Infection and Immunity: Recent Episodes
Doherty Institute
Welcome to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained, a Doherty Institute podcast. The first season of our brand new podcast is all about COVID-19 – the virus, variants and vaccines. The Doherty Institute is at the clinical, research and public health coalface of the global COVID-19 response. We will be talking to our experts and collaborators each fortnight to discuss the latest scientific and public health evidence around the pandemic.
In this bonus episode of Off Script, we examine the evolving state of global pandemic preparedness. In 2025, World Health Organization Member States adopted the first-ever Pandemic Agreement. However, a critical component — the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) system — remains unresolved, with negotiations ongoing.
With next week’s World Health Assembly in Geneva set to focus on these issues, this episode brings you a special panel discussion moderated by New York Times global health and science writer Apoorva Mandavilli. Recorded in November 2025, global leaders in pandemic science explore where progress has been made, what challenges remain, and what happens next in strengthening global pandemic preparedness.
What you’ll learn
Learnings from COVID-19 – the need for speed, effective vaccines, therapeutics, and surveillance, and what the world should do differently next time.
The role of governments – a call for pandemic preparedness investment on par with defence spending, and for the global scientific community to lead where political action lags.
Equity and access – proposals for a global pandemic fund and tiered pricing models to ensure equitable access across low-, middle-, and high-income countries.
Predictions for future pandemics – discussion on the pathogens most likely to cause the next global outbreak, and debate over whether host-targeted therapies or direct-acting antivirals will be more effective.
Featured Experts
Professor Sharon Lewin – Director of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity and the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics
Professor David Ho – Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Columbia University
Professor Linfa Wang – Director of the Emerging Infectious Diseases Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School
Professor Nanshan Zhong – Director of the National Clinical Research Centre of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Laboratory
Apoorva Mandavilli – Global Health and Science Writer, The New York Times
This bonus episode of Off Script is hosted by Rebecca Elliott and produced by the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics, part of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity.
Keep up to date on our work via https://www.doherty.edu.au/cumming-global-centre-for-pandemic-therapeutics.
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Off Script Episode 5: The Future We Could Have
Off Script is brought to you by the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics.
Episode Summary
In the final episode of this five-part series, we imagine the pandemic future we could have if we start preparing now. With therapeutic drugs ready before the next pandemic hits, we could keep more people out of hospital, help economies stay resilient, and make better-informed decisions about public health measures. This episode brings together Australia's leading health economists, policymakers, and scientists to explore how pandemic therapeutics fit into comprehensive pandemic preparedness.
What You'll Learn:
Economic blind spot - How Australia's pre-pandemic plans overlooked economic impacts.
The $3 billion weekly cost - Quantifying lockdowns' massive economic impact and how therapeutics could dramatically reduce restrictive measures in future pandemics.
Risk-based decision making - Why having treatments available transforms political leaders' risk calculations, enabling more nuanced responses than "zero tolerance" approaches.
Trust and communication challenges - Lessons from COVID-19 on science communication, why advice changes as evidence evolves, and building public trust for future pandemic responses.
Platform technology promise - How preparedness investments in foundational research infrastructure could enable rapid response to unknown future pathogens.
CDC establishment - Australia's new Centre for Disease Control and how it will coordinate research, evidence, and rapid response for future pandemics.
Equity and accessibility imperative- Why therapeutics must be widely available and trusted to truly make a difference, especially for the most vulnerable populations.
Global investment reality - The scale of funding needed for pandemic preparedness and why the returns far outweigh the costs.
Featured Experts
Dr. Angela Jackson - Health economist and co-leader of Australia's independent COVID-19 inquiry, revealing how economic planning failures prolonged lockdowns and why therapeutic availability changes everything for future pandemic management.
Professor Michael Kidd - Australia's Chief Medical Officer, outlining the comprehensive infrastructure being built for pandemic preparedness, from the Australian CDC to international research collaborations.
Professor Brett Sutton - Former Victorian Chief Health Officer and current CSIRO researcher, exploring the science communication challenges ahead and how therapeutics could provide crucial protection for society's most vulnerable.
Professor Sharon Lewin - Doherty Institute Director, assessing Australia's pandemic preparedness progress while highlighting the trust and global cooperation challenges that remain.
Off Script is hosted by Dr. Matt Agnew and produced by the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics, part of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity.
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Off Script Episode 4: Global Health Equity
Off Script is brought to you by the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics.
Episode Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic hit many developing countries especially hard, overwhelming already stretched health systems while devastating tourism-dependent economies. Looking ahead, widely available therapeutics could be game-changers – keeping people out of hospitals, easing pressure on health systems, and helping keep economies open. This episode explores the global collaboration needed to ensure pandemic preparedness reaches everyone, everywhere.
What You'll Learn:
Pacific resilience - How Pacific Island nations' experience with natural disasters creates unique strengths and vulnerabilities in pandemic response.
Health system flexibility - Why limited resources sometimes breed innovation, and how Pacific health workers adapt to multiple crisis situations.
Therapeutic advantage - How having treatments available could help countries reopen borders and return to normal faster than vaccines alone.
Global collaboration in action - The cross-border support systems that make Pacific pandemic response possible, from emergency medical teams to resource sharing.
Pandemic agreement breakthrough - The world's second global health treaty and how it will ensure equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics.
The preparedness gap - Why high-income countries failed while some "poorly prepared" nations succeeded, and what this teaches us about true pandemic readiness.
Investment ecosystem revealed - The complex pipeline from university research to patient treatment, and why all stages matter.
Featured Experts
Dr. Gina Samaan - WHO Regional Emergency Director explaining how Pacific health systems adapt to constant challenges and why therapeutics are crucial for future preparedness
Professor Michel Kazatchkine - Former Global Fund Executive Director and Member of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness, sharing lessons from COVID-19's devastating impact on global health programs.
