Ashley is a Senior Research Associate with the Kirby Institute’s Biosecurity Program, led by Professor Raina MacIntyre. She is the Epi Team Lead for EPIWATCH, which is an open-source intelligence tool which harnesses the power of AI and open-source data to capture early epidemic signals globally and rapid epidemic detection, leading to the prevention of global spread.

Her PhD was entitled "Epidemiological methods to evaluate the early impact of the COVID-19 pandemic”. A crucial role for epidemiologists during a pandemic is to aid policy makers in defining the main objectives of mitigation. In the absence of formal reporting by authorities early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, this research involved using open-source data synthesized in novel ways to develop new insights into the pandemic and advise public health policy.

Prior to joining the Biosecurity Program, she managed a clinical research organization in Australia and has worked extensively on rapid diagnostic measures for infectious diseases, predominantly XDR and MDR-TB. She received her BSc, BSC Hons and MSc in South Africa.