Professor Leanne Robinson honoured with the 2025 Frank Fenner Award

Professor Robinson is an NHMRC Leadership Fellow, program director for Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness and head of Vector-borne Diseases and Tropical Public Health at Burnet Institute. She has led valuable research into malaria and neglected tropical diseases in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the Asia-Pacific region.  

Her work has informed global health policy and strengthened vector-borne disease management, particularly through studies on vivax malaria — a relapsing form of malaria caused by parasites that lie dormant in the liver — and lymphatic filariasis, a mosquito-borne disease that can cause severe swelling and disability. 

“It is humbling to receive an award in honour of Professor Frank Fenner, someone whose lifetime commitment to science was extraordinary,” she said. 

Over two decades, Professor Robinson’s multidisciplinary research has spanned clinical trials, field epidemiology, and molecular studies — producing evidence that has strengthened national malaria programs and informed World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. 

Her leadership of landmark studies revealed that dormant vivax parasites account for the vast majority of infections, prompting a global re-evaluation of strategies required for vivax elimination. 

Professor Robinson reflected on the impact of her work on the neglected tropical disease lymphatic filariasis, where her team’s research helped change WHO treatment guidelines, benefiting more than 45 million people worldwide. 

She emphasised the power of genuine research partnerships and well-structured multidisciplinary teams, highlighting the importance of “putting as much effort and thought into planning how people will work together as into the work itself.”

This collaborative approach has fostered a locally led program of vector-borne disease implementation research and systems strengthening in PNG — spanning new malaria diagnostics, vivax treatment approaches, mosquito control tools, and the effective use of data to inform implementation.

The Frank Fenner Award honours the legacy of Professor Frank Fenner, the Australian virologist who announced the eradication of smallpox in 1980. The award celebrates Burnet researchers whose scientific achievements embody the same vision, compassion, and global impact.