The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity

The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, our joint venture with the University of Melbourne, aims to be a world-class institute that combines research into infectious disease and immunity with teaching excellence, reference laboratory diagnostic services, epidemiology and clinical services. 

The Doherty Vision is to improve health globally through discovery research and prevention, treatment and cure of infectious diseases. 

This joint venture has played a crucial role on the world stage during the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2020 scientists from the Doherty Institute were the first to grow the cell culture outside of China, allowing accurate investigation and diagnosis of the virus globally.

Our services at the Doherty Institute include:

• The Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory: An internationally recognised infectious disease reference laboratory specialising in virology and mycobacteriology
• VICNISS Healthcare Associated Infection Surveillance System: A statewide service that collates and analyses data on healthcare-associated infections
• The Victorian Infectious Diseases Service: A statewide service, providing infectious diseases services, with a focus on travel-related and tropical infections, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, tuberculosis and hospital-acquired infections
• The Victorian Tuberculosis Program: A statewide provider of public health services relating to tuberculosis
• National Centre for Antimicrobial Stewardship (NCAS): A national centre founded in partnership with the University of Melbourne and Monash University to investigate the patterns of antibiotic usage in humans and animals to ultimately determine successful interventions and decrease the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
• The RMH Guidance Group: An initiative of the RMH and the NCAS comprising a multidisciplinary team of clinicians and software developers who form part of the Quality, Informatics and Improvement team at the RMH. Guidance Group solutions include the National Antimicrobial Prescribing Survey (NAPS) and Guidance antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs, which are uniquely built by clinicians for clinicians to support and enable stewardship initiatives throughout Australia and beyond.