Basil Donovan AO FAHMS is regarded as the pioneer of sexual health research in Australia and had a founding role in this new medical specialty.. He is a NHMRC Practitioner Fellow and a registered Sexual Health and Public Health Physician. He heads the Sexual Health Program at the Kirby Institute www.kirby.unsw.edu.au. The Program is involved in wide-ranging clinical and pubic health research, including national surveillance networks. Professor Donovan is a past President (2013 – 2015) of the International Society for STD Research www.isstdr.org.
Research interests:
Populations of interest include sex workers, sexual and gender minorities, youth, Indigenous people living in rural and remote settings, travellers, prisoners, and juvenile offenders.
Other research interests:
Enhanced and molecular surveillance, antimicrobial resistance, the population impact of STI vaccines, the health impact of the law and human rights, health services, rapid and advanced testing technology, and economic evaluation.
Broad research areas:
Population Health, Epidemiology, Indigenous Health, HIV/AIDS, and Infectious Diseases.
Society memberships & professional activities:
Fellow, Australasian Chapter of Sexual Health Medicine, Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP); Fellow, Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine, RACP; Fellow, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland; Fellow, Royal College of Physicians, London; Past President, International Society for STD Research (ISSTDR) www.isstdr.org ; Fellow, Australian Academy for Health and Medical Sciences; Patron of Touching Base - People with Disabilities and Sex Workers Coming Together.
Specific research keywords:
Sexual health, sexually transmissible infections, reproductive health, public health, infectious disease control, HIV, chlamydia. gonorrhoea, syphilis, trichomoniasis, Mycoplasma genitalium, genital herpes, genital warts, human papillomavirus, condoms, sex work, prison health, Indigenous health.
My Grants
Australian Government Department of Health: 2019-2025. Hellard M, Stoové M, Guy R, Donovan B, El-Hayek C, and Carter A. The Australian Collaboration for Coordinated Enhanced Sentinel Surveillance of Sexually Transmissible Infections and Blood-borne Viruses (ACCESS).
NHMRC Partnership Project: 2018-2021 [APP1134433] Prestage G, Jin F, Mao L, Grulich AE, Guy R, Kaldor JM, Donovan B, Fairley CK, and Brown G. Developing and implementing systems to optimize treatment, care and support among people diagnosed with HIV (RISE Study).
NHMRC Partnership Project: 2018-2021 [APP1150014]. Hocking J, Sanci L, Guy R, Fairley CK, Temple-Smith M, Regan D, Carvalho N, Simpson J, and Donovan B. Implementation of an integrated model of chlamydia case management in general practice (MoCCA Study).
NHMRC Project: 2018-2020 [APP1138165] Bradshaw C, Hocking JS, Vodstrcil L, Donovan B, Lewis DA, Tabrizi S, Petoumenos K, and Chen MY. Antibiotic treatment of male partners to reduce recurrence of bacterial vaginosis in women: a randomised double-blind controlled trial (Step Up Study).
NHMRC Practitioner Fellowship: 2019-2023 [APP1154828]. Donovan B. Sexually transmissible infections: outcomes and interventions.
Australian Research Council Research Hub: 2019-2023. Guy R, Broom A, Whiley D, Bradshaw C, Applegate T, Treloar C, Wiseman V, Huston W, Williamson D, Kaldor J, Vallely A, Hocking J, Regan D, Donovan B, and Kelly-Hanku A. ARC Research Hub to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance.
NHMRC Clinical Trial and Cohort Study Grant: 2020-2023 [APP1182443]. Seib K, Donovan B, Grulich AE, Fairley CK, Lewis D, Polizzotto M, Thng C, Whiley D, McNulty A, and Law M. A multi-centre randomised controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of the meningococcal B vaccine, 4CmenB (Bexsero®), against Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection in gay and bisexual men.
NHMRC Synergy Grant: 2020-2024 [APP1185377]. Ward J, Guy R, Kaldor J, Bryant J, Liu B, Whiley D, and Donovan B. Exploring the potential to eliminate endemic sexually transmissible infections in remote Australia using targeted multidisciplinary methods.
NHMRC Ideas Grant: 2020-2024 [APP1185073]. Ward J, Donovan B, Wesselingh S, Bradley C, Elliott S, Stephens J, and Wand H. Implementing a precision public health approach to eliminate STIs and control HIV in regional Australia.
NNHMRC Partnership Project: 2021-2025 [PRC1 2006987]. Ward J, Kaldor J, Snelling T, Donovan B, Marshall H, Guy R, Fairley CK, Mak D, Boyle D, Wand H. Integrating and expansion of a sentinel surveillance system to improve infectious disease outcomes for Indigenous Australians: the ATLAS Project.
Australian Government Department of Health: 2021-2023. Ward J, Kaldor JM, Donovan B, Guy R, Fairley CK, Mak D, Ryder N, Nattabi B, Wand H, Gilles M, Russell D, Huang R-L, Hengel B, Bradley C. The ATLAS Indigenous Primary Care Surveillance Network (ATLAS2)
My Qualifications
MB BS (UNSW), MD (USyd), DipVen (Lond), FAFPHM, FRCPI, FAChSHM, FRCP
My Awards
2022: Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the General Division: for Distinguished Services to Medicine in the Field of Sexual Health through Tertiary Education, Research, and Advisory Roles.
2022: HIV Hero Award (jointly with Julie Bates AO) presented by Positive Life NSW, ACON LGBTIQ+ Community Awards
2020: AChSHM Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Discipline of Sexual Health Medicine, RACP
2020: Honorary Life Membership, Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM)
2016: Inaugural ASRHA Distinguished Services to Sexual Health Award, Australasian Sexual and Reproductive Health Alliance.
2016: Fellowship of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.
2015: Silver Medal (for Contributions to International STI control), International Union against Sexually Transmitted Infections.
2014: Presidential Lecturer, 50th Anniversary Scientific Meeting of the American Society for Cervical Cytology and Pathology, Scottsdale, Arizona.
2013: Post-graduate Candidate Supervision Award, UNSW Sydney.
2013: Gollow Lecturer - Keynote address to the Australasian Sexual Health Congress, Adelaide.
2009: Sexual Health Medicine Award: Outstanding Contribution to Research, RACP.
2005: Senior Counselor, World Executive Council, International Union against Sexually Transmitted Infections.
My Research Supervision
Areas of supervision
STIs, HIV, HPV, sex work, prisoner health
Currently supervising
The sexual health and behaviour of Australian prisoners. Scientia PhD candidate, Helene Smith, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW
Systems to detect elimination of sexually transmitted infections in Australia. PhD candidate, Laila Khawar, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW.
The sexual behaviour and health of Australian prisoners. PhD candidate, Patricia Taflan, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW
Sexually transmissible infections in men attending sex on premises venues. PhD candidate, Catriona Ooi, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8851-4126