The technology exists. The investment is flowing. The question now is: will we be ready?
Off Script is hosted by Dr. Matt Agnew and produced by the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics, part of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Off Script Episode 3: The mRNA Revolution
Off Script is brought to you by the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics.
Episode Summary
mRNA technology isn't just about vaccines – it's a platform that could revolutionise pandemic therapeutics. Discover how Melbourne has become a global leader in mRNA research, from the government strategy positioning Victoria as a biotech powerhouse to the cutting-edge science happening in our labs. Learn how this technology works, why it was ready for COVID-19, and how it's being adapted to create the next generation of pandemic treatments.
What You'll Learn:
Platform technology power - Why mRNA is like "IKEA furniture" – modular components that can be quickly assembled to respond to different viruses
Melbourne's mRNA ecosystem - How Victoria's 25-year investment in medical research led to securing both Moderna and BioNTech manufacturing facilities.
The messenger explained - Understanding how mRNA works as nature's instruction manual, delivering recipes to cells to produce therapeutic proteins.
Beyond vaccines - How mRNA is being developed as a therapeutic for cancer treatment, HIV cure research, and respiratory pathogens.
Delivery innovation - The breakthrough research turning therapeutic mRNA into inhalable aerosols that target the lungs directly.
Investment pipeline - The complex journey from university discovery to patient treatment, and why platform technologies accelerate development.
Speed advantage - How mRNA can be designed and ordered online, enabling rapid response to future pandemic threats.
Featured Experts
Dr. Amanda Caples - Victoria's Lead Scientist and Chair of mRNA Victoria's Science Advisory Group, explaining how mRNA works and Victoria's strategic investment in the technology
Dr. Paula Cevaal - Doherty Institute researcher pioneering mRNA therapeutics, including revolutionary delivery methods that could transform pandemic response
Devon Sok - Head of Science at Global Health Investment Corporation, revealing the investment ecosystem that brings breakthrough technologies from lab to patient
What's Coming Next
Episode 4 explores how these breakthrough technologies can reach everyone, everywhere – especially in developing countries where health systems are most vulnerable. Discover the global collaboration needed to ensure pandemic therapeutics reach those who need them most.
Off Script is hosted by Dr. Matt Agnew and produced by the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics, part of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Off Script Episode 2: Australia's Moonshot
Off Script is brought to you by the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics.
Episode Summary
Australia has a history of punching above its weight in medical research – from the cervical cancer vaccine to the bionic ear. Now we’re on the brink of our next breakthrough: pandemic therapeutics. Go behind the scenes with the politicians backing this moonshot and the scientists making it happen in Melbourne’s world-class biomedical precinct.
What You'll Learn:
The political perspective - Why Health Minister Mark Butler sees pandemic preparedness as both a health imperative and a matter of national security
Victoria's billion-dollar bet - How the Victorian Government's $1 billion investment over 10 years is positioning Melbourne as a global biotech powerhouse.
Manufacturing sovereignty - The game-changing Moderna facility that will produce 100 million vaccine doses annually, securing Australia's pandemic independence.
Regional leadership - How Australia's new capabilities will support our Pacific neighbours and establish us as a middle power in global health.
Lab life revealed - Go inside the Doherty Institute's cutting-edge laboratories where CRISPR technology and flow cytometry are accelerating discoveries.
Gender matters: Male and female immune systems respond dramatically differently to threats - yet we typically treat them identically.
Featured Experts
The Hon. Mark Butler MP - Federal Health Minister explaining why therapeutics are crucial for hospital system resilience and pandemic preparedness.
The Hon. Danny Pearson MP - Victorian Medical Research Minister on why Melbourne is attracting global talent and the economic power of medical breakthroughs
Professor Laura McKay - Doherty Institute immunologist sharing her journey from aspiring artist to virus hunter and the collaborative magic of Melbourne's research precinct.
What’s Coming Next
Episode 3 dives deep into the cutting-edge technology being developed in these very labs. From AI-powered drug discovery to revolutionary therapeutic platforms, discover how Australian scientists are racing to solve the therapeutic development timeline.
The future of pandemic preparedness is being built right here in Melbourne. Don't miss the next episode of what could be the most important scientific story of our time.
Off Script is hosted by Dr. Matt Agnew and produced by the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics, part of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Off Script Episode 1 – The Missing Piece
Off Script is brought to you by the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics.
Episode Summary:
While Australia's COVID-19 response was among the world's best, there was one critical gap in our pandemic toolkit: therapeutics. In this eye-opening first episode, we explore the missing piece that could have saved millions of lives and discover why we're racing to fill this gap before the next pandemic hits.
What You'll Learn:
The breakthrough that started it all - How the Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity made history as the first lab outside China to map the genomic sequence of SARS-CoV-2, and the crucial decision to share it with the world immediately.
Therapeutics vs. vaccines explained - The key difference between preventing illness and treating it once you're infected (spoiler: we need both!)
The staggering investment gap - Why $190 billion went to vaccine development while only $7 billion was invested in therapeutics by 2021.
The global perspective - World Health Organization's Sir Jeremy Farrar reveals why therapeutic development lagged behind and what it means for pandemic preparedness.
The speed problem - Why current drug development takes too long for pandemic response and the innovative technologies being developed to change that.
Featured Experts
Professor Sharon Lewin - Director of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, internationally renowned HIV researcher, and Director of the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics.
Sir Jeremy Farrar - Assistant Director General at the World Health Organization, former Director of the Wellcome Trust, and author of "Spike".
What's Coming Next
Episode 2 dives into Australia's moonshot goal to develop pandemic therapeutics for the whole world. Discover the incredible medical research capability being built right here in Melbourne's biomedical precinct.
