable groups undergoing life-saving therapies — including patients with lung disease, cancer, immunosuppression, or organ transplants. S. maltophilia is a critical pathogen in these patients, yet effective treatment is hampered by intrinsic antibiotic resistance, the inability of clinical laboratories to differentiate between species, and a paucity of clinical data linking species to transmission risk or treatment outcomes. Recent genomic studies have revealed that S. maltophilia comprises a complex of over 24 distinct species, yet in clinical practice these are treated as a single entity, disregarding potentially significant differences in antibiotic resistance profiles and virulence.

This project aims to provide the first species-specific framework for S. maltophilia, by improving identification of this pathogen and exploring variations in transmission potential.

During this project, you will:

  • Develop a genomic framework to accurately identify species, sub-species, and lineages
  • Investigate transmission dynamics to determine whether specific lineages drive human-to-human transmission versus remaining purely environmental
  • Investigate the types of biofilms S. maltophilia can be found in — aqueous versus dry biofilms — and differences in biofilm properties by species or lineage

You will gain interdisciplinary training spanning:

  • Analysis of large-scale microbial genomic datasets
  • Experimental biology approaches, including evaluating biofilms and resistance to disinfectants and antibiotics
  • Bridging the gap between basic discovery science and clinical microbiology and infection prevention

You will be supervised by a multidisciplinary team spanning genomics, microbiology, and infection prevention, with direct clinical links at Alfred Health and Monash Health. This project will include collaborations with international partners in Asia, Africa and the UK.

Eligibility criteria

Applications are open to domestic candidates only. To be eligible, you must be:

  • An Australian citizen, New Zealand citizen, Australian permanent resident, or a holder of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa
  • Qualified for entry to Monash University’s PhD program — typically successful completion of an Honours year with a H2A equivalent mark, or a Masters degree with a significant research component (admission criteria)

Applicants should have:

  • An academic background in one or more of genomics, bioinformatics, computational biology, or microbiology
  • A strong interest or beginner skills in programming (Python, R or bash) and/or wet lab microbiology techniques

How to apply

Interested candidates should apply via email. Please include:

  • Cover letter (max 1 page) highlighting your research background and interest in the topic
  • CV including academic achievements and relevant skills, and any publications or presentations
  • Official academic transcript
  • Details of 1–2 academic references

Informal inquiries prior to applying are welcome via email.

Interested candidates should contact jane.hawkey@monash.edu referencing this position.

Application deadline: September 25, 2026

Post-doctoral opportunities

We are always interested in meeting candidates that wish to visit the group, or have secured their own external funding. To discuss, please email jane dot hawkey at monash dot edu with the following:

  • CV
  • Brief paragraph about your research interests
  • Funding status
  • Time-frame for your visit

Open positions

We currently have no funded positions available.