Science Patron - Professor Peter Doherty AC

 Professor Peter Doherty AC was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine with Swiss colleague, Rolf Zinkernagel, in 1996 for discovering "the nature of the cellular immune defense" and was also awarded the "Australian of the Year" in 1997. The Nobel discovery was made whilst performing as a Research Fellow at the John Curtin School of Medical Research (JCSMR).

He graduated from the University of Queensland in Veterinary Science and later became a veterinary officer for the Queensland Department of Primary Industries. Moving to Scotland, he received his PhD from the University of Edinburgh Medical School.

A Laureate Professor at the University of Melbourne and a Burnet Fellow of the National Health and Medical Research Council, Professor Doherty’s research focus is defense against viruses. He has led substantial research in viral immunology at the Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, JCSMR and St Jude Children’s Research Hospital (SJCRH) and is currently developing a new research program at the University of Melbourne.

Although he commutes between SJCRH in Memphis, Tennesse and the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Melbourne, he spends most of his time in Australia as an advocate for promoting the cause of biomedical research and education. Professor Doherty regularly donates time to public lectures, writting articles for newspapers and magazines and participating in a variety of media formats, including talk back radio.