Determined warrior against HIV

Prof. Sharon Lewin, Director, Doherty Institute

Prof. Sharon Lewin is a world-renowned infectious diseases expert known for her groundbreaking work in HIV research. As the inaugural Director of the Doherty Institute and a Professor of Medicine at The University of Melbourne, she leads pioneering research aimed at finding a cure for HIV and understanding its interaction with the hepatitis B virus. She serves as the President of the International AIDS Society (IAS) and holds a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Practitioner Fellowship.

One of Prof. Sharon's notable contributions to HIV research was her early discovery of HIV latency, revealing that the virus can 'hide' at low levels in infected individuals even during effective antiviral therapy. Her research on HIV latency models has been instrumental in developing new treatments for HIV.

She is a distinguished figure in the field of HIV research, with over 360 publications and 100 international talks to her name. Notable achievements include co-chairing the International AIDS Society Towards an HIV Cure initiative and leading the National COVID Health and Research Advisory Committee. Recognised for her impactful contributions, she received the Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2019 and the Melbourne Achiever Award in 2020. In 2022, she was honoured with the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences Outstanding Female Researcher Medal.

"As a woman in science, I look forward to the day when having two consecutive female presidents isn’t remarkable – but today it is, and I’m proud to be a part of this new era," Prof. Sharon said in a statement while accepting the presidency of IAS from Prof. Adeeba Kamarulzaman.