Subscribe now so you don't miss what might be the most important podcast series you hear all year. Because when it comes to pandemics, preparation isn't just smart policy - it's a matter of life and death.
Off Script is hosted by Dr. Matt Agnew and produced by the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics, part of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Off Script is a podcast hosted by science communicator Dr. Matt Agnew and produced by the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics, part of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (Doherty Institute).
The five-part series explores one of the most important questions in global health: How do we prepare for the next pandemic? And – how could therapeutic drugs keep people out of hospital, and keep our cities and towns open? This series invites you to join the movement — to unlock the power of therapeutics and change the course of future pandemics.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
World Hepatitis Day, observed annually on July 28, aims to raise awareness about the virus causing over a million deaths yearly.
But what is Hepatitis and how is it treated and managed? How effective are current vaccines against the most dominant strain, Hepatitis B? More importantly, what are researchers doing to find a cure for this chronic infection?
Learn this and more from Professor Peter Revill, Head of Regional and Global Health at the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory and Head of International Research Partnerships at the Doherty Institute.
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Post infection disease is a term that has become more familiar to many more of us following the COVID-19 pandemic. How do we diagnose and treat post infection disease, like Long COVID? And how to we add this aspect to our future pandemic preparedness?
Learn more about common symptoms, at-risk groups and more from Long COVID expert Professor Lena Sanci, Head of the Department of General Practice and Primary Care at the University of Melbourne.
Get in touch
Have a question or topic you'd like us to explore in a future episode? Contact us via email doherty-media@unimelb.edu.au
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With COVID-19 being described as an endemic infection, we are now very much living with the virus. As we approach the Winter months in Australia, where are we at with case numbers? And when is the correct time to get a your booster vaccination for COVID-19? How effective are antiviral treatments?
To give us an update on COVID-19, we're joined by Professor Ben Cowie, an infectious diseases physician and epidemiologist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and Acting Chief Health Officer in Victoria’s Department of Health.
Show notes
COVID-19 vaccine advice and recommendations for 2024 - Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care website
COVID-19 booster eligibility checker - Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care website
Get in touch
Have a question or topic you'd like us to explore in a future episode? Contact us via email doherty-media@unimelb.edu.au
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Monday, 20 May marked International Clinical Trials Day, which recognises the anniversary of the first controlled clinical trial conducted back in 1747.
So why are clinical trials important when it comes to advancing therapeutics and vaccines? Are clinical trials safe? What's involved if you participate in a trial? We learn more from infectious diseases physician and clinician scientist, Professor Michelle Giles, head of the Vaccine Research Group at the Doherty Institute.
Show notes:
Now recruiting volunteers: Are you interested in being part of an RSV vaccine study?
Get in touch
Have a question or topic you'd like us to explore in a future episode? Contact us via email doherty-media@unimelb.edu.au
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Influenza B viruses are often overlooked but can cause significant illness and mortality, especially in children. Little is known about how the immune system interacts with these viruses, however a recent breakthrough by researchers at the Doherty Institute may revolutionise how we are protected against influenza B and for longer periods.
Tejas Menon, co-author of the recent discovery and PhD Candidate at the Doherty Institute, explains how the immune system consistently recognises fragments of influenza B viruses, which opens up potential new targets for vaccine development.
Show notes:
News story: New frontiers in influenza B research: Breakthrough unveils promising targets for vaccine development
Peer review: Menon T, Illing P, Chaurasia P, et al. CD8+ T-cell responses towards conserved influenza B virus epitopes across anatomical sites and age. Nature Communications (2024). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-47576-y
Check out our previous episode: Here’s what you need to know about flu season 2024
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Have a question or topic you'd like us to explore in a future episode? Contact us via email doherty-media@unimelb.edu.au
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Does your immune system remember viruses you've previously been infected with? Do your genetics play a role in your immune system? Can you boost immunity with certain foods or vitamins?
Ahead of the International Day of Immunology (April 29) we chat with Nobel Laureate Professor Peter Doherty to answer these questions and more, unravelling the complexities and exploring the wonders of our body's line of defence against disease; our immune system.
Show notes:
An Insider's Plague Year written by Peter Doherty
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1996 was awarded jointly to Peter C. Doherty and Rolf M. Zinkernagel "for their discoveries concerning the specificity of the cell mediated immune defence"
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Have a question or topic you'd like us to explore in a future episode? Contact us via email doherty-media@unimelb.edu.au
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We’re just a couple of weeks away from May, which marks the official start of the influenza season in Australia. So what can we expect from the upcoming flu season and when is the best time to get your annual flu vaccine?
Learn more about flu vaccination, virus variants and current influenza surveillance from Virologist and Director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, Professor Kanta Subbarao.
Show notes:
Learn more about Influenza vaccination and the National Immunisation Program via the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care website.
Interested in the work of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza at the Doherty Institute? Visit the Centre website.
Check out our episode on avian influenza: Avian influenza (H5N1): why are experts concerned about the virus reaching Antarctica?
Find out about recent announcement of funding from the Novo Nordisk Foundation to develop a novel antiviral drug to counter influenza.
Get in touch
Have a question or topic you'd like us to explore in a future episode? Contact us via email doherty-media@unimelb.edu.au
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This week Doherty Clinical Trials Ltd, Australia’s first purpose-built facility specifically commissioned to deliver volunteer infection studies, was officially opened by the Victorian Minister for Medical Research, The Honourable Ben Carroll MP.
Doherty Clinical Trials has been established by the Doherty Institute to accelerate the development of novel medicines and vaccines through bespoke early phase clinical trials.
So, what is a volunteer infection study? How is it different to other clinical trial facilities? Find out more from Doherty Clinical Trials Chief Medical Officer, Professor James McCarthy and Director of the Doherty Institute, Professor Sharon Lewin.
