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Thirteen researchers at the Doherty Institute have been named on the prestigious Clarivate’s list of Highly Cited Researchers in 2023, for having produced multiple highly-cited papers that rank in the top 1 per cent by citations for field and year over the past decade.  

The Institute has been home to highly recognised scientific researchers for over seven years. This year, seven Doherty Institute researchers are among the Highly Cited Researchers in Immunology, and six have been recognised for contributing to various fields of knowledge in the Web of Science. 

University of Melbourne’s Professor Sharon Lewin, Director of the Doherty Institute and a Highly Cited Researcher for the past five years, congratulated the researchers from the Institute who were acknowledged on the internationally acclaimed list. 

"This accolade is a testament to our colleagues’ unwavering dedication and remarkable research efforts, placing them among the world’s top one in 1,000 researchers – something we are really proud of,” said Professor Lewin. 

“This also clearly demonstrates the excellent quality of the research that takes place at the Doherty Institute, solidifying the Institute's position among the global leaders in infectious diseases and immunity.” 

This year, 6,849 Highly Cited Researchers from 68 countries are on the list, including 321 from Australia which ranks fifth on the list of countries with the most scientists on the list, behind the US, China Mainland, Germany and the UK. 

David Pendlebury, Head of Research Analysis at the Institute for Scientific Information at Clarivate, said the Highly Cited Researchers list identifies and celebrates exceptional individual researchers.  

“Their significant and broad influence in their fields translates to impact in their research community and innovations that make the world healthier, more sustainable and more secure,” said Mr Pendlebury.  

List of Highly Cited Researchers for 2023

Dr Adam Wheatley  

University of Melbourne’s Dr Adam Wheatley is a Laboratory Head and Senior Research Fellow at the Doherty Institute. He is at the forefront of research to better understand the development and regulation of humoral immune responses to critical viral diseases such as influenza and SARS-CoV-2. He has made his debut entry on the Clarivate list with recognition as a cross-field researcher. More about Dr Wheatley here.

Professor Axel Kallies  

University of Melbourne’s Professor Axel Kallies is an Immunologist and Laboratory Head at the Doherty Institute. Together with his team, he studies the molecular control of T cell differentiation in diseases such as chronic infection and cancer. His work focuses on the development of new approaches in immunotherapy and has been featured in key leading journals such as Nature and Science. Every year since 2021, he has been listed by Clarivate as a Highly Cited Researcher. More about Professor Kallies here.

Professor Dale Godfrey 

University of Melbourne’s Professor Dale Godfrey is a Laboratory Head and NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellow at the Doherty Institute. He has been studying unconventional T cells for over a decade, decoding their developmental, functional characteristics and therapeutic potential. In response to COVID-19, he led a large team of investigators in the development of a vaccine, as well as diagnostic tests, for SARS-CoV-2. He has published over 250 scientific papers and has been a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher for the past seven years. More about Professor Godfrey here.

Dr Danielle Anderson

Royal Melbourne Hospital's Dr Danielle Anderson is a Medical Scientist at the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory at the Doherty Institute. Her work focuses on pathogen discovery, and she co-invented cPass, a surrogate neutralisation assay that detects SARS-CoV-2 antibodies without needing high-level containment. This year, she has been named a Highly Cited Researcher in cross-field. More about Dr Anderson here.

Professor Francis Carbone 

University of Melbourne’s Professor Emeritus Francis Carbone in Microbiology and Immunology at the Doherty Institute is renowned for his groundbreaking discoveries on identifying mechanisms by which the immune system identifies pathogens, and how effective immunity is generated to control these agents. With over 240 publications, Professor Emeritus Carbone has been a Highly Cited Researcher since 2017. More about Professor Emeritus Carbone here.

Professor Jim McCluskey AO

Professor Jim McCluskey is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) and a Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor in Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Melbourne. He led the conceptualisation and establishment of the Doherty Institute. He is globally renowned for his research on immune recognition and genetic control of immune responses for which he has received several national and international awards. He has been a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher for six years in a row. More about Professor McCluskey here.

Professor Katherine Kedzierska  

University of Melbourne’s Professor Katherine Kedzierska is the Head of the Human T cell Laboratory and NHMRC Investigator Fellow at the Doherty Institute. Her work has provided an understanding of why some groups, including children, the elderly, Australian First Nations people, pregnant women and patients with co-morbidities succumb to severe respiratory viral diseases, including influenza and COVID-19. This year, she has been recognised by Clarivate as a cross-discipline Highly Cited Researcher. More about Professor Kerdzierska here.

Professor Laura Mackay 

University of Melbourne’s Professor Laura Mackay is a Laboratory Head and Immunology Theme Leader at the Doherty Institute. She is well known for discovering how tissue-resident memory T cells can be harnessed for potential vaccination and cancer treatments — a breakthrough that has changed research in immunity, vaccinology and cancer immunotherapy. Professor Mackay is a multiple award-winning scientist and has been a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher for the past five years. More about Professor Mackay here.

Dr Ryan Wick 

University of Melbourne’s Dr Ryan Wick is a Research Officer in Bioinformatics Microbiology and Immunology at the Doherty Institute. He works on assembly algorithms for bacterial genomes and is the developer of various bioinformatic tools, software and programs such as Bandage, Unicycler, Trycycler, and more and more. 2023 marks his inaugural appearance on the list of Highly Cited Researchers as a cross-field researcher. More about Dr Wick here.

Professor Scott Mueller 

University of Melbourne’s Professor Scott Mueller is a Laboratory Head, NHMRC Leadership Fellow and a Dame Kate Campbell Fellow at the Doherty Institute. He established a multi-photon in vivo imaging facility at the Doherty Institute and his research is focused on dissecting the fundamental cellular processes involved in neuro-immune responses to viruses and cancer. He has been named a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher for the fourth year in a row this year. More about Professor Mueller here.

Professor Sharon Lewin AO 

University of Melbourne’s Professor Sharon Lewin is the Director of the Doherty Institute and a Melbourne Laureate Professor. She is an infectious diseases physician and expert in all aspects of HIV research and a global leader in HIV cure research. Her work cuts across discovery and translational research, virology and global health. Professor Lewin has been a Highly Cited Researcher for five years in a row and in addition to this, has been recognised by Clarivate as a cross-discipline expert. More about Professor Lewin here.

Professor Stephen Kent 

University of Melbourne’s Professor Stephen Kent is a Laboratory Head and NHMRC L3 Investigator at the Doherty Institute. He is at the forefront of elucidating immunity to viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, influenza and HIV. He has been listed as a Clarivate top peer reviewer in the past and as a Highly Cited Researcher in 2023 as a cross-field expert. More about Professor Kent here.  

Professor Thomas Gebhardt 

University of Melbourne’s Professor Gebhardt is a Laboratory Head at the Doherty Institute. He leads a team that focusses on better understanding innate and adaptive immune responses in lymphoid and peripheral tissues. His program’s overall goal is to modulate such immune responses for beneficial outcomes in infection, cancer and chronic inflammation. This year marks his fifth consecutive recognition as a Highly Cited Researcher. More about Professor Gebhardt here.