With Professor Hartland stepping down as VIIN Co-Convenor, the network is delighted announce that Associate Professor Heidi Drummer, VIIN Executive Member for the Burnet Institute will be VIIN’s new Co-Convenor with Paul Hertzog.  Associate Professor Drummer will also Co-Convene the Lorne Infection and Immunity Conference. 

Heidi is Director of the Disease Elimination Program at the Burnet Institute, Head of the Viral Entry and Vaccines Research Group and an NHMRC Senior Research Fellow.  She has been an outstanding ambassador for VIIN and the sector and we are looking forward to having her leadership in the future.

Associate Professor Drummer says:

I am delighted and honoured to be taking on this role. Liz has done an outstanding job growing VIIN and establishing the Lorne Infection and Immunity meeting. I thank her sincerely for her contributions. I hope to continue to grow the infection and immunity network across Victoria, increase our visibility across the sector and provide stimulating high quality symposia and conference events that showcase Victoria's capabilities and opportunities.

A/Prof Heidi Drummer.

Professor Dena Lyras has also been invaluable to VIIN’s activities as Executive Committee member for the Monash University Department of Microbiology. Dena took up the role from Prof Ben Adler, one of the founders of the Monash Infection and Immunity Network, and has served the Department of Microbiology and its presence in the VIIN with creativity and insight.

Professor Lyras has been strongly involved in ECR engagement, through the VIIN’s annual Young Investigator Symposia and Careers Evenings and in mentoring the network’s younger scientists, as well as the network’s industry engagement projects, and as a champion for gender equity initiatives at VIIN’s events.

Professor Lyras says:

My involvement with VIIN has been tremendously rewarding. We have helped to bring the disciplines of infection and immunity together, particularly in events involving our students and early career researchers. Linking the Australian Society for Microbiology with VIIN has also been a highlight, which will now continue with future meetings, speakers and events.

Prof Dena Lyras.

Under the influence of Liz, Dena, Paul, Heidi and other members of the VIIN Executive, the VIIN has grown from a small network of 30 researchers based at Monash University, to a network of 1000+ scientists and students across Victoria.  VIIN counts over 15 departments, institutes, universities and other research organisations as its contributing members, and we are grateful that the network continues to grow and serve such a broad range of stakeholders.

Stepping into Liz’s position as VIIN Executive Committee member for the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Melbourne is Associate Professor Jason Mackenzie, whose laboratory investigates Intracellular virus replication and innate immunity.  Thank you and welcome to Jason.

A/Prof Jason Mackenzie.

Stepping into Dena’s position as VIIN Executive Committee member for the Department of Microbiology at Monash University is Dr Greg Moseley, Leader of the Viral Pathogenesis Research Group.  Greg has previously served as a VIIN Executive Committee member at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the University of Melbourne, where he was the Grimwade Fellow.

Dr Greg Moseley.

For a full listing of VIIN Executive Committee members, see here.

To contact VIIN, please continue to email info@viin.org.au.