Dr Kamila Kochan

AMR IMPACT THEME
  • AI Solutions for AMR
EXPERTISE
  • Vibrational spectroscopy of bacteria & viruses
  • Machine learning and chemometric analysis
  • Spectroscopy for phenotypic-based diagnostics
  • Nanoscale mapping of chemical composition of bacteria

Dr Kamila Kochan is based in the School of Chemistry at Monash University, where she leads an interdisciplinary research program focused on vibrational spectroscopy and its application in microbiology, with a particular emphasis on AMR. She obtained her PhD in Chemistry from Jagiellonian University in 2016, where she utilized vibrational spectroscopy and machine learning to study endothelial and liver dysfunction in lifestyle diseases. Kamila has worked in several world-leading biospectroscopy laboratories, including the Institute of Photonic Technology (IPHT) in Jena and the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB) at the University of Manchester, before joining Monash University, where she held postdoctoral roles in both the School of Chemistry and the School of Translational Medicine.

Since establishing her independent research program in 2024, Dr Kochan has focused on developing a new phenotypic diagnostic approach for rapid detection of functional antibiotic resistance. Her work aims to improve diagnostic accuracy and guide effective therapeutic decision-making in clinical settings. In parallel, Kamila aims to establish vibrational spectroscopy as a powerful platform for chemical profiling of bacteria, offering new insights into resistance mechanisms and treatment responses. Her work integrates IR and Raman spectroscopy with machine learning to deliver rapid antibiotic susceptibility testing results in under two hours. She also employs advanced techniques including nanoscale IR spectroscopy (AFM-IR and O-PTIR) and confocal Raman mapping to investigate resistant bacteria at both the cellular and subcellular levels. Kamila has been successful in securing both commercial funding and competitive research support from the NHMRC. Her research is highly translational, bridging spectroscopy, microbiology, and clinical diagnostics to develop innovative solutions for infectious disease targeted diagnosis and personalised therapy. Through active collaborations with industry and clinical partners, she continues to push the boundaries of spectroscopy in medical applications

AMR FOCUS
  • Development of a rapid, phenotypic diagnostics using vibrational spectroscopy coupled with machine learning.
  • Enabling real-time, personalized therapeutic recommendations for patients with resistant infections through spectral analysis.
  • Advanced vibrational spectroscopy (O-PTIR, AFM-IR, Raman) as a powerful new platform for chemical profiling of bacteria at the nanoscale level.
IMPACT
  • Enabling faster, more accurate diagnostics for resistant infections, reducing time to effective treatment.
  • Providing real-time, personalized therapeutic recommendations to improve patient outcomes.
  • New, powerful nanoscale tools to directly probe the chemical composition of bacteria – new insights into AMR research