Researchers from the Doherty Institute and the Kirby Institute have been named as finalists in the prestigious Prime Minister’s Prize for Science, held in November.
University of Melbourne’s Professor Stephen Kent, Professor Katherine Kedzierska, Professor Kanta Subbarao and UNSW’s Professor Miles Davenport were nominated for their significant contributions to understanding COVID-19 immunology and virology throughout the pandemic.
The team, led by Professor Davenport, defined the first correlate of immune protection from SARS-CoV-2 infection, and produced a remarkable 76 publications and two patents on the subject over two years.
Doherty Institute Director Professor Sharon Lewin said the team’s research significantly advanced our understanding of COVID-19.
“The work produced by this extraordinary team early in the pandemic has been used by researchers around the world, including evaluating COVID-19 vaccines,” Professor Lewin said.
“It is a testament to each of these researchers that their discoveries have been translated into the patented development of antibody therapeutics and vaccines that control SARS-CoV-2 variants, such as Omicron.”