Shownotes:
Doherty Clinical Trials website
Media release: Australia’s first purpose-built facility to deliver human challenge trials launches in Melbourne
The Age: Virus volunteers to help Melbourne’s new human trials clinic prepare for the next pandemic
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Have a question or topic you'd like us to explore in a future episode? Contact us via email doherty-media@unimelb.edu.au
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From protecting local communities to safeguarding global health, vaccines have been transforming public health for over 200 years. According to the World Health Organization, between 3.5 and 5 million lives are saved every year thanks to vaccines, which help protect us from diseases such diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, influenza and measles.
Professor Arup Chakraborty, a luminary from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology joins the podcast ahead of the Miegunyah Distinguished Fellowship Public Lecture 'Vaccination through the ages' on Monday, 25 March at the Doherty Institute.
We take a dive into the fascinating world of vaccines; from their historical roots to the cutting-edge science shaping our future.
Shownotes:
Register to attend the Miegunyah Distinguished Fellowship Public Lecture
Hybrid event - online tickets still available.
Get in touch
Have a question or topic you'd like us to explore in a future episode? Contact us via email doherty-media@unimelb.edu.au
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Despite being vaccine-preventable, outbreaks of measles are currently occurring in every region of the world, with many countries reporting their first case in years. In Australia, the disease was considered eliminated in 2014, but a series of imported case alerts begs the question – do we need to be concerned?
To shed some light on the situation where we're seeing cases of measles on the rise globally, we speak with The Royal Melbourne Hospital’s Dr Katherine Gibney, an infectious diseases and public health physician, and medical epidemiologist at the Doherty Institute.
Shownotes
A 30-fold rise of measles cases in 2023 in the WHO European Region warrants urgent action
Victorian Department of Health measles alerts
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Have a question or topic you'd like us to explore in a future episode? Contact us via email doherty-media@unimelb.edu.au
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Legionnaires’ disease made headlines in Australia at the beginning of the year due to an outbreak of the lung infection in Sydney’s city centre.
Fundamental to effective Legionnaires’ disease outbreak control is the ability to rapidly identify the environmental sources of the causative bacteria, Legionella pneumophila. Could artificial intelligence be the answer?
Dr. Andrew Buultjens is the lead author of a transformative study harnessing the power of machine learning to accurately pinpoint the origins of this bacteria.
Shownotes
Peer review article: Buultjens AH, Vandelannoote K, Mercoulia K, Ballard S, Sloggett C, Howden BP, Seemann T, Stinear TP. 0. High performance Legionella pneumophila source attribution using genomics-based machine learning classification. Appl Environ Microbiol 0:e01292-23.https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.01292-23
NSW Health Legionnaires' disease alert for Sydney CBD
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Have a question or topic you'd like us to explore in a future episode? Contact us via email doherty-media@unimelb.edu.au
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Numbers of Buruli ulcer cases have been increasing to between 200-340 cases per year since 2017, with 363 cases diagnosed in Victoria during 2023 alone.
Mornington Peninsula resident, Ella Crofts, who contracted a Buruli ulcer at age 13 back in 2017 joins the episode with a unique story to tell.
Shownotes
Listen to our previous episode on Buruli ulcer with Professor Tim Stinear. Buruli ulcer part one: 80 year-long transmission mystery solved
Channel 9 news story featuring Ella
Beating Buruli in Victoria project
Short video on how you can protect yourself and stop the spread of Buruli ulcer, featuring Professor Tim Stinear
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Have a question or topic you'd like us to explore in a future episode? Contact us via email doherty-media@unimelb.edu.au
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The debilitating ‘flesh-eating’ infection that is Buruli ulcer has captivated Victorians in particular over the last 10 years or so, due to its increasing incidence in the state. Mosquitoes have been considered likely to be involved in transmission of the bacteria, Mycobacterium ulcerans, conclusive evidence about how humans get infected has been elusive, until now.
University of Melbourne Professor Tim Stinear, molecular microbiologist and Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Mycobacterium ulcerans at the Doherty Institute, explains the latest groundbreaking findings into the transmission of the neglected tropical skin disease.
Shownotes:
News article announcing findings: 80-year mystery solved: Mosquitoes spread flesh-eating Buruli ulcer
Peer-review article:Mee P, Buultjens A, et al. Mosquitoes provide a transmission route between possums and humans for Buruli ulcer in southeastern Australia. Nature Microbiology (2024). DOI: http://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-023-01553-1
Article by research team: Mosquitoes can spread the flesh-eating Buruli ulcer. Here’s how you can protect yourself
WHO Collaborating Centre for Mycobacterium ulcerans website
Short video on how you can protect yourself and stop the spread of Buruli ulcer, featuring Professor Tim Stinear
Beating Buruli in Victoria project
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Have a question or topic you'd like us to explore in a future episode? Contact us via email doherty-media@unimelb.edu.au
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While much of our attention has been on COVID-19 over the last few years, another pandemic has reeked havoc on more than 200 species of wild birds. The spread of H5N1 or bird flu as its more commonly known, to migrating birds has seen substantial outbreaks occur in Europe, Asia, Africa, North America and South America. As this podcast goes to air, there’s been at least one suspected case in Antarctica.
Expert in the wild bird viruses, Dr Michelle Wille, explains why this could be catastrophic.
Show notes:
To report sick or dead birds to the Emergency animal disease watch hotline is 1800 675 888.
Get in touch
Have a question or topic you'd like us to explore in a future episode? You will go in the draw to win a signed copy of Life As We Knew It. Entries close Friday, 26 January.
Contact us via email doherty-media@unimelb.edu.au
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We're joined by multi-award winning journalists, Aisha Dow and Melissa Cunningham, to chat about their new book Life As We Knew It.
The book tells the gripping inside account of Australia’s extraordinary pandemic story. It has been described by our very own Peter Doherty as a “Terrific account of Australia’s outstanding political and public health response to COVID-19.” He says: “We all lived through it, and it’s our story”.
