New Burnet head to research edible vaccine research

An edible vaccine project is among the research programs to be introduced by incoming Burnet Institute director Prof Steven Wesselingh.

The appointment follows the retirement of Prof John Mills, who has served as director of the institute for more than a decade.

Wesselingh, previously director of The Alfred Hospital's Infectious Diseases Unit and Monash University School of Medicine, initially trained as an infectious diseases physician before moving into research.

"I am looking forward to working with everyone at the Burnet Institute and The Alfred to create an infectious diseases research program unequalled in Australia and South East Asia with the unique ability to span multiple disciplines including basic laboratory science, clinical research, epidemiology, harm reduction and international health," Wesselingh said.

The Burnet Institute's main focus is in all aspects of communicable diseases spanning HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted disease, hepatitis and illicit drug use.

At The Alfred's Infectious Diseases Unit, Wesselingh oversaw a program incorporating the Victorian Statewide HIV/AIDS service and the Victorian HIV palliative care unit.

Wesselingh said one of the programs he planned to bring to the Burnet Institute, which has recently moved to the Alfred Medical Research and Education Precinct, was research into edible vaccines that were cheap to produce and easy to administer.

He said that in developing nations, such medicines held the potential to redress many of the production, distribution and delivery limitations faced by traditional injectables.

Wesselingh completed a PhD on the response of astrocytes to viral infections and has held a number of Australian and international posts including Neurovirology Research Unit head at Flinders University University and assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the United States.