Dr Samia Elfekih

Research Scientist/Engineer

Contact details:

  • PO BAG 24
    GEELONG VIC 3220 AUSTRALIA
https://people.csiro.au/E/S/Samia-Elfekih

Biography

Samia conducted her PhD jointly between the University of Tunis El Manar and the University of Hawaii at Manoa in the US, sponsored by a Fulbright fellowship. She then moved to Imperial College London in the UK to do a postdoc funded by the Unesco-L’Oréal for women in science international fellowship before moving to Australia where she hold her current position with the Australian government. Dr Elfekih’s main research interests are focused on using population genomics and bioinformatics to address potential issues related to food security and global human health. She is particularly interested in the genomics of invasive insect pests and the possible effects of climate change on their distribution and invasion pathways. She is also interested in using biocontrol strategies for the management of vector-borne diseases (dengue fever, malaria) in regions where these diseases are underreported. Dr Elfekih has been leading several international collaboration projects with various institutions such as the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London in the UK and the University of Oregon in the US. Dr Elfekih’s work was sponsored by highly-prestigious awards and fellowships such as Fulbright and EMBO, the Unesco-L’Oréal program. Her work has been featured in the media including ELLE magazine in France, the Independent Newspaper in the UK, AL-Ahram daily in Egypt and Leaders Magazine in Tunisia.

Other Interests

Science diplomacy
Women in Science advocacy
Diversity and Inclusion policy
Humanitarian Volunteering
International development
Entrepreneurship
Global Outreach

Professional Areas

Academic Qualifications

  • 2010

    Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
    Faculté des Sciences de Tunis

  • 2005

    Master of Science Degree (M.Sc.)
    Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie

  • 2003

    Engineering diploma
    Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie

Professional Experiences

  • 2010-2011

    Visiting Scientist
    University of California Riverside

  • 2011-2013

    Postdoctoral fellow
    Imperial College London/Natural History Museum

  • 2017-2018

    Visiting Scientist/EMBO fellow
    University of Cambridge

Achievements and Awards

  • -2014

    Chairman's Medal
    CSIRO

  • -2011

    UNESCO-L'Oreal For Women in Science
    L'Oreal foundation

  • -2008

    Fulbright fellowship
    US department of State (USA)

Other highlights

  • -2014

    Invited speaker at PAG XXII (International Plant and Animal Genome meeting), USA

  • -2015

    Invited speaker at PAG Asia, Singapore