Professor Heidi Drummer
Deputy Director, Impact; Scientific Director for Research Translation; Scientific Director, Burnet Diagnostics Initiative; Principal Investigator, Burnet Vaccine Initiative; Co-Head, Viral Entry and Vaccines Group
Background
Professor Heidi Drummer is Deputy Director, Impact and Scientific Director for Research Translation. Heidi also co-heads the Viral Entry and Vaccines research group at Burnet. In 2021, she was appointed as Scientific Director of the Burnet Diagnostics Initiative, an initiative to progress diagnostics through to human health solutions. She also leads the Hepatitis C vaccine development stream of the Burnet Vaccine Initiative.
Heidi is an inventor on numerous granted patents and is internationally recognised as a leader in viral glycoprotein structure and function. She has developed multiple point of care diagnostic assays to measure immunity to COVID-19 and established clinical studies to examine immune response generated by SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Heidi has extensive experience in industry engagement and commercialisation of diagnostic assays and the translation of vaccines through pre-clinical studies into clinical trials.
Qualifications
- 1989: BSc (Hons), University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- 1993: PhD, University of Melbourne, Australia
Appointments
- 2025–present: Deputy Director, Impact, Burnet Institute
- 2024–present: Scientific Director for Research Translation, Burnet Institute
- 2021–present: Scientific Director, Burnet Diagnostics Initiative (BDI), Burnet Institute
- 2017–2024: Program Director, Disease Elimination, Burnet Institute
- 2014: Deputy Head, Centre for Biomedical Research, Burnet Institute
- 2010: Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
- 2009: Honorary Senior Lecturer, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- 2008: Burnet Institute Principal Fellow, Victoria, Australia
- 2005: Co-Head Viral Fusion Laboratory-HCV studies, Burnet Institute
Awards
- 2009: Gust McKenzie Award
- 1990: Australian Postgraduate Research Award
Positions
- 2009: Member of the Burnet Institute PhD Committee, Victoria, Australia
- 2009: Burnet Institute Honours program coordinator (co-Associate Professor Paul Gorry), Australia
- 2008: Elected Treasurer Australian Centre for Hepatitis Virology
- 2001: Principal Investigator, Australian Centre for Hepatitis and HIV Virology Research
Reports and policy briefs
2021
- COVID-19 Global Trends and Analyses Volume 2:- Vaccine and Viral Variants Update. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)Toole M, Drummer H, Tachedjian G, Umali S, Majumdar S. Know-C19 Public Health Report. July, 2021.
- COVID-19 Global Trends and Analyses, Volume 2: Vaccines and Viral Variants Update June (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Toole M, Drummer H, Tachedjian G, Umali S, Majumdar S. Know-C19 Public Health Report. July, 2021.
- COVID-19 Global Trends and Analyses Volume 2:- Vaccine and Viral Variants Update. May. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Toole M, Drummer H, Tachedjian G, Umali S, Majumdar S. Know-C19 Burnet Institute. May, 2021.
- COVID-19 Global Trends and Analyses Volume 2:- Vaccine and Viral Variants Update. April. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Toole M, Drummer H, Tachedjian G, Umali S, Majumdar S. Know-C19 Burnet Institute. April, 2021.
- COVID-19 Global Trends and Analyses Volume 2:- Vaccine and Viral Variants Update - COVID-19 Global Snapshots. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Toole M, Drummer H, Tachedjian G, Umali S, Majumdar S. Know-C19 Burnet Institute. March, 2021.
2020
- The most promising vaccines for COVID-19. (Updated 17.6.2020) Cunningham A, Chappell K, Copolov D, Crabb B, Cuthbertson A, Doherty P, Drummer H, Foley C, Godfrey D, Halton J, Kelleher A , Majumdar S, McDonald C, Munro T, Purcell D, Young P. Rapid Research Information Forum - Australian Academy of Sciences. May, 2020.
Burnet publications
View 83 moreTwelfth scientific biennial meeting of the Australasian Virology Society: AVS12 2024
Journal of Virology
Ebony A. Monson et al
Induction of Fc-dependent functional antibodies against different variants of SARS-CoV-2 varies by vaccine type and prior infection
Communications Medicine
Alexander W. Harris et al
Utilising integrated bio-behavioural surveillance (IBBS) to investigate declining hepatitis C antibody prevalence among people who inject drugs in the Australian Needle and Syringe Program Survey
International Journal of Drug Policy
Lisa Maher et al
Current projects
View 6 moreSyphilis point‐of‐care diagnostic test: diagnosis of active syphilis
We're developing point-of-care diagnostics for active syphilis, aiming to transform syphilis management globally and contribute to World Health Organization goals.
Development of a novel antibody for treatment and prevention of respiratory disease
We’re developing a novel class of antibody and delivery technologies to provide enhanced protection and therapeutic performance for coronaviruses and other respiratory infections.
Liver health screening test
A rapid point-of-care (POC) test for liver disease biomarkers could improve the management of acute and chronic liver disease and reduce the progression to liver cancer in Australia and globally.
Past projects
View 3 more
Neutralising antibody assays for COVID-19
Rapid high-throughput neutralisation assays are essential for analysis of immune responses in human infection and animal experiments.
ACE2 inhibitors for treatment of COVID-19
We aim to contribute to the development of an antiviral inhalant for patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID).
Social Networks and the Hepatitis C Virus
This project found that people who'd cleared an hepatitis C infection were more likely to acquire a second virus than those who had never been infected.
News and features
View 10 more
Burnet partners with Atomo to develop Australia’s first syphilis self-test
Burnet partners with Atomo on a new syphilis point-of-care test, backed by the Australian Government.
The first recipients of the Burnext accelerator program
Two exciting projects are being funded through Burnet Institute's Burnext accelerator program, designed to enhance research translation and expedite the advancement of high‐impact projects.
Landmark accelerator program launched at Burnet Institute
Burnet Institute is investing an initial $6.5 million in a landmark accelerator program – Burnext – designed to fast-track research into real-world outcomes to improve human health.