Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
I am an NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow based within the Department of Infectious Diseases under the Infectious Disease Genomics research theme. Here, I co-lead the Fundamental Microbial Genomics Program, which encompasses a body of fundamental science projects that feed into translational research and refining pathogen control strategies. My research largely focuses on using computational biology and comparative genomics to investigate the genetic diversity and distribution of mobile elements (i.e. plasmids), which often confer drug resistance or virulence, across populations (i.e. lineages) of bacterial species like Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii.
My research has culminated in several resources for genome surveillance:
- A genotyping tool, Kleborate, which facilitates rapid detection and typing of virulence loci and drug resistance genes from genomes of Klebsiella pneumoniae and related species, and has been integrated into the Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance's Pathogenwatch platform.
- Typing schemes for five key virulence loci in Klebsiella pneumoniae, hosted on Institut Pasteur's K. pneumoniae BIGSdb site; a global database housing sequence variants linked to important virulence, AMR and sequence typing genes in Klebsiella.
- A plasmid typing scheme for Acinetobacter baumannii, wherein plasmids play a key role in the dissemination of drug resistance within the species.
I completed a Bachelor in Biomedical Science, Honours in Science and a Doctoral degree at The University of Melbourne. Find my latest publications on Google Scholar.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Research area keywords
- Klebsiella pneumoniae
- Comparative genomics
- Computation biology
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Projects
- 2 Active
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KlebNET 2: An integrated platform for K. pneumoniae genomic surveillance
Holt, K., Wyres, K., Lam, M., Stanton, T., Brisse, S., Aaenensen, D., Ott, S., McArthur, A., Dramowksi, A., Jolley, K. A., Brancotte , B., Raffestin , B., Dyer, N. & Tsang, K.
1/01/25 → 31/12/27
Project: Research
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Dissecting the impacts of the bacterial host versus plasmid on the AMR burden
1/01/22 → 31/12/26
Project: Research
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A point mutation in recC associated with subclonal replacement of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae ST11 in China
Zhou, K., Xue, C. X., Xu, T., Shen, P., Wei, S., Wyres, K. L., Lam, M. M. C., Liu, J., Lin, H., Chen, Y., Holt, K. E., the BRICS Working Group & Xiao, Y., 28 Apr 2023, In: Nature Communications. 14, 1, 14 p., 2464.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access27 Citations (Scopus) -
Comment on: MDR carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae of the hypervirulence-associated ST23 clone in Poland, 2009–19
Lam, M. M. C., Holt, K. & Wyres, K. L., 3 Apr 2023, In: Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. 78, 4, p. 1132-1134 3 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment / Debate › Other › peer-review
Open Access3 Citations (Scopus) -
Corrigendum: 'Nanopore-only assemblies for genomic surveillance of the global priority drug-resistant pathogen, Klebsiella pneumoniae'
Foster-Nyarko, E., Cottingham, H., Wick, R. R., Judd, L. M., Lam, M. M. C., Wyres, K. L., Stanton, T. D., Tsang, K. K., David, S., Aanensen, D. M., Brisse, S. & Holt, K. E., 1 Aug 2023, In: Microbial Genomics. 9, 8, 1 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment / Debate › Other › peer-review
Open Access1 Citation (Scopus) -
Detection and Typing of Plasmids in Acinetobacter baumannii Using rep Genes Encoding Replication Initiation Proteins
Lam, M. M. C., Koong, J., Holt, K. E., Hall, R. M. & Hamidian, M., Jan 2023, In: Microbiology Spectrum. 11, 1, 17 p., e0247822.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access27 Citations (Scopus) -
Nanopore-only assemblies for genomic surveillance of the global priority drug-resistant pathogen, Klebsiella pneumoniae
Foster-Nyarko, E., Cottingham, H., Wick, R. R., Judd, L. M., Lam, M. M. C., Wyres, K. L., Stanton, T. D., Tsang, K. K., David, S., Aanensen, D. M., Brisse, S. & Holt, K. E., 2023, In: Microbial Genomics. 9, 2, 16 p., 000936.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access22 Citations (Scopus)
Activities
- 3 External HDR Supervision
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Co-supervision of PhD student at University of Technology Sydney
Mehrad Hamidian (Fellow) & Margaret Lam (Fellow)
2023 → 2026Activity: External Academic Engagement › External HDR Supervision
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Co-supervision of PhD student, UiT The Arctic University of Norway
Iren Löhr (Supervisor) & Margaret Lam (Fellow)
2021 → 2024Activity: External Academic Engagement › External HDR Supervision
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Co-supervision of Honours Student at UTS
Mohammad Hamidian (Fellow) & Margaret Lam (Fellow)
Feb 2021 → Nov 2021Activity: External Academic Engagement › External HDR Supervision