Charlotte Oskam

Dr Charlotte Oskam is an Associate Professor in the School of Medical, Molecular and Forensic Sciences at Murdoch University, Perth, and leads the CrypTick Lab. Her research sits at the intersection of vector-borne and zoonotic disease, parasitology, and One Health, applying next-generation sequencing approaches to understand pathogens and microbial communities of public and animal health significance.
Charlotte completed her PhD in Biological Sciences and Biotechnology at Murdoch University in early 2013. Her doctoral research developed expertise in DNA isolation, amplification, and sequencing of highly degraded specimens, including palaeontological and archaeological samples up to 20,000 years old. This foundation in low-copy-number DNA and challenging sample types has underpinned her subsequent research on minute and difficult biological specimens.
Since completing her PhD, Charlotte has built a research program focused on the molecular detection and characterisation of zoonotic and vector-borne pathogens. The CrypTick Lab develops and applies molecular toolkits, including multi-omics technologies, to investigate parasites and pathogens across human, animal, and environmental interfaces, and to profile the microbial communities within ticks in order to identify putative tick-borne pathogens. This work advances understanding of endemic and emerging pathogens in Australia and informs One Health approaches to their surveillance and management.
Charlotte actively mentors postgraduate students and early-career researchers, and contributes to the Murdoch research community through collaborative projects, grant development, and teaching in the biomedical and veterinary sciences.
In 2015, she received the Murdoch University Vice Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Early Career Research and Achievement in Science.