DrNichola Calvani

Nichola Calvani graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Animal and Veterinary Bioscience (Hons) from the University of Sydney in 2016. She subsequently completed her PhD at the University of Sydney in 2020, focusing on the molecular diagnosis and distribution of Fasciola species in Southeast Asia. During her PhD, she worked closely with Australian livestock producers, meat processors, veterinarians, and both commercial and government-run laboratories to collect parasite material and develop a molecular diagnostic workflow enabling ante-mortem differentiation of Fasciola spp. her PhD research included extensive fieldwork in Cambodia and the Lao People's Democratic Republic, where she worked alongside local authorities and smallholder producers on a DFAT-funded project aimed at improving diagnosis and control of Fasciola spp. in cattle and buffalo. This work confirmed the presence of F. hepatica in Lao PDR for the first time and highlighted the role of international livestock movement in the transboundary spread of this parasite. 

In January 2021, Nichola joined Professor John Dalton's Molecular Parasitology Laboratory at the University of Galway, Ireland, as a postdoctoral researcher. There, she broadened her expertise on Fasciola hepatica, developing skills in advanced microscopy, molecular biology, protein expression and characterisation, immunology, enzymatic assays, and in vitro parasite and cell culture. She applied these skills to develop the world's first 3D hepatic co-culture model for F. hepatica infection, providing a transformative new way to study parasite development and invasion outside of an animal host. This model supports efforts to better understand early host:parasite interactions and will streamline drug and vaccine candidate screening, while reducing our reliance on animal models in alignment with the 3Rs (the replacement, reduction, and refinement of the use of animals in scientific research). 

Shortly after returning to the Sydney School of Veterinary Science (SSVS) as a Lecturer in Parasitology in Semester 2, 2023, Nichola was awarded an ARC-funded Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA, 2024-2027). This prestigious grant enables her to explore early parasite-host interactions using advanced 3D cell culture techniques, continuing and expanding on her innovative work conducted in Ireland. Nichola has since established a state-of-the-art 3D cell culture laboratory in the McMaster building, where she grows F. hepatica outside its mammalian hosts. She is actively integrating this fundamental scientific research with practical, farmer-focused approaches, aiming to develop sustainable parasite management strategies that address drug resistance and enhance livestock health through targeted interventions informed by molecular diagnostics.

Nichola is a member of Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute (Sydney ID).