Dr Kate Worthing
Kate Worthing’s research integrates molecular and clinical epidemiology to answer questions about antimicrobial-resistant and zoonotic pathogens. She graduated with BVSc (Hons) from the University of Sydney in 2010 and spent several years working in general and specialist small animal practice. She then returned to the University in 2014 to undertake a PhD focused on the molecular epidemiology of antimicrobial-resistant staphylococci isolated from Australian animals and veterinary personnel. After completing postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Melbourne/Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunology, the University of California, San Diego, and the United States Department of Agriculture, Kate worked for two years as an Assistant Professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Arizona, where she developed and led courses in One Health, Research Methods and Foundations. In 2023, Kate returned to the University of Sydney to take up the position of Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Microbiology. Her teaching uses active learning strategies and case studies to formulate clinically relevant examples of how host, pathogen and environment interactions can create disease in veterinary patients.
Kate’s research into veterinary infectious disease is underpinned by a One Health framework which strives to recognise the human, animal and environmental health aspects of infectious disease. Her current research focuses on:
- Harnessing the skin microbiome to develop novel therapeutics for dogs and humans with skin disease
- Surveillance and epidemiology of antimicrobial-resistant and zoonotic pathogens in Australian companion animals, particularly methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius
- Diagnosis and treatment of viral diseases of cats
She also has a growing interest in working with community partners to combine participatory research with high-end genomics to answer questions about zoonotic pathogens.
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
- VETS6203 (Research and Enquiry 2A)
- VETS6204 (Principles of Animal Disease A)
- VETS6208 (Principles of Animal Disease B)
- VETS6307 and VETS6313 (Research and Enquiry 3A and 3B)
- VETS6407 (Laboratory investigations of Clinical Disease)
B.Sci (Animal and Veterinary Bioscience) & B. Veterinary Biology
- AVBS2001 (Introduction to Veterinary Pathogenesis)
- AVBS3001 (Agents of Disease)
Honours, Masters and PhD Supervision
- Evaluation of a Staphylococcus felis protein extract as a probiotic treatment for canine pyoderma
- Kill or be Killed: Antimicrobial peptide production by pathogenic and non-pathogenic skin bacteria in dogs and cats
- Analysis of the molecular epidemiology of streptococcal mastitis pathogens to inform udder health management in Australian dairy herds
- Diagnosis and treatment of feline viral diseases
- Novel therapeutics for biofilm infections in companion animals
Editorial board: Journal of Applied Microbiology
Member of the Australian Society for Microbiology
International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Diseases (ISCAID)
Australian Veterinary Association
Australian Society for Infectious Diseases
2024: SSVS Excellence Awards: Outstanding Teaching in DVM Year 2
2024: SSVS Excellence Awards: Exceptional Research Outcome
2021: UC Davis National Veterinary Entrepreneurship Academy Scholarship
2018: Endeavour Postdoctoral Research Fellowship
| Project title | Research student |
|---|---|
| Prevalence and long term health outcomes in Australian shelter cats exposed to feline coronavirus | Caroline CARLTON |
Publications
Journals
- Faccin, M., O'Neill, A., Lawhon, S., Worthing, K., Wiener, D., Gallo, R., Hoffmann, A. (2024). Staphylococcus felis C4 exhibits in vitro antimicrobial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius in a novel canine skin explant model. Veterinary Dermatology. [More Information]
- O’Neill, A., Worthing, K., Kulkarni, N., Li, F., Nakatsuji, T., McGrosso, D., Mills, R., Kalla, G., Cheng, J., Norris, J., et al (2021). Antimicrobials from a feline commensal bacterium inhibit skin infection by drug-resistant S. Pseudintermedius. eLife, 10, Article number e66793-1-Article number e66793-27. [More Information]
- Shubitz, L., Schlacks, S., Vishkautsan, P., Butkiewicz, C., Worthing, K. (2021). Posaconazole treatment of refractory coccidioidomycosis in dogs. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 35(6), 2772-2777. [More Information]
2024
- Faccin, M., O'Neill, A., Lawhon, S., Worthing, K., Wiener, D., Gallo, R., Hoffmann, A. (2024). Staphylococcus felis C4 exhibits in vitro antimicrobial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius in a novel canine skin explant model. Veterinary Dermatology. [More Information]
