The Department of Health and Aged Care
A/Prof Meru Sheel is a global health researcher and epidemiologist, and leads research on infectious diseases, immunisation and health emergencies. She holds a PhD in vaccinology and an MPhil in Applied Epidemiology. Meru has extensive field experience of having worked in several dynamic and complex environments in the Asia-Pacific region, having responded to international emergencies in Fiji, Dominica, Rohingya Crisis in Cox's Bazar Bangladesh, Tonga and Papua New Guinea, as well as leading field-based studies in Fiji, Lao PDR and Cambodia.
Dr Sheel co-chairs the Immunization Agenda (IA2030) strategic priority pillar on Research and Innovation and serves on the Data Use Working Group and is a member of the WHO’s Immunization and Vaccines Related Implementation Research Advisory Committee (IVIR-AC). In 2019, Meru was recognised as the Science and Medicine winner for 40 Under 40 Most Influential Asian-Australians; she also received the 2020 ANU Vice Chancellors Awards for Impact and Engagement and was a 2023 finalist for the Women’s Agenda Leadership awards for Health. Meru is a passionate science communicator and an advocate for gender and diversity in leadership roles.
