Dr Thel Hla is a visiting researcher with the IDDO antimicrobial resistance research team. She is an infectious diseases physician by training (MBBS, DTM&H, FRACP) and holds a senior research officer position with The Kids Research Institute (Australia). She has previously worked as a researcher with Myanmar Oxford Clinical Research Unit (MOCRU) in 2019 -2020. 

She is currently completing a doctoral thesis focussing on re-purposing penicillins to improve secondary prophylaxis against Strep A, centred around a randomised, controlled Strep A human challenge study. Her other research involvements include demonstration of safety and feasibility of subcutaneous infusion of high dose long-acting penicillin in healthy human volunteers, paving the way for improving treatment of syphilis infection and secondary prophylaxis of rheumatic heart disease.