2021
- O’Neill, A., Worthing, K., Kulkarni, N., Li, F., Nakatsuji, T., McGrosso, D., Mills, R., Kalla, G., Cheng, J., Norris, J., et al (2021). Antimicrobials from a feline commensal bacterium inhibit skin infection by drug-resistant S. Pseudintermedius. eLife, 10, Article number e66793-1-Article number e66793-27. [More Information]
- Shubitz, L., Schlacks, S., Vishkautsan, P., Butkiewicz, C., Worthing, K. (2021). Posaconazole treatment of refractory coccidioidomycosis in dogs. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 35(6), 2772-2777. [More Information]
2020
- Worthing, K., Werno, A., Pink, R., McIntyre, L., Carter, G., Williamson, D. (2020). Biphasic outbreak of invasive group A Streptococcus disease in ElderCare Facility, New Zealand. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 26(5), 841-848. [More Information]
- Ma, G., Worthing, K., Ward, M., Norris, J. (2020). Commensal Staphylococci Including Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus from Dogs and Cats in Remote New South Wales, Australia. Microbial Ecology, 79(1), 164-174. [More Information]
- Blake, D., Worthing, K., Jenkins, M. (2020). Exploring Eimeria genomes to understand population biology: Recent progress and future opportunities. Genes, 11(9), 1-14. [More Information]
2019
- Davies, M., McIntyre, L., Mutreja, A., Lacey, J., Lees, J., Towers, R., Duchêne, S., Smeesters, P., Frost, H., Price, D., et al (2019). Atlas of group A streptococcal vaccine candidates compiled using large-scale comparative genomics. Nature Genetics, 51(6), 1035-1043. [More Information]
- Walker, M., Brouwer, S., Forde, B., Worthing, K., McIntyre, L., Sundac, L., Maloney, S., Roberts, L., Barnett, T., et al (2019). Detection of Epidemic Scarlet Fever Group A Streptococcus in Australia. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 69(7), 1232-1234. [More Information]
- Badger, S., Abraham, S., O’Dea, M., Saputra, S., Abraham, R., Worthing, K., Norris, J., Trott, D., Jordan, D., Caraguel, C. (2019). Diagnostic accuracy of phenotypic assays for determining antimicrobial resistance status in Staphylococcus pseudintermedius isolates from canine clinical cases. Veterinary Microbiology, 234, 101-109. [More Information]
2018
- Worthing, K., Pang, S., Trott, D., Abraham, S., Coombs, G., Jordan, D., Liam, M., Davies, M., Norris, J. (2018). Characterisation of Staphylococcus felis isolated from cats using whole genome sequencing. Veterinary Microbiology, 222, 98-104. [More Information]
- Worthing, K., Schwendener, S., Perreten, V., Saputra, S., Coombs, G., Pang, S., Davis, M., Abraham, S., Trott, D., Norris, J. (2018). Characterization of Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec Elements from Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius Infections in Australian Animals. mSphere, 3(6), 1-7. [More Information]
- Worthing, K., Abraham, S., Coombs, G., Pang, S., Saputra, S., Jordan, D., Trott, D., Norris, J. (2018). Clonal diversity and geographic distribution of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius from Australian animals: Discovery of novel sequence types. Veterinary Microbiology, 213, 58-65. [More Information]
2017
- Saputra, S., Jordan, D., Worthing, K., Norris, J., Wong, H., Abraham, R., Trott, D., Abraham, S. (2017). Antimicrobial resistance in coagulase-positive staphylocci isolated from companion animals in Australia: A one year study. PloS One, 12(4), 1-17. [More Information]
2016
- Worthing, K., Coombs, G., Pang, S., Abraham, S., Saputra, S., Trott, D., Jordan, D., Wong, H., Abraham, R., Norris, J. (2016). Isolation of mecC MRSA in Australia. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 71(8), 2348-2349. [More Information]
2012
- Worthing, K., Wigney, D., Dhand, N., Quain, A., McDonagh, P., Malik, R., Norris, J. (2012). Risk factors for feline infectious peritonitis in Australian cats. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 14(6), 405-412. [More Information]
Selected Grants
2024
- Genomic surveillance and Diagnosis of Australian cats with feline infectious peritonitis through next-generation sequencing approaches, Whittaker G, Worthing K, Coggins S, Goodman L, Olarte-Castillo X, Office of Global Engagement/Ignition Grants
2023
- Understanding Feline Upper Respiratory Tract Infections in Australia, Ma G, Worthing K, Australian Companion Animal Health Foundation/Research Grant
- Kill or be Killed: Antimicrobial peptide production by pathogenic and non-pathogenic skin bacteria in dogs and cats, Worthing K, Sydney School of Veterinary Science (SSVS)/Start-up Research Fund