PMX_5695-min

Ajit Poudel

DPhil Student

Ajit Poudel is a DPhil candidate at the University of Oxford, focusing on infection prevention and antimicrobial resistance in critical care settings. His doctoral research evaluates a multimodal hygiene and infection prevention intervention in intensive care units in Nepal. By assessing locally co-designed hygiene bundles and linking clinical outcomes with genomic analysis and transmission modelling, his work generates robust evidence to reduce healthcare-associated infections and inform scalable strategies within national antimicrobial resistance frameworks.

His broader research programme is grounded in a One Health approach, examining how interactions between healthcare systems, communities, and environmental reservoirs influence pathogen transmission and antimicrobial resistance in resource-constrained settings. His work integrates clinical epidemiology, microbiology, genomics surveillance, and operational research. 

He has also contributed to multidisciplinary projects on zoonotic surveillance, wastewater pathogen detection, antimicrobial resistance monitoring, and biosecurity, with a sustained focus on strengthening local capacity in genomic epidemiology and implementation research to ensure that evidence directly informs policy and practice. 

Timeline

2016 – 2024

December 2016 – April 2024: Public Health Manager, Center for Molecular Dynamics Nepal (CMDN) 

As Public Health Manager, Ajit led diverse projects funded by USAID, MIT, Australian Aid, and the US State Department. These projects tackled zoonotic diseases, biosecurity in animal production, and environmental surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 and Salmonella Typhi. He managed research and field teams, budgets, and logistics while providing technical expertise and ensuring high-quality research. 

2019 – 2023

Project Officer (Consultant), Biovac Nepal Pvt. Ltd.

Ajit served as Project Lead for several initiatives at Biovac Nepal. He developed and implemented projects focused on livestock health, antimicrobial resistance monitoring, and Avian Influenza detection. He also played a key role in coordinating research, project logistics, and data analysis. 

2023 – Present

PLOS Peer Reviewer

2023 – Present

Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) Abstract Reviewer 

These ongoing activities demonstrate Ajit’s commitment to scientific rigor and scholarly contribution. He reviews research for reputable organizations and provides valuable feedback to authors. 

Previous Roles 

Ajit’s earlier experiences include Healthcare Management Officer, Graduate Research Assistant, and Research Assistant. These roles provided a foundation in public health, research methodology, and data analysis, preparing him for his current leadership positions. 

2015

Master of Public Health from Queensland University of Technology in Australia, specializing in Epidemiology and Health Management. 

2011

 Bachelor of Biomolecular Science from Griffith University in Australia, specializing in Molecular Biology and Microbiology. 

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