Aisha Dow is health editor at The Age and Melissa Cunningham is a reporter for The Sunday Age.
Shownotes
- To purchase a copy of the book, visit the publisher’s website scribepublications.com.au
- Book giveaway: We have one book to give away kindly donated by Aisha. All you have to do is suggest a topic for the podcast by emailing doherty-media@unimelb.edu.au
Get in touch
Have a question or topic you'd like us to explore in a future episode? Contact us via email doherty-media@unimelb.edu.au
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In a major coup for the Doherty Institute and the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, our two COVID-19 vaccines went head to head in a Phase 1 clinical trial in 2022. The interim results have just been published in the Lancet’s eBioMedicine journal and found that both have strong potential to be an improved approach for boosting immunity to SARS-CoV-2 variants.
In this episode we unpack the interim results from the trial with Professor Terry Nolan. Terry is a paediatrician and clinical epidemiologist. He is also the Head of the Vaccine and Immunisation Research Group at the Doherty Institute and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, which led this Phase 1 clinical trial.
Shownotes:
Publication in The Lancet’s eBioMedicineNolan, Terry M. et al. Interim results from a phase I randomized, placebo-controlled trial of novel SARS-CoV-2 beta variant receptor-binding domain recombinant protein and mRNA vaccines as a 4th dose booster. eBioMedicine (2023). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104878
Recent article published by the Doherty Institute about the study
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Our immune system is made up of many types of cells. Many people will have heard of T cells that fight infection, but did you know there are many different subsets of T cells?
In this episode we're talking all things tissue-resident memory T cells with the author of a new study that has found new ways to remove immune cells that cause skin autoimmune diseases, like psoriasis and vitiligo, without affecting protective cells that fight infection and cancer.
Dr Simone Park is an immunologist who holds an Honorary position at the Doherty Institute after completing her PhD with Professors Thomas Ghebhardt and Laura Mackay, and is currently a Cancer Research Institute Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Her work aims to understand how the immune system responds to infection and cancer.
Show notes:
Publication in Science
Park S, Christo S, et al. Divergent molecular networks program functionally distinct CD8+ skin resident memory T cells. Science (2023). DOI: 10.1126/science.adi8885
Recent article published by the Doherty Institute Hope for autoimmune skin disorder sufferers with new immunotherapy strategy
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Have a question or topic you'd like us to explore in a future episode? Contact us via email doherty-media@unimelb.edu.au
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Antimicrobial resistance has consistently been named by the World Health Organization as one of the top 10 global health threats, with current estimates of over 700,000 deaths per year due to antimicrobial resistance, expecting to reach 10 million by 2050.
Antimicrobials refer to a category of medicines used to prevent and treat infections in humans, animals and plants including antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals and antiparasitics. So what exactly is antimicrobial resistance? What is causing it to become increasingly worse? And what can be done to prevent it? To answer these questions we're joined by Medical Microbiologist, Dr Rod James.
Show notes:
AURA 2023: Fifth Australian report on antimicrobial use and resistance in human health released this month by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
National Antimicrobial Prescribing Survey (NAPS) celebrated 10 years this week
WHO Collaborating Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance located at the Doherty Institute works in the Western Pacific region to build capacity in surveillance and antimicrobial stewardship activities.
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Have a question or topic you'd like us to explore in a future episode? Contact us via email doherty-media@unimelb.edu.au
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As 2023 draws to a close, almost four years on since the first case of COVID-19 was diagnosed, we continue to see cases and have adjusted to living with COVID-19. So, is the COVID-19 pandemic officially over?
In this episode, Infectious diseases expert and Director of the Doherty Institute, Professor Sharon Lewin answers this question and fills us in on what the experts are discussing behind the scenes to prepare us for the next pandemic.
Show notes:
Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics Foundation Grants are open globally for applications.
Get in touch
Have a question or topic you'd like us to explore in a future episode? Contact us via email doherty-media@unimelb.edu.au
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Laureate Professor Francoise Barre-Sinoussi shares her insight and experience of the HIV pandemic, reflects on the strengths and weaknesses of the response and the lessons that can be applied to COVID and pandemics of the future.Françoise was the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2008 for the discovery of HIV. She is Emeritus Professor at the Institut Pasteur and Emeritus Director of Research at the Inserm. She heads the Regulation of Retroviral Infection Unit at the Institut Pasteur in Paris.Shownotes:Watch the symposium where Laureate Professor Barre-Sinoussi recently presented her keynote address.
How severe is Omicron? How is easily is it transmitted? How do our vaccines fair against this new variant?In this bonus episode of Infection and Immunity - Evidence Explained Doherty Institute Director Professor Sharon Lewin explains what the evidence is telling us about the Omicron variant.Please note this episode was recorded on Tuesday, 18 January 2022 before the Federal Government announced the Therapeutic Goods Administration had approved the Novavax vaccine along with two COVID-19 oral drugs molnupiravir and nirmatrelvir + ritonavir, for use in Australia. The episode was also recorded before a Code Brown alert was activated across multiple hospitals in the state.
