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Infectious Diseases

Dr Tom Connell Biography and Publications

  • Originally from Dublin, Ireland, Dr Tom Connell graduated from University College Dublin in 1996. He received membership of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland in 1999 in the Faculty of Paediatrics and completed his certificate of satisfactory completion of specialist training (CSCST) in 2005. Following a fellowship in Paediatric Infectious Diseases at the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Australia, he enrolled for a PhD at the University of Melbourne, successfully completing his doctorate on 'Immune-based blood tests for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in children' in 2010. He was appointed to his current role in February 2008. He received Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of Physicians in 2010. In 2011, he was awarded a career development award through the Murdoch Children's Research Institute to further develop his research career. Research interests include tuberculosis diagnostics and infections in immunocompromised hosts. He has a major interest in teaching both undergraduate and postgraduate students at the University of Melbourne.

    Contact: tom.connell@ rch.org.au

     

    1. K Mc Closkey, N Cranswick, TG Connell.Use of paracetamol and ibuprofen in children in a tertiary care hospital: are we becoming complacent? Archives of Diseases of Childhood December 15 2011

    2. N Ritz, M Tebruegge, K Camacho-Badilla, G Haeusler, T Connell, N Curtis.To TST or not to TST: is tuberculin skin testing necessary before BCG immunisation in children. Vaccine Dec 7 2011

    3.N James, L Gray, P Bolton, S Donath, TG Connell. Susceptibility to respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis linked to vitamin D deficiency? Cautious interpretation of study findings required [e-letter]http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/eletters/127/6/e1513-e152

    4. D Morawetz, R Barton, E Cheah, J Standish, TG Connell. Is hypertonic saline useful as an adjunctive treatment of moderate to severe bronchiolitis in infants and children less than 24 months of age. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health 2011 47:922-926

    5. M Tebruegge, A Pantazidou, V Clifford, G Gonis, N Ritz, TG Connell, N Curtis. The age-related risk of co-existing meningitis in children with urinary tract infection. PlosONE 20112011;6(11):e26576

    6. P Villanueva, J Standish, K Douglas, F Mensah, K Jachno, TG Connell. Efficacy of hypertonic saline in bronchiolitis-improved outcome measures required. Journal of Pediatrics May 16 2011

    7. N Ritz, B Dutta, S Donath, D Casalaz, TG Connell, M Tebruegge, R Robins-Browne, WA Hanekom, W Britton. The influence of BCG strain on the immune response against tuberculosis: a randomised trial. American Journal Respiratory and CriticalCare Medicine2011 Nov 3.

    8. G Crighton, G Haeusler, N Pati, TG Connell. Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia in an infant with severe folate deficiency. Pediatric Infectious Diseases Journal2011 Feb 21

    9. D Steed, L Port, TG Connell, J Standish, J Munro, L Takacs, I Mc Kenzie: Oral sucrose for procedural pain in infants.Lancet. 2011 Jan 1;377(9759):25

    10. TG Connell, M Tebruegge, N Ritz, PA Bryant, N Curtis. The potetial danger of a solely interferon-gamma assay based approach to testing for latent tuberculosis infection in children. Thorax 2010 October 27.

    11. TG Connell, H Zar, MP Nicol Advances in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected children. Journal Infectious Diseases June  2011.Nov 15;204 Suppl 4:S1151-8. Review

    12.TG Connell,MA Davies, C Johanissen, K Wood, S Pienaar, KA Wilkinson, RJ Wilkinson, H Zar, MP Nicol, B Eley, N Curtis, D Beatty. Reversion and conversion of M. tuberculosis IFN-gELISpot results during anti-tuberculous treatment in HIV-infected children. BMCInfect Dis2010 May 27;10(1):138

    13. N Robins-Browne, M Tebruegge, TG Connell, N Ritz, L Brown,S Graham, N Curtis. Active tuberculosis in Australian children - epidemiology, clinical features and diagnostic test performance. Submitted PIDJ Dec 2010

    14. M Tebruegge, T Connell, N Ritz, P Bryant, N Curtis. Discordance between tuberculin skin tests and inteferon gamma release assays and the relevance of mycobacterial sensitins. European Respiratory Journal 2010 Jul;36 (1):214-5

    15. N Ritz, C Yau, T Connell, M Tebruegge, D Leslie, N Curtis. Absence of boosting of interferon gamma release assays by tuberculin IJTLD 2011;15(6):767-9.

