Associate Professor Joshua Francis

Principal Research Fellow

Qualifications:

MBBS, University of Queensland, 2006; FRACP, Royal Australasian College of Physicians, 2013; Bachelor of Applied Science (Medical Science), Queensland University of Technology, 2002

Location:

Darwin – Royal Darwin Hospital

Biography:

Associate Professor Joshua Francis is a Paediatrician and Paediatric Infectious Diseases Physician, with academic appointments at Menzies School of Health Research, Flinders University and James Cook University.

A/Prof Francis leads programs in Timor-Leste focused on teaching, capacity building, health systems improvement and operational research. His research on tuberculosis, rheumatic heart disease and antimicrobial resistance in the Northern Territory and Timor-Leste has significantly impacted policy, guidelines and health system strategy on the national level.

A/Prof Francis is the chief investigator on the Indo-Pacific Centre for Health Security funded STRONG TL project, delivered by Menzies in partnership with the Ministry of Health in Timor-Leste, to improve communicable disease surveillance and control; the Fleming Fund Country Grant for Timor-Leste, building capacity for antimicrobial resistance surveillance in Timor-Leste; and rheumatic heart diseases projects (Pedrino and RECARDINA) which have engaged remote communities in the Northern Territory and Timor-Leste to tackle rheumatic heart disease through active case finding and community awareness initiatives.

  1. Howitt, R., de Jesus, G. A., Araujo, F., Francis, J., Marr, I., McVean, M., MacMorran, E., Rollinson, V., Chung, A., & Yip, T. W. (2020). Screening and triage at health-care facilities in Timor-Leste during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, S2213-2600(20), 30183-1. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600(20)30183-1

  2. Marr, I., Francis, J. R., Stephens, D. P., Marshall, K., Read, D. J., Baird, R. W., & Coatsworth, N. (2020). Development of a Mobile Laboratory for Sudden Onset Disasters. Disaster medicine and public health preparedness, 1–11. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2019.128

  3. Francis, J. R., Sarmento, N., Draper, A., Marr, I., Ting, S., Fancourt, N., Alves, L., Champlin, K., Bongers, A., & Yan, J. (2020). Antimicrobial resistance and antibiotic use in Timor-Leste: building surveillance capacity with a One Health approach. Communicable diseases intelligence, 44. https://doi.org/10.33321/cdi.2020.44.1

  4. Dotel, R., Tong, S., Bowen, A., Nelson, J. N., O'Sullivan, M., Campbell, A. J., McMullan, B. J., Britton, P. N., Francis, J. R., Eisen, D. P., Robinson, O., Manning, L., & Davis, J. S. (2019). CASSETTE-clindamycin adjunctive therapy for severe Staphylococcus aureus treatment evaluation: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Trials, 20(1), 353. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-019-3452-y

  5. de Dassel, J. L., Malik, H., Ralph, A. P., Hardie, K., Remenyi, B., & Francis, J. R. (2019). Four-Weekly Benzathine Penicillin G Provides Inadequate Protection against Acute Rheumatic Fever in Some Children. The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 100(5), 1118–1120. https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.18-0907

  6. Townell, N., Locke, T., Gibbons, M., Murphy, D., Francis, J., & Nourse, C. (2018). Mycetoma in Timor-Leste and first report of nocardiosis. Infectious disease reports, 10(3), 7804. https://doi.org/10.4081/idr.2018.7804

  7. Korte, L. M., Bowen, A. C., Draper, A., Davis, K., Steel, A., Teodora, I., Mascarenhas, I., Dingle, B., & Francis, J. R. (2018). Scabies and impetigo in Timor-Leste: A school screening study in two districts. PLOS neglected tropical diseases, 12(5), e0006400. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0006400

  8. Francis, J. R., Villanueva, P., Bryant, P., & Blyth, C. C. (2018). Mucormycosis in Children: Review and Recommendations for Management. Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, 7(2), 159–164. https://doi.org/10.1093/jpids/pix107

  9. Francis, J. R., Manchikanti, P., Blyth, C. C., Denholm, J., Lowbridge, C., Coulter, C., Donnan, E., Stapledon, R., Krause, V. L., & Waring, J. (2018). Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Australia, 1998-2012. The international journal of tuberculosis and lung disease : the official journal of the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, 22(3), 294–299. https://doi.org/10.5588/ijtld.17.0412