What does the Director of the Doherty Institute have to say after another year of battling COVID-19?In our final episode of the season we are joined by Professor Sharon Lewin to unpack the scientific evidence after another 12 months of riding out the ever-changing landscape of COVID-19.We talk about what was done well, what we could do better and what 2022 may have in store for us.We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
Wednesday, 1 December is Worlds AIDS Day, with the 2021 edition marking 40 years since the first cases of AIDS-defining illnesses were first clinically documented.So how far has the science progressed when it comes to treating HIV? What is it like today for people living with HIV? Is a cure on the cards? Are there any lessons we can learn from COVID-19?In this episode Jared Stern answers our questions and helps us better understand HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) , the virus that if left untreated, causes AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). Jared is a PhD candidate at the Doherty Institute in Professor Sharon Lewin’s lab researching a cure for HIV. They are also the Director of Living Positive Victoria and have been living with HIV since 2015.We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
Last Friday the Doherty-led modelling consortium presented their final report to National Cabinet. What does the latest report tell us? And what have we learned from the previous reports released?To help unpack the data and findings, we’re joined by Professor Jodie McVernon, Director of Epidemiology at the Doherty Institute, who has led the modelling consortium responsible for the report.Show notes:* Read our statement on the latest report: https://www.doherty.edu.au/news-events/news/statement-on-the-doherty-institute-modelling-final-report-to-national-cabinet * Visit the Doherty Institute Modelling Hub for further information on epidemiological modelling released by the consortium: https://www.doherty.edu.au/our-work/institute-themes/viral-infectious-diseases/covid-19/covid-19-modelling/modelling * Check out our previous episodes on modelling:
Doherty Institute modelling sensitivity analysisDoherty Institute modellingWe want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
As of Monday, 8 November, Australians over 18 who have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine at least six months ago, are now eligible for a third dose.So why do we need booster shots? What does it mean for Australia as we transition to living with the virus? And when should we be rolling up our sleeves for our next dose?To learn more about the latest evidence around COVID-19 vaccine boosters, I am speaking with Professor Dale Godfrey, Immunology Theme Leader at the Doherty Institute.We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
COVID-19 research has come a long way since the beginning of 2020, but what initial steps where taken to prepare for the emergence of this new virus? In late January 2020, the team in the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (VIDRL) announced they had grown the SARS-CoV-2 virus from the first Australian COVID-19 patient sample in cell culture. They were the first laboratory to do so outside of China and the first to share it with the world. In this episode, you'll discover how the team grew the virus, what led them to this moment and why it was an important catalyst for further research, preparedness and diagnostics, including that three letter initialism we've become so familiar with, PCR.To talk us through it, our guest for this episode is Dr Mike Catton. Mike is the Deputy Director of the Doherty Institute and Director of the Royal Melbourne Hospital’s VIDRL, where he has been at the helm for more than 20 years. Aside from leading Victoria’s COVID-19 diagnostics capabilities over the last 20 months or so, Mike has many achievements under his belt. These include leading a collaborative effort to establish lab capacity for Australian back in 2003 for the original SARS; discovering a new arenavirus as the cause of a cluster of deaths among Victorian transplant patients in 2007, and being instrumental in the establishment of the Doherty Institute in 2014.Show notes: You can also read this story, Growing and sharing the virus that changed the world*, in our 2020 Impact Report. * ABC exclusive story we referenced in the episode. * Watch the press conference Mike appeared in. * Learn more about the arenavirus outbreak Mike's team discovered in this episode of ABC Radio National's Patient Zero.
We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
In late September, we held an event online called COVID-19 vaccines – your questions answered Part 2, with the aim of getting our experts to answer as many questions about COVID-19 vaccines from the audience as possible within an hour and a half. As with our first event of the same name back in March, we couldn’t get through all of them, so we’re bringing you this bonus episode of the podcast to answer a few more.We were overwhelmed with questions about vaccines and kids, so in this bonus episode we welcome back to the podcast Associate Professor Margie Danchin, who was one of our panellists.Margie is a consultant paediatrician at the Royal Children’s Hospital and an Associate Professor and Clinician Scientist at the University of Melbourne and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. As leader of the Vaccine Uptake Group, her research focuses mainly on vaccine confidence, acceptance, and uptake, particularly among high risk-groups and in low and middle-income countries.To find out more about the work taking place at the Doherty Institute, subscribe to our newsletter.We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
Have you wondered what it must be like working on the frontline in Victoria's COVID wards during the pandemic?In this episode of Infection and Immunity - Evidence Explained, we're taken on that journey behind the scenes with Associate Professor Steve Tong and Dr Janine Trevillyan, two very hard-working infectious diseases physicians treating patients in COVID wards at two of our busiest hospitals in Victoria – the Royal Melbourne and the Austin.Associate Professor Steven Tongis an Infectious Diseases Physician at The Royal Melbourne Hospital and Co-Lead of the Clinical Research Discipline at the Doherty Institute. He is also Lead Investigator of the AustralaSian COVID-19 Trial, or ASCOT, as it’s more commonly known.Dr Janine Trevillyanis the Clinical Lead of Austin Health's COVID-19 Vaccination Program. She is also Head of Clinical Virology and HIV Services at Austin Health and an Infectious Diseases Physician at that hospital.Read Associate Professor Steve Tong's Twitter thread and opinion piece for Fairfax Media on his experience working in the COVID wards at The Royal Melbourne Hospital. Hear more from Associate Professor Steve Tong in our previous episode, COVID-19 treatments part 1 - The Australian experience.To find out more about the work taking place at the Doherty Institute, subscribe to our newsletter.We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
Following the release of the Technical Report and Addendum to National Cabinet on 10 August, the Doherty Institute-led modelling consortium was asked to provide “sensitivity analyses” of the scenarios represented in the Report. They were asked to test the robustness of the recommendation to transition to Phases B and C of the Plan at 70 per cent and 80 per cent vaccination coverage if COVID-19 infection was already established in the community. Dr Chris Baker is a member of the modelling consortium, a research fellow in the School of Mathematics and Statistics and also works in the Centre for Data Science and Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis all at the University of Melbourne. He's here to breakdown what it all means.We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
