Capt. Michelle Rourke
Center Affiliate
Captain Michelle Rourke is an affiliate of the Center for Global Health Science & Security. She joined the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps in 2009. As a Scientific Officer, Michelle conducted research on the genetic variability and evolution of mosquito-transmitted viruses of importance to the Australian military. She is posted to the Australian Defence Force Malaria and Infectious Disease Institute (formerly the Army Malaria Institute) and researches the international legal frameworks for accessing and sharing pathogen samples and genetic sequence information.
Michelle has a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts from the Australian National University, a Bachelor of Applied Science with First Class Honors in Virology from the Queensland University of Technology, and Graduate Certificates in Biostatistics and Journalism from the University of Queensland. She is currently undertaking doctoral studies with Griffith University Law School in Brisbane, researching the implications of the United Nations’ Convention on Biological Diversity and its Nagoya Protocol on virus access and benefit-sharing.
Michelle was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship in 2017 and spent the 2017-2018 academic year as a Visiting Researcher at the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University. She is a member of the Global Virome Project’s Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (ELSI) Working Group and a non-resident Affiliate of the Center for Global Health Science and Security at Georgetown University.