Himal Shrestha
Bioinformatician in Australia from Nepal. 🇳🇵🌏 Currently at The Univeristy of Melbourne.

Bioinformatician
Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory (MDU-PHL)
Melbourne, VIC 3000
🔬 Mission: Defeating Diseases with Data
🔎 I unmask microbial villains. At the MDU-PHL, I develop and validate bioinformatics pipelines that decode the genomes of infectious agents, turning complex data into actionable insights. My work is like solving intricate puzzles, where each piece of data contributes to a clearer picture of disease dynamics and helps in the fight against infectious diseases.
🎓 My journey as a bioinformatician began at La Trobe University under the guidance of Prof Warwick Grant, Dr. Shannon Hedtke, and Dr. Rebecca Chisholm. My PhD focused on the spatial modelling of river blindness, a neglected tropical disease, where I used computational tools to map out its transmission pathways and devise strategies to curb its spread.
🔬 My expertise lies at the intersection of science and technology, integrating genomics, environmental data, and epidemiology to tackle complex health challenges. I’m particularly passionate about exploring how antimicrobial resistance and climate change influence disease patterns.
💻 Tools of the Trade:
- Programming Languages: Python, R, bash, nextflow, snakemake, MATLAB, Julia, JavaScript, C, C++
- Skills: Bioinformatic analysis, Population genetics, Landscape genetics, Spatial modelling, Statistical analysis
🌱 Curious Mind: When I’m not delving into the molecular mysteries of pathogens, you might find me lost in the pages of a book. Currently, I’m currently reading Bioinformatics with Python Cookbook by Tiago Antao, to acquaint myself with the functionalities available in Python for bioinformatics. You can find the complete list of books I’ve read so far on Goodreads.