Australians are now coming out in droves to get their COVID-19 vaccines as we strive towards the double dose targets that will allow us more freedoms according to the National Plan to transition Australia’s National COVID Response.This is supported by new research conducted in July as part of the Optimise Study, which found that more than 86 per cent of Victorians who were part of the study are now definitely intending to be vaccinated or are already vaccinated. This is compared to November 2020 when just 61% of the cohort indicated their intention to get vaccinated.For this episode of our series all about COVID-19 – the virus, variants and vaccines, we're joined by Chief Investigators for the Optimise Study, Professor Margaret Hellard and Dr Katherine Gibney.We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
The Global Dashboard for Vaccine Equity developed by the United Nations Development Programme has Australia on par with high income countries, with 56.35 per cent of people having received a first dose. But what about low income countries? Just 2.14 per cent have received a first dose. That’s right – 2.14 per cent.In this episode Professor Kanta Subbarao joins us to help break down this issue. Kanta is the Director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza at the Doherty Institute. A virologist and physician, prior to her role at the Doherty Institute, she was at the helm of the Emerging Respiratory Viruses Section of the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health in the United States, where she worked on the original SARS coronavirus and later, MERS.To find out more about the work taking place at the Doherty Institute, subscribe to our newsletter.We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
The use of antigen tests has been publicly debated since the beginning of the pandemic. But what is the latest official advise for their use in Australia?In this episode in our series on COVID-19 the virus, variants and vaccines we are chatting with Professor Deborah Williamson, Clinical Microbiologist, Deputy Director of the Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory at the Doherty Institute and Director of The Royal Melbourne Hospital’s Department of Microbiology.Deborah has played a major role in Victoria’s Innovative Testing Program, a partnership between the Victorian Government Department of Health and the Doherty Institute. Her team performed the first pilot study of rapid antigen tests in a low prevalence settings across three Melbourne hospitals last year, looking at the sensitivity and specificity of the tests.To find out more about the work taking place at the Doherty Institute, subscribe to our newsletter.We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
Last week, Doherty Institute Director of Epidemiology, Professor Jodie McVernon joined Prime Minister Scott Morrison in presenting the modelling that underpinned the phases of the Federal Government's COVID Response Plan.Since the beginning of 2020 Jodie has been advising the Commonwealth Government with a team of gun modellers from around the country on emerging evidence, and pulling together modelling looking at the impact of COVID-19 transmission and vaccines, test, trace, isolate, quarantine or TTIQ public health measures and health system preparedness.Here she breaks down some of the figures presented to the Government and responds to some criticism of her team's report.We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
We welcome back the Patron and Namesake of the Doherty Institute, Laureate Professor Peter Doherty. It’s been a big week for Peter with the launch of his seventh lay book, An Insider’s Plague Year, published by Melbourne University Press. As the title suggests, Peter recounts his experience and inner workings of the Doherty Institute throughout the first year of COVID-19. In addition, it’s a compilation of his weekly Setting it Straight columns he wrote for the Doherty Institute website up to edition 42.We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
In this episode in our series on COVID-19 the virus, variants and vaccines we are chatting with Professor Kirsty Buising, Royal Melbourne Hospital Infectious Diseases Physician and co-lead of the Antimicrobial Resistance and Hospital Acquired Infections Theme at the Doherty Institute.Last year, she was at the centre of the Royal Melbourne Hospital’s response to the rising COVID-19 infections in healthcare workers. She and her team scrutinised wards to try and identify and close any gaps that may have been allowing the virus to spread so freely.One of the aspects they looked at closely was airflow, and examined the impact of portable air cleaners, known as air scrubbers on aerosol clearance.We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
This week, we published the Doherty Institute’s 2020 Impact Report, which highlights our research, clinical, public health and teaching successes throughout the year and provides insight into the experiences of some of our staff, in their own words.The Doherty Institute was, and continues to be, at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic response. From clinicians treating patients in hospitals; scientists continuing to perform tests on suspected cases and viral genomic sequencing; epidemiologists working closely with the State and Commonwealth Governments on policy; and researchers working on antibody tests, treatments and vaccines.In addition to pivoting to COVID-19 research, much of our infection and immunity work continued throughout 2020 under trying circumstances, with many of our staff and students required to work and learn from home under public health orders.In this bonus episode of our series all about COVID-19 – the virus, variants and vaccines, Melbourne Laureate Professor Sharon Lewin, Director of the Doherty Institute, joins us to talk about the year we’ll never forget.We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
Sonya Pemberton is my guest. Sonya is an Emmy-award winning filmmaker - she won an Emmy Award in 2012 and has won the Eureka Award for Science Journalist a record five times.Her films include Jabbed – love, fear and vaccines, Vaccine – Calling the Shots, Catching Cancer and Immortal, which won the Emmy Award in 2012 for Outstanding Science Programming.Her most recent offering, Cracking COVID premieres on ABC TV in Australia on Tuesday 13 July at 8.30pm. It tracks the real-time story of Australia’s scientific response to the pandemic, told by researchers, clinicians, and patients. Doherty Institute experts including Laureate Professor Peter Doherty feature.We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
We’re going to take a deep dive into wastewater testing for COVID-19 surveillance – it’s origins, why it’s used and exactly what it can tell us.Associate Professor Bruce Thorley is our guest – he is the Head of the National Enterovirus Reference Laboratory and the W-H-O Polio Regional Reference Laboratory at the Doherty Institute.He is Chief Investigator for Australia’s national polio surveillance program – which includes wastewater testing. Bruce is also involved in the COVID-19 wastewater surveillance program here in Victoria, a collaboration with Melbourne Water, the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute and Monash University.We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
How could Australia be better prepared to respond to future pandemics?Australia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the strongest and most effective in the world. And yet, there are still plenty of lessons to be learned.The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity was the first in the world outside of China to grow the COVID-19 virus in a lab, and share it with laboratories in Australia and around the world. In this live panel discussion, the world-leading science, clinical and public health experts from the Doherty Institute will take a deep dive into Australia’s COVID-19 response to pose the big questions: what lessons have we learned? What could we do differently next time? And, how likely are we to face another pandemic in the future?We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