  10. Francis, J. R., Nourse, C., Vaska, V. L., Calvert, S., Northill, J. A., McCall, B., & Mattke, A. C. (2014). Australian Bat Lyssavirus in a child: the first reported case. Pediatrics, 133(4), e1063–e1067. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2013-1782

  1. Experts converge in Dili for the fourth One Health Symposium
  2. MEDIA RELEASE | Menzies Timor-Leste Program Celebrates 5 Years of Impact
  3. MEDIA RELEASE | Menzies researchers RESPOND to priority diseases in our global neighbourhood
  4. MEDIA RELEASE | Training remote health workers to diagnose rheumatic heart disease
  5. MEDIA RELEASE | Menzies renews MoU with Timor-Leste Ministry of Health
  6. Komunikadu  Imprensa | Menzies renova MoU ho Ministeriu Saúde Timor-Leste
  7. DILI POST | Menzies- MS Asina MoU Ba Tinan Tolu
  8. Pandemic Warriors | Inside Timor Leste's COVID testing laboratory
  9. NT News | Finalists announced
  10. Modern lab software improves healthcare in Timor-Leste
  11. Fortalese sistema saúde iha Timor-Leste
  12. Strengthening health systems in Timor-Leste
  13. Projetu MATCH Sei Ajuda Rezolve Sofrimentu A’as ba Morbidade no Mortalidade iha TL
  14. Mellora diagnóstiku no vijilánsia ba moras infeksiozu sira iha Timor-Leste
  15. Menzies Lidera Diagnóstiku no Vijilànsia ba moras Infeksiozu iha Timor-Leste
  16. Mellora diagnóstiku no vijilánsia ba moras infeksiozu sira iha Timor-Leste
  17. Projetu MATCH sei hadi'a diagnóstiku moras infesiozu iha TL
  18. Menzies to improve diagnosis and surveillance of infectious diseases in TL
  19. TL: Labarik Barak Sofre Moras Reumatismu Fuan
  20. Improving diagnosis and surveillance of infectious diseases in Timor-Leste
  21. Thousands homeless in Timor-Leste as the country tries to contain COVID-19
  22. Australian government to support Timor-Leste flood recovery after at least 27 people die
  23. ABC News: Interview with Dr Josh Francis about COVID-19 in Timor Leste
  24. Australians about: COVID-19 - Dr Joshua Francis
  25. Fleming Fund Country Grant to Timor-Leste: August 2020 update
  26. COVID workers urge Australia to increase vital aid to poorest countries
  27. InSight+ | "Our children don't have a future": the burden of RHD
  28. How collaboration and communication are changing diagnostic capacity in Timor-Leste
  29. Active screening needed for rheumatic heart disease in the NT
  30. Pacific Beat | Timor-Leste faces dengue fight amid COVID-19 pandemic
  31. Five medical research projects recognised in the Northern Territory
  32. $400 million funding boost for health and medical research
  33. Dili laboratory begins testing for coronavirus independently
  34. Australian doctors aid Timor Leste in COVID-19 fight
  35. Australian doctor in East Timor warns of impact coronavirus could have if it spreads there
  36. Australian doctors aim to stop COVID-19 from 'tearing through' Timor-Leste
  37. A political impasse in Timor-Leste as coronavirus looms
  38. Rapid regional assistance for Pandemic Preparedness and Response Planning
  39. Australia helps Timor-Leste to prepare for COVID-19
  40. Capacity building in Timor-Leste
  41. Coronavirus assistance to Pacific and Timor-Leste
  42. Partnership provides vital service to Maningrida
  43. Rheumatic heart disease discussed at national conference
  44. How we can end TB by 2030
  45. Fleming Fund Country Grant in Timor-Leste announced!
  46. Fleming Fund helps Menzies battle drug resistance in Timor-Leste
  47. NT News | Research honoured
  48. CDU Enews | Menzies staffer wins national award for RHD research
  49. Wire | RHD SCREENING CONTINUES
  50. Wire | RHD SCREENING CONTINUES
  51. Arnhem Land children suffer world's highest known rates of rheumatic heart disease
  52. Australian support for eliminating malaria and health research in the Indo-Pacific
  53. Timorese Government prepares plan to prevent and combat rheumatic heart disease
  54. DN Lusa - Timor-Leste Pedriño Study
  55. Saving Lives of remote children | NT News
  56. Cardiologists identify alarming levels of rheumatic heart disease in Timor-Leste
  57. Rheumatic heart disease program in East Timor 'saving lives' with 'simple' penicillin injections