Dr. Stephanie Lynch
Postdoctoral Researcher / Laboratory Operations Coordinator
Bachelor of Animal and Veterinary Bioscience (Honours), Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD conferred August 2021)
stephanie.lynch@wimr.org.au
Biography
Dr Stephanie Lynch, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher and Laboratory Operations Coordinator at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR), affiliated with the University of Sydney. She completed her PhD in 2021, where her research focused on the isolation and characterisation of bacteriophages targeting Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, a clinically significant pathogen in small animal medicine.
Since 2022, Dr Lynch has contributed to the development and implementation of the only end-to-end ISO9001 certified phage therapy pipeline in Australia. This work supports the production of clinical-grade bacteriophages for compassionate use and clinical applications, encompassing phage diagnostics, manufacturing, purification, quality assurance and control (QA/QC), product release, and post-treatment monitoring.
In addition to her research role, Dr Lynch holds a secondment with the NSW Office for Health and Medical Research (OHMR), where she contributes to the strategic implementation of phage therapy as a clinical service across New South Wales. Her work bridges laboratory research, clinical translation, and health system integration, supporting the advancement of innovative therapies for antibiotic-resistant infections.
Research interests
Dr Lynch’s research focuses on the discovery, characterisation, and clinical translation of bacteriophages for the treatment of antimicrobial-resistant infections.
She has a strong interest in establishing robust laboratory workflows and operational frameworks to support the production of bacteriophages under conditions suitable for clinical trials and therapeutic use. This includes developing scalable processes for phage isolation, purification, and quality control, as well as ensuring compliance with regulatory and clinical
Additional information
Projects:
The STAMP clinical trial – open-label, single-arm trial investigating a standardised treatment and monitoring protocol for phage therapy, treating patients with bacterial infections that have exhausted other therapeutic options to control their infection.
The Phage Australia Westmead ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System supports the Westmead arm of Phage Australia, integrating phage biobanking, rapid phage diagnostics, phage production, and clinical trials.
SABRE-Phi, a clinical research program investigating novel therapeutic approaches for Staphylococcus aureus (golden staph) bloodstream infections, which remain associated with significant morbidity and mortality despite appropriate antibiotic treatment.
