School celebrates Redmond Barry Distinguished Professors

Three outstanding leaders in the School of Biomedical Sciences have been awarded the title of Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor.

Image: Professors Katherine Kedzierska, Timothy Stinear and Laura Mackay

The title of Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor recognises exceptional leadership and distinction within the University’s professoriate. The award was established in honour of Sir Redmond Barry and his foundational contribution to the University.

The University of Melbourne has awarded the following scholars in the School of Biomedical Sciences the title of Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor:

  • Professor Katherine Kedzierska
  • Professor Laura Mackay
  • Professor Timothy Stinear

Head of the Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Prof Andrew Brooks, said the Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor Awards are extremely distinguished awards within the University, reserved for very few people.

I am both delighted and incredibly proud that three of our colleagues out of a University total of six had this honour bestowed on them. Please join me in congratulating Profs Katherine Kedzierska, Laura Mackay and Tim Stinear on their awards, a fitting acknowledgment of their tremendous contributions to both science and the university and enjoy being able to see and benefit from the quality of their contributions at first hand.

Professor Katherine Kedzierska, Research Group Leader, Department of Microbiology & Immunology

Professor Katherine Kedzierska is a globally recognised leader in viral immunology and one of the world's foremost experts on human T cell immunity to influenza and emerging viral infections. She is Deputy Head of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, NHMRC Leadership Fellow, Dame Kate Campbell Fellow, and Head of the Human T Cell Laboratory at the Doherty Institute and the University of Melbourne. Her pioneering research has transformed understanding of immune responses to influenza, COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses, informing vaccine development, pandemic preparedness and public health policy worldwide.

Key Achievements

  • Internationally recognised authority on human T cell immunity to influenza and emerging viral infections, with research that has reshaped understanding of protective immunity across diverse populations and age groups.
  • Published 279 peer-reviewed papers, accrued more than 24,000 citations, achieved an h-index of 88, and was named a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher in 2023 and 2024.
  • Published the first reported analysis of human immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 in 2020, providing critical insights during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Led internationally significant research defining immune correlates of severe influenza and COVID-19, with publications in leading journals including Cell, Nature Medicine, Nature Immunology, Nature Communications and Immunity.
  • Secured substantial national and international funding, including major NHMRC, MRFF, NIH, NIAID and Japanese Government grants, supporting globally collaborative research programs in influenza and emerging infectious diseases.
  • Recognised with numerous honours including the Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Infectious Diseases, the University of Melbourne Woodward Medal in Science and Technology, Fellowship of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences, and selection as a finalist for the Prime Minister's Prize for Science.
  • Demonstrated outstanding leadership through roles including Deputy Head of Department, Deputy Director of the Australian Vaccine Response Alliance, Chair of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences New Fellows Selection Committee, and membership of WHO and Therapeutic Goods Administration expert advisory groups.
  • A passionate advocate for equity, Indigenous health and researcher development, she has led initiatives supporting First Nations health research, women in science, graduate researcher training and early-career mentorship across the University and broader biomedical research community.

Professor Timothy Stinear, Research Group Leader, Department of Microbiology & Immunology

Professor Tim Stinear is an internationally renowned molecular microbiologist and Professor of Microbiology and Immunology. He serves as Deputy Head of Department, Co-Director of the Centre for Pathogen Genomics, Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Mycobacterium ulcerans, Dame Kate Campbell Fellow, and Scientific Director of Doherty Applied Microbial Genomics. His pioneering use of pathogen genomics has transformed understanding of infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and disease transmission, with major impacts on public health policy and clinical practice.

Key Achievements

  • International leader in bacteriology and pathogen genomics, with groundbreaking discoveries that have reshaped understanding of major bacterial pathogens, antimicrobial resistance and infectious disease transmission.
  • Led the discovery that mosquitoes transmit Mycobacterium ulcerans (Buruli ulcer), solving an 80-year scientific mystery and directly informing public health policy and disease prevention strategies.
  • Played a key role in identifying alcohol tolerance in Enterococcus faecium, prompting global reassessment of hospital infection-control practices, and helped trace Mycobacterium chimaera infections linked to contaminated medical equipment.
  • Published more than 300 peer-reviewed papers, accumulated over 21,000 citations, and achieved an h-index of 78, with publications in leading journals including Nature, Science, Cell, Nature Genetics, and the New England Journal of Medicine.
  • Secured more than $30 million in competitive research funding and currently holds an NHMRC Leadership Fellow (Level 3) award, recognising his standing as one of Australia's leading biomedical researchers.
  • Elected Fellow of the European Academy of Microbiology, American Academy of Microbiology, Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences, and Australian Society for Microbiology.
  • Successfully supervised 22 PhD, 4 MSc, 2 MPhil and 16 Honours students, while also leading major research training initiatives and professional education programs in microbial genomics and bioinformatics.
  • Provided outstanding leadership to the University through roles including Deputy Head of Department and leadership of major genomics initiatives within the Doherty Institute, including the pathogen sequencing capability that supported Australia's COVID-19 response.

Professor Laura Mackay, Research Group Leader, Department of Microbiology & Immunology

Professor Laura Mackay is an internationally recognised immunologist and global leader in the field of tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM). She is Professor of Immunology, NHMRC Leadership Fellow, Dame Kate Campbell Fellow, and Immunology Theme Co-Lead at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity. Her pioneering research has transformed understanding of how immune cells provide long-term protection within tissues, with major implications for infectious diseases, vaccination, cancer immunotherapy and autoimmune disease.

Key Achievements

  • Internationally recognised for defining the biology, development and function of tissue-resident memory T cells, a field in which her discoveries have reshaped fundamental immunology and influenced vaccine and immunotherapy development worldwide.
  • Published 97 research papers, including landmark first- and senior-author publications in Science, Nature, Nature Medicine, Nature Immunology, Immunity, Cancer Cell and Science Immunology.
  • Named a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher every year since 2019, with more than 15,000 citations and global recognition as one of the world's leading immunologists.
  • Recipient of numerous prestigious honours including the Prime Minister's Prize for Frank Fenner Life Scientist of the Year, the Gottschalk Medal, the Eureka Prize for Outstanding Early Career Researcher, the Jian Zhou Medal, and the NHMRC Elizabeth Blackburn Investigator Grant Award.
  • Elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences and appointed the inaugural Sir Gustav Nossal Professor of Immunology at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute.
  • Secured major national and international funding, including NHMRC Leadership Fellowships, ARC Discovery Grants, NIH funding, and a $3.9 million Pfizer-supported research program.
  • Demonstrated exceptional leadership in mentoring the next generation of researchers, supervising 12 PhD graduates and helping laboratory members secure more than $13 million in competitive research funding and numerous fellowships.
  • Provided influential leadership across the immunology community as the first female and youngest President of the Federation of Immunological Societies of Asia-Oceania (FIMSA), while serving on editorial boards of leading journals including Cell and Science Immunology.

Read the full list of UniMelb Redmond Barry Distinguished Professors announced this year