06 Jul 2023
Emerging researcher Dr Carolien van de Sandt receives prestigious awards for her work on influenza and immunity
University of Melbourne’s Dr Carolien van de Sandt, ARC-DECRA Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (Doherty Institute), has recently received the Australia and New Zealand Society for Immunology (ASI) Gordon Ada Career Advancement Award and the European Scientific working group on Influenza and other Respiratory Viruses (ESWI) Claude Hannoun Best Body of Work Prize, in acknowledgement of the importance of her work in the field of viral immunology.
Dr van de Sandt's research focuses on different aspects of influenza infections and host immunity with the aim to decode the evolution of influenza virus-specific T-cell immunity across the human lifespan.
Throughout her early career, she made significant contributions to understanding virus-specific immune responses and their role in protection from severe disease. She contributed to landmark studies including the world’s first publication of the SARS-CoV-2-specific immune response in Nature Medicine, and her study on SARS-CoV-2 specific immunity in children published in Immunity.
Emerging as a leader in the field of viral immunology, Dr van de Sandt’s achievements haven’t gone unnoticed, with her work receiving multiple grants and awards received from Australia and overseas.
Dr van de Sandt said it is an honour to see her accomplishments acknowledged by fellow scientists from ASI and ESWI.
“I am deeply honoured and proud to receive the Claude Hannoun Prize for Best Body of Work and the ASI Gordon Ada Career Advancement Award in recognition of my scientific contributions to the field,” said Dr van de Sandt.
“The Claude Hannoun Prize has always been a big inspiration for me, as I personally know some of the previous winners who do or did absolutely amazing work and I have seen them excel in their field over the last couple of years.
“The ASI Gordon Ada Award provides me with a unique opportunity to broaden my scientific network, seek new collaborations and explore novel research directions.”
Dr van de Sandt said these awards come at a crucial stage of her career.
"I am in the process of establishing my own independent research program, and the prize and the award will increase visibility of my research. These acknowledgements are a great encouragement to pursue my research interests,” added Dr van de Sandt.
University of Melbourne Laureate Professor Sharon Lewin, Director of the Doherty Institute, commended Dr van de Sandt on her achievements.
“I am pleased to congratulate Carolien on receiving these awards for her remarkable contributions in the field of viral immunology. As an early-mid career researcher, she demonstrates the vital role that young and emerging scientists play in shaping the future of scientific discovery,” said Professor Lewin.
“I also want to acknowledge Professor Katherine Kedzierska, Head of the lab group where Carolien works, for her dedication to invest in and support the next generation of scientific leaders.”
ASI’s Gordon Ada Career Advancement Award recognises and seeks to advance the research of mid-career researchers by providing them the opportunity to attend an international conference combined with visiting overseas laboratories to establish new collaborations.
The Claude Hannoun Best Body of Work Prize, awarded every three years to young scientists by ESWI, was given to Dr van de Sandt for “her substantial and impressive accomplishments to date in the field of understanding the dynamics of acute respiratory viruses”.