Professor Katherine Kedzierska is Deputy Head of Department of Microbiology and Immunology at University of Melbourne and Peter Doherty Institute. She is also a NHMRC Investigator Fellow and Laboratory Head. Her research interests include human T cell immunity to pandemic, seasonal and newly emerged respiratory viruses, anti-viral immunity in the young, the elderly, pregnant women and Indigenous Australians, viral escape and generation of immunological memory in human viral infection. She also studies human immunity to SARS-CoV2 infection and vaccination.
Katherine received her PhD from Monash University in 2002 for her studies on the mechanisms underlying defective immune functions after HIV infection. Her PhD work was recognised by the 2001 Premier’s Commendation for Medical Research, 2002 Monash University Mollie Holman Doctoral Medal and an NHMRC Peter Doherty Postdoctoral Fellowship to pursue her postdoctoral research with Laureate Professor Peter Doherty at University of Melbourne. Her postdoctoral work was focused on the early establishment of influenza-specific CD8+ T cell memory, TCR repertoire diversity and viral escape in a mouse model of influenza virus infection. In 2007, she got awarded an NHMRC RD Wright Fellowship and grant funding to establish her own research team.
She is currently an NHMRC Investigator Fellow and a group leader of ‘Human T cell Laboratory’ in Department of Microbiology and Immunology at University of Melbourne. Her research interests include human T cell immunity to pandemic, seasonal and newly emerged respiratory viruses, anti-viral immunity in the young, the elderly, pregnant women and Indigenous Australians, viral escape and generation of immunological memory in human viral infection. She also studies human immunity to SARS-CoV2 infection and vaccination.
To date, Katherine has published 270 manuscripts, cited collectively >22,000 times. She is a recipient of prestigious awards, including 2023 Eureka Prize for Infectious Diseases, 2016 Australian Academy of Science Jacque Miller Medal, 2011 NHMRC Excellence Award and 2011 Scopus Young Researcher of the Year Award. She is an Adjunct Professor at the Hokkaido University, Japan. In 2019, she was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Science (AAHMS).
Prof. Kedzierska is visiting the NHLI as part of the NHLI Seminar Series on Wednesday 26th of November to give a fascinating seminar on “Defining risk factors for life-threatening respiratory viral infections”.
Please join us in the LT1 conference room in the Wolfson Centre from 16:00-17:00 or via the Teams link provided.
Please note: There will be a welcome drinks reception following the seminar in the VPD Loft.