06 Nov 2020
VIDRL named finalist in Melbourne Awards
The team responsible for being the first laboratory to grow and share the virus responsible for COVID-19, and the massive scale-up of testing and innovation in testing technology during the pandemic has been named a finalist in the Melbourne Awards.
Royal Melbourne Hospital’s Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (VIDRL) at the Doherty Institute is one of three finalists in the City of Melbourne Awards Essential Services category, sharing it with Royal Melbourne Hospital and BOYE Medical Group.
VIDRL has played an essential role in the Asia Pacific region’s public health response to COVID-19, and has placed Melbourne’s scientific expertise in the global spotlight thanks to their innovation in testing technology.
VIDRL diagnosed Australia’s first COVID-19 case, and was the first lab outside of China to grow, and share the virus – a crucial step towards developing vaccines and treatments.
When local cases began to rise, VIDRL scaled-up testing and supported other laboratories around Australia, and within Victoria to do likewise, including through successive 'testing blitzes', resulting in more than 180,000 samples being tested by October 2020.
Doherty Institute Director, Professor Sharon Lewin, who was awarded Melburnian of the year in 2014, said she is very proud of VIDRL’s tremendous efforts over the past six months.
“They have worked incredibly hard and achieved great things through application of scientific expertise and collaboration with scientists, clinicians, government and the community,” Professor Lewin said.
“This goes to the core ethos behind establishing the Doherty Institute.”
Cherylynn McGurgan, from the Institute’s joint venture partner Royal Melbourne Hospital is also a finalist, recognised for her commitment to the COVID-19 response helping thousands of patients to be screened, tested and treated for the virus.
Melbourne business and Doherty Institute supporter, Fella Hamilton was named a finalist in the Business category for its pivot to start producing PPE and reusable, non-surgical, cloth face masks for medical professionals and the general public.