We check in with Laureate Professor Peter Doherty to find out how he's doing through Melbourne's lockdown, whether he made it to Dan Murphy's before it began, what he's binge watching on Netflix, his experience of getting the Astra Zeneca vaccine and participating in clinical trials and a release date for his new book, An Insider's Plague Book.We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
We speak with Dr Katherine Gibney, infectious diseases clinician, public health physician and medical epidemiologist about the decision to extend Victoria's lockdown, the latest evidence of the transmissibility and infectiousness of current circulating strains, issues around mandating vaccines in healthcare workers and what it was like being a clinician in 2020.We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
In this episode, we chat with Dr Jennifer Juno, a Senior Research fellow at the Doherty Institute about what happens to your immune system when vaccinated and when you have recovered from COVID-19.We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
We speak with Professor Terry Nolan, Head of the Vaccine and Immunisation Research Group at the Doherty Institute and Murdoch Children's Research Institute. Terry was also the Head of the Australian Technical Advisory Group for Immunisation for 10 years - so knows vaccines!We discuss the latest data on blood clot cases in Australia, should we be looking at combination schedules of available COVID-19 vaccines and what we know about the Moderna and Novovax vaccines Australia has ordered.We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
It’s been widely publicised that the variant of SARS-CoV-2 associated with Melbourne’s outbreak is the B.1.617, the so-called ‘Indian’ variant. What do we know about it? Is it more transmissible?We speak with Dr Norelle Sherry, a Medical Microbiologist at the University of Melbourne’s Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory at the Doherty Institute, which is responsible for conducting the genomic sequencing of COVID-19 cases in Victoria in partnership with the Victorian Department of Health.We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
We are taking a step outside of our infection and immunity bubble to talk about mental health. Our guest is Dr Grant Blashki - he is a GP, lead clinical advisor for Beyond Blue and Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne’s Nossal Institute for Global Health.Grant is going to talk through why some of us are feeling this way, some tips to manage our mental well-being and the latest evidence of how the pandemic has impacted mental health in Australia and around the world.We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
We speak with Director of Doherty Epidemiology, Professor Jodie McVernon, picking her brains about what's happening in Melbourne right now - she analyses the types of transmission we are seeing in Melbourne, why we needed the 7-day circuit breaker and her top tip for getting through lockdown.We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
The Victorian Government has announced they will commit an additional $245 million to fund the construction of the Australian Institute for Infectious Disease.Headquartered in the prestigious Melbourne Biomedical Precinct, the AIID will bring together an exceptional network of leading researchers, public health experts and clinicians from the University of Melbourne, Burnet Institute, the Doherty Institute and other partnersIn this special bonus episode, we speak with the Director of the Doherty Institute, Professor Sharon Lewin about the new Institute.We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
In this special two-part episode, we explore the role of COVID-19 treatments in the pandemic.From the very beginning, vaccines have been touted as the way out. We’ve all watched in real-time as various technologies have been developed, produced, tested and injected into people’s arms around the world.In part 1 we spoke with Associate Professor Steven Tong. An Infectious Diseases Physician at The Royal Melbourne Hospital and Co-Lead of the Clinical Research Discipline at the Doherty Institute, Steve is also Lead Investigator of the AustralaSian COVID-19 Trial, or ASCOT.In the part 2 we speak with Professor Vivek Jha who is the Executive Director of the George Institute, responsible for coordinating ASCOT in India. He speaks very candidly about life in India during this disastrous second wave and the importance and challenges of conducting a clinical trial during this time.We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
In this special two-part episode, we explore the role of COVID-19 treatments in the pandemic.From the very beginning, vaccines have been touted as the way out. We’ve all watched in real-time as various technologies have been developed, produced, tested and injected into people’s arms around the world.In part 1 we speak with Associate Professor Steven Tong. An Infectious Diseases Physician at The Royal Melbourne Hospital and Co-Lead of the Clinical Research Discipline at the Doherty Institute, Steve is also Lead Investigator of the AustralaSian COVID-19 Trial, or ASCOT.Part 2 will look at the Indian experience.We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
Australia has seen a waning willingness to accept COVID-19 vaccines, dropping from around 75 per cent late last year to around 60 per cent in February this year. Refusal has increased from 5 to 15 per cent. How do we increase confidence?We speak with vaccine confidence, acceptance and uptake expert, Associate Professor Margie Danchin. Margie is a consultant paediatrician at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital, and a Clinician Scientist at the University of Melbourne and Murdoch Children't Research Institute.We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
Professor Kanta Subbarao is the Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza at the Doherty Institute. A virologist and physician, prior to her role at the Doherty Institute, she was at the helm of the Emerging Respiratory Viruses Section of the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health in the United States, where she worked on the original SARS coronavirus and later, MERS.We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
Usually Ben is the Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis at the Doherty Institute, and an infectious diseases clinician at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. But during the pandemic, his expertise have been called upon by Victoria’s Department of Health.Last year he headed up the re-introduction of hotel quarantine and now he is managing the mammoth task of rolling out the COVID-19 vaccination program around Victoria.We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
While our regular season is fortnightly, we are releasing this special episode today because of the timeliness of the topic. Doherty Institute Director, Professor Sharon Lewin answers some of the questions on the COVID-19 vaccine rollout that we didn’t get to at our recent Q&A event, COVID-19 Vaccines - Your questions answered.We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
Laureate Professor Peter Doherty talks COVID-19 vaccines, the importance of science communication and how he spent 2020.We want to hear from you! Help us shape future episodes of our podcast by telling us a little about yourself, how you listen to Infection and Immunity – Evidence Explained and what you'd like to hear more of in 2022. The survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.
We are super excited to launch our Doherty Institute podcast, Infection and Immunity - Evidence Explained.