    16. K Squires, TG Connell, C Barfield, K Konig.An infectious cause of fulminant liver failure in pregnancy with serious implications for the newborn. (In submission)

    17. N Ritz, M Strach, C Yau, B Dutta, M Tebruegge, T Connell, W Hanekom, W Britton, R Robins-Browne, N Curtis. The immune response to mycobacterium bovis BCG in infants and adult is comparable. Submitted Journal of Immunology May 2010

    18. M Tebruegge, A Pantazidou, N Ritz, T Connell, P Bryant, S Donath, N Curtis.Perception, attitudes and knowledge regarding the 2009 swine-origin H1N1 influenza A virus pandemic among healthcare workers in Australia. J Paediatr Child Health. 2010 Nov;46(11):673-9

    19. Chimalizeni Y, Tickell , T Connell. Evidence behind the WHO guidelines : Hospital Care for Children: What is the most appropriate anti-fungal treatment for acute cryptococcal meningitis in children with HIV?J Trop Pediatr. 2010 Feb;56(1):4-12

    20. Mycobacterium marinum infection following kayaking injury. M Terbruegge, T Connell, N Ritz, D Orchard, N Curtis. International Journal of Infectious Diseases 2010 Jun 10 [epub ahead of print]

    21. CA Christie-Johnson, T Connell, T Mildenhall, M Danchin. An 11-year old boy with chest pain and fever. BMJ 2010.;339:b4941

    22. B Gelbart, TG Connell, I Kostanivov, R Phillips, M Starr. Kingella Kingae endocardial abscess and cerebral infarction in a previously well immunocompetent child. BMJ case reports December 2009

    23. H Zar, T Connell, M Nicol. Diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in children- new advances. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. 2010 Mar;8(3):277-88.

    24. G Jimenez, G Alex, G Paxton, T Connell, W Hardikar. B alert: Hepatitis B virus in children in Victoria, Australia. Submitted JPCH July 2011

    25. TG Connell, M Tebruegge, N Ritz, P Bryant, D Leslie and N Curtis. Indeterminate interferon-grelease assay results in children.Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2010 Mar;29(3):285-6.

    26. TG Connell, M Tebruegge, N Ritz, N Curtis. Interferon gamma release assays for the diagnosis of tuberculosis.Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2009 Aug;28(8):758-9.

    27. M Terbruegge, N Ritz, TG Connell, N Curtis. A 2 year old with fever, cough and tachypnoea.BMJ. 2009 Jun 10;338:b1210.

    28. D Steinfort, D Johnson, TG Connell, L Irving. Endobronchial ultrasound guided biopsy in the evaluation of intrathoracic lymphadenopathy in suspected tuberculosis: A minimally invasive technique with a high diagnostic yield. J Infection 2009 April;58(4):309-11

    29. MA Davies*, TG Connell*, C Johanissen, K Wood, S Pienaar, KA Wilkinson, RJ Wilkinson, H Zar, MP Nicol, B Eley, N Curtis, D Beatty. Detection of tuberculosis in HIV-infected children using an enzyme-linked immunospot assay.AIDS. 2009 May 15;23(8):961-9

    30. Lawrence J, M Danchin, L Port, Moore E, TG Connell. Paracetamol and asthma. Cautious interpretation required. Lancet 2009 Jan 10;373(9658):119;author reply 120-1

    31. Ritz N, Connell TG, Tebruegge M, Johnston B, Curtis N. Tuberculous dactylitis-an easily unrecognised presentation of a common disease.J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2011 Apr 15.

    32. Ritz N, Terbruegge M, Connell TG, Sievers A, Robins-Browne R, Curts N. Susceptibility of BCG vaccine strains to antituberculous antibiotics. Antimicrobial agents and Chemotherapy. 2009 Jan;53(1):1041-2

    33. Ritz N, Connell TG, Curtis N. To BCG or not to BCG? Preventing travel-associated tuberculosis in children. Vaccine. 2008Nov5;26(47):5905-5910. Epub 2008 Sep 17.

