Doctoral Thesis Excellence 2025

Dr Warittha Tieosapjaroen
Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, School of Translational Medicine

PhD thesis entitled: “Ending HIV Transmission Among At-risk Populations”, under the supervision of Professor Jason Ong, Professor Lei Zhang, Professor Christopher Fairley, Professor Eric Chow and Dr Tiffany Phillips, in the School of Translational Medicine.

Dr Warittha Tieosapjaroen is an exceptional early career researcher whose people-centred HIV prevention work has shaped national and global policy. Her research is cited by WHO, UNAIDS, and the Australian HIV Taskforce, leading to a $26M federal investment into ending HIV transmission. As a leader in a multinational HOPE Network, she has built strong regional collaborations, co-designed scalable interventions with communities, and pioneered participatory methods like designathons. Warittha’s innovative and impactful work exemplifies academic excellence, health equity, and translational impact—positioning her as an emerging global leader in HIV prevention.

Doctoral Thesis Excellence 2025 - Industry Engagement

Dr Nyi Nyi Soe
Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, School of Translational Medicine

PhD thesis entitled: “Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Sexually Transmitted Infections: From Symptom Analysis to Image Recognition”, under the supervision of Professor Lei Zhang, Professor Christopher Fairley and Professor Jason Ong, in the School of Translational Medicine.

Dr Nyi Nyi Soe is an early career researcher, public health and medical doctor specialising in HIV/STI prevention, artificial intelligence applications in sexual health, and implementation research. He completed his PhD at Monash University and works as a Research Fellow at Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, bringing over a decade of clinical and public health experience across Southeast Asia. His doctoral research focuses on developing and evaluating AI-powered diagnostic tools for sexually transmitted infections, with successful translation of multiple innovations into clinical practice. His doctoral thesis focused on developing and implementing medical AI for early detection and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, as well as users’ preferences and their impact on health-seeking behaviours. He has published 20 peer-reviewed publications as first or co-author, covering machine learning applications in sexual health, AI-based risk assessment tools, and users’ preferences. With extensive experience in project management and health system strengthening, he has led large-scale public health programmes across Myanmar, collaborating with international stakeholders including WHO, UNAIDS, and major NGOs.

Dean's Commendations for Thesis Excellence 2025

In addition to the two award winners the Faculty this year has awarded commendations to nominees of for the Deans awards that were put forward by the schools/institutes across the Faculty. This nomination recognised the outstanding thesis and puts these candidates in the top 5% of our graduates in 2025. Due to the high calibre we are awarding these nominees the inaugural Dean’s Commendation for Doctoral Thesis Excellence. This commendation will be awarded in a celebratory faculty event scheduled for later in the year.