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Established through a visionary joint venture partnership between the University of Melbourne and The Royal Melbourne Hospital, over the past decade, the Institute has become a cornerstone of global efforts to improve health globally through discovery science and the prevention, treatment and cure infectious diseases. 

From pioneering research on the immune system’s response to infection and cancer – continuing the legacy of its namesake and Patron, Nobel laureate Professor Peter Doherty – to solving the 80-year-old mystery of how the Buruli ulcer is transmitted, the inaugural Director of the Doherty Institute, Melbourne Laureate Professor Sharon Lewin, said it’s the merging of discovery research with public health and education that makes the Doherty Institute unique. 

“We have more than 1000 staff and 200 graduate researchers – immunologists, virologists, computational scientists, epidemiologists, clinicians, public health specialists, educators and professional staff – all working together to create a dynamic exchange of knowledge, insights, and perspectives,” she said. 

“It’s their passion, hard work and commitment to excellence that has led to the impact we have had as an institute in a very short time of only 10 years. 

“We’ve had many successes, but without a doubt, the success I'm most proud of is our response to COVID-19. The Institute came together in a way that I probably never could have imagined when I first started in 2014.” 

Only a few days after diagnosing Victoria’s first positive COVID-19 case, scientists from the Doherty Institute were the first to grow SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, outside of China and the first to share it with the World Health Organization and public health laboratories across the globe. With access to the virus, researchers could not only validate test results, but also commence work on better diagnostic tests, treatments and a vaccine. 

As the Doherty Institute enters its next decade, plans are well and truly underway to expand its impact through the Australian Institute for Infectious Disease (AIID) with Foundation Partners, the University of Melbourne and Burnet Institute.  

“The new $650 million facility will house one of the largest critical masses of scientists and public health professionals working in infectious diseases in the Southern Hemisphere to provide Australia and the world with the expertise needed to respond to future pandemics,” said Professor Lewin. 

Professor Lewin concluded by saying it had been an honour and privilege to lead the Institute over the last 10 years. 

“We’ve achieved so much in just a decade, but our work is far from done. With the support of our partners, staff, and governments, I look forward to what we can achieve in the coming decade together tackling infectious diseases – one of the biggest global challenges of our time.”