Dr Rachel Byrne

Biography

Rachel Byrne is an implementation scientist with a focus on the decentralisation of diagnostic tests for infectious diseases at the point of care and need. Through her research she tries to understand factors that contribute to the success of test uptake in high disease burden countries.

Alongside colleagues at Seoul National University, Rachel is the Co-chair of the computer aided detection access framework group that includes members from the World Health Organisation, Unitaid, Global Fund, StopTB partnership, Stellenbosch University, and Clinton Health Action Initiative.

Research interests

Rachel’s expertise is in the laboratory and field evaluation of diagnostics and their implementation at the point of need for tuberculosis, nontuberculous mycobacteria and One Health pathogens.

She is currently the Diagnostic and Paediatric Lead of the Start4All consortium. Start4All is a global tuberculosis research consortium working across seven high burden countries (Bangladesh, Brazil, Cameroon, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria and Viet Nam) funded by Unitaid. Start4All aims to implement and evaluate novel combinations of tuberculosis diagnostics delivered at the lowest healthcare level and the community to improve patient important outcomes.