Karolina Mercoulia is the Division Lead Scientist of the Food, Environment, and Enteric Pathogens Laboratory at the Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory (MDU PHL). She specialises in environmental and foodborne disease surveillance and pathogen characterisation. Under her leadership, the team provides state and national public health support, leveraging laboratory expertise in microbiology, whole-genome sequencing, and antimicrobial resistance surveillance to enhance outbreak investigations and disease surveillance. Her team is also involved in training and capacity building in the areas of food and environmental microbiology through various programs internationally.