DrSmitha Sukumar

Smitha leads an active research program spanning oral microbial ecosystems, antimicrobial resistance, clinical outcomes, and health professions education. Her research is embedded in clinical and educational settings and is strongly translational, conducted in collaboration with clinicians, scientists and educators. She is an approved HDR supervisor and welcomes enquiries from prospective PhD and MPhil students.

Project themes

• Oral microbiome and post‑operative recovery following major surgery
• Antimicrobial resistance and the oral resistome
• Translational microbiome research to inform antibiotic stewardship and clinical decision‑making
• Clinical and health professions education research, including clinical reasoning and assessment (co‑supervision available)

Methods & skills

Students will gain experience in clinical and translational research design, oral microbiome and resistome analysis, sample collection and preparation for genomic sequencing, clinical data integration, mixed‑methods research (where appropriate), research translation, and academic development.