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Professor Heidi Drummer

Scientific Director for Research Translation; Scientific Director, Burnet Diagnostics Initiative; Principal Investigator, Burnet Vaccine Initiative; Co-Head, Viral Entry and Vaccines Group
Background

Professor Heidi Drummer is Scientific Director for Research Translation and co-Head of the Viral Entry and Vaccines research group at Burnet Institute. In 2021, she was appointed as Scientific Director of the Burnet Diagnostics Initiative, a new Burnet Initiative to progress diagnostics through to human health solutions. She also leads the Hepatitis C Vaccine development stream of the Burnet Vaccine Initiative.

Heidi is an inventor on numerous granted patents and is internationally recognised as a leader in viral glycoprotein structure and function. She has developed multiple point of care diagnostic assays to measure immunity to COVID-19 and established clinical studies to examine immune response generated by SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Heidi has extensive experience in industry engagement and commercialisation of diagnostic assays and the translation of vaccines through pre-clinical studies into clinical trials.

Qualifications
  • 1989: BSc (Hons), University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  • 1993: PhD, University of Melbourne, Australia
Appointments
  • 2024–present: Scientific Director for Research Translation
  • 2021–present: Scientific Director, Burnet Diagnostics Initiative (BDI)
  • 2017–2024: Program Director, Disease Elimination, Burnet Institute
  • 2014: Deputy Head, Centre for Biomedical Research, Burnet Institute
  • 2010: Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
  • 2009: Honorary Senior Lecturer, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  • 2008: Burnet Institute Principal Fellow, Victoria, Australia
  • 2005: Co-Head Viral Fusion Laboratory-HCV studies, Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health Ltd.
Awards
  • 2009: Gust McKenzie Award
  • 1990: Australian Postgraduate Research Award
Positions
  • 2009: Member of the Burnet Institute PhD Committee, Victoria, Australia
  • 2009: Burnet Institute Honours program coordinator (co-Associate Professor Paul Gorry), Australia
  • 2008: Elected Treasurer Australian Centre for Hepatitis Virology
  • 2001: Principal Investigator, Australian Centre for Hepatitis and HIV Virology Research
Reports + Policy Briefs

2021 (5)

2020 (1)

  • The most promising vaccines for COVID-19. (Updated 17.6.2020) Cunningham A, Chappell K, Copolov D, Crabb B, Cuthbertson A, Doherty P, Drummer H, Foley C, Godfrey D, Halton J, Kelleher A , Majumdar S, McDonald C, Munro T, Purcell D, Young P. Rapid Research Information Forum - Australian Academy of Sciences. May, 2020.