Sharon Lewin, AO, FRACP, PhD, FAHMS

SHARON LEWIN, AO, FRACP, PHD, FAHMS

Director, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity and Melbourne Laureate Professor of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Australia; former IAS President

A leading infectious diseases expert with over 360 publications, Dr. Lewin is a physician and scientist whose laboratory focuses on basic, translational, and clinical research aimed at finding a cure for HIV and understanding the interaction between HIV and hepatitis B virus.

“I have multiple priorities and challenges that I face every day at work and every day these are different—from managing students, to large multi-center research grants, in addition to my day job as Director of the Doherty Institute at the University of Melbourne.

I am currently establishing a new center called the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics following the very generous donation of $250 million from Canadian philanthropist Geoff Cumming and $75 million from the Victorian government. This is a huge opportunity to really drive new approaches to develop therapeutics for pathogens of pandemic potential. I hope the impact of the center will be far-reaching and extend to many other viruses and other disciplines.

At the same time, as President of the International AIDS Society, I am committed to ensure that HIV remains a top priority for governments and funders and that the society can continue to have a major impact globally from our biennial international conference in Munich in July 2024. [Editor’s note: At the time of the interview, Lewin had been the President of the International AIDS Society; at the IAS biennial conference, Dr. Beatriz Grinsztejn started her term as the new President.] These are important events to not only share Science but to inspire the community and our political leaders to take action.”