AMA VICDOC Summer 2024 - Magazine - Page 58
WEDNESDAY 20 N 0 VE M B ER 2024
CHLOE RO O M YO U N G & JAC KSO N S
MELBOUR N E C B D
P
eter Doherty shared the 1996 Nobel
Prize in Medicine or Physiology for
discovering the nature of the cellular
immune defence — transplantation
and ‘killer’ T cell-mediated immunity,
an understanding that is currently
translating into new cancer treatments.
The first veterinarian to win a Nobel,
Peter remains active in research on
immunity to influenza. He commutes
between St Jude Children’s Research
Hospital, Memphis and the Peter Doherty
Institute at the University of Melbourne,
where he now spends most of his
professional time.
He is a Fellow, or Foreign Associate,
of the Australian, UK, US, and Russian
Academies of Science, and the French,
US, UK and Australian Academies
of Medicine, a Fellow of numerous
professional societies, he has been
awarded more than 20 Honorary
Doctorates and has published
approximately 500 research
papers and reviews.
In addition to his scientific output,
Peter is also the author of six books
for everyday readers, including the
bestselling The Beginner's Guide to
Winning the Nobel Prize, which was
originally published in 2005.
58
AMA VI C TO RIA
He was Australian of the Year and
received a Companion of the Order of
Australia in 1997, is listed as a living
National Treasure, had his face on
a postage stamp, and has research
fellowships, a street and two buildings
(in Edinburgh and Melbourne) named
after him — including, of course, the
Peter Doherty Institute for Infection
and Immunity, in Melbourne’s
Biomedical Precinct.
In 2006 the University of Melbourne and
The Royal Melbourne Hospital partnered
to create the Peter Doherty Institute,
a centre of excellence where leading
scientists and clinicians collaborate
to improve human health globally.
It has more than 700 staff who work
on infection and immunity through
a broad spectrum of activities. This
includes discovery research; diagnosis,
surveillance and investigation of
infectious disease outbreaks; and the
development of ways to prevent, treat
and eliminate infectious diseases.
During his wide-ranging address to the
attendees of our special end of year lunch
at Young & Jackson, Peter shared his
unique insights into the post-US-election
landscape and delved into his adventures
in public science communication, including