    34. Terbruegge M, Ritz N, Connell TG, Curtis N. Human immunodeficiency virus-infected boy with Stevens-Johnson syndrome caused by nevirapine.Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2008 Nov;27(11):1041-2

    35. Terbruegge M, Connell TG, Kong K, Marks M, Curtis N.Necrotising epiglottitis in an infant - an unusual first presentation of human immunodeficiency virus infection. Ped Inf Dis Journal 2009 Feb;28(2):164-66

    36. TG Connell, N Ritz, G Paxton, J P Buttery, N Curtis, SC Ranganathan. A three-way comparison of tuberculin skin testing, QuantiFERON-TB Gold and T-SPOT.TB in children.PLoS ONE. 2008 Jul 9;3(7):e2624

    37. Connell TG, Shey M, Seldon R, Rangaka MX, Van Custem G, Simsova M,Marcekova Z, Sebo P, Curtis N, Diwakar L, Meintjes GA, Leclerc C, Wilkinson RJ, Wilkinson KA. Enhanced Ex vivo stimulation of M.tuberculosis T cells in HIV-infected persons via antigen delivery by the Bordetella pertussis adenylate cyclase vector. Clinical Vaccine Immunlogy July 2007 14(7): 847-854

    38. Connell TG, Rele M, Cowley D, Buttery JP, Curtis N. How reliable is a negative blood culture? Volume of blood collected by paediatricians in routine practice. Pediatrics 2007 119;891-896.

    39. Rangaka MX, Wilkinson KA , Seldon R, van Cutsem G, Meintjes GA, Morroni C, Mouton P, Diwakar L, Connell TG, Maartens G, Wilkinson RJ.Effect of HIV-1 infection on T cell based and skin test detection of tuberculosis infection.American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine(2007) 175(5):514-20

    40. Connell TG, Rangaka MX, Curtis N, Wilkinson RJ. QuantiFERON-TB Gold: State of the art for TB infection? Exp Rev Molecular Diagnostics. 2006 Sep; 6(5):663-77.

    41.Ranganathan SC, Connell TG, Curtis N. Interferon gamma release assays in children - no better than tuberculin skin testing? J Infection 2006 Epub Aug 14.

    42.Millay OJ, Connell TG, Bryant PA, Curtis N. Skin Ulceration: what lies beneath. Lancet. 2006 Jun 3; 367 (9525):1874.

    43.Connell TG, Curtis N, Ranganathan SC, Buttery JP. Performance of a whole blood interferon gamma assay for detecting latent infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis in children. Thorax.2006 Jul;61:616-20.      

    44.Curtis N, Connell TG, Buttery JP, Ranganathan SC. Whole blood IFN-gamma assay for detecting TB in children. Thorax. 2006 Oct;61(10):author reply 920-1.

    45.Connell T, Bar-Zeev N, Curtis N. Early detection of perinatal tuberculosis using a whole blood interferon-gamma release assay. Clin Infect Dis. 2006 Jun 1;42 (11):e82-85.

    46. Connell TG, Curtis N. How to interpret a CSF - the art and the science. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2005;568:199-216.

    47.Cotter M, Connell TG, Colhoun E, Smith O.P, Mc Mahon C. Carbonic Anhydrase II Defeciency: A Rare Autosomal Recessive Disorder of Osteopetrosis, Renal Tubular Acidosis, and Cerebral Calcification. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2005 Feb; 27(2):115-7.

    48.Connell TG, Rele M, Daley A, Curtis N. Skin ulcers in a returned traveller. Lancet. 2005 Feb 19; 365(9460): 726.

    49.Skelly MM, Troy A, Duffy MJ, Duggan C, Mulcahy HE, Connell TG, O' Donoghue DP, Sheahan K. Urokinase-type plasminogen activator in colorectal carcinoma: relationship with clinicopathological features and patient outcome. Clin Canc Res 1997;3:1837-1840.