Dr WuJi Zhang receives prestigious Chancellor’s Prize for Excellence in PhD Thesis

The University of Melbourne’s Dr WuJi Zhang, Honorary and Bachelor of Biomedicine alumni in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Doherty Institute, has been awarded the top honour for his PhD Thesis on human immunity to influenza, SARS-CoV-2 infections and vaccinations.

With his world-first research contributing to ‘closing the gap’ in the health care of Australian First Nations peoples, Dr WuJi Zhang has been awarded the prestigious University of Melbourne’s Chancellor's Prize for Excellence in PhD Thesis. Dr Zhang’s research has garnered international recognition for its innovative approach and significant findings within human immunology studies.

“I am deeply honoured to receive this prestigious award – this recognition not only affirms the value and impact of my research but also stands as a testament to the unwavering support and mentorship I received throughout my PhD studies,” Dr Zhang said.

Dr Zhang’s PhD studies were at the global forefront of research on immunity to influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections and vaccinations, as evidenced by his world-first knowledge on immune responses to COVID-19 vaccination in First Nations populations.

Co-supervised by the University of Melbourne’s Professor Katherine Kedzierska, Laboratory Head and Dr Oanh Nguyen, Senior Research Fellow, both at the Doherty Institute, Dr Zhang characterised SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell responses in First Nations peoples, revealing robust and prototypical T-cell responses in these individuals. This provided insights into optimal T-cell responses in both healthy and high-risk groups and is significant for its global impact at the forefront of research on immunity to SARS-CoV-2.

Published in Nature Immunology (including accompanying Journal cover with Aboriginal art), his PhD work revealed world-first evidence that Indigenous people with co-morbidities had significantly reduced antibody responses, regardless of ethnicity.

This study showed the vulnerability of Australian First Nations people to SARS-CoV-2 infection, given the high prevalence of chronic medical conditions such as diabetes and renal disease. As Indigenous people globally were not included in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials, there was an unmet need to understand immune responses to COVID-19 vaccination in First Nations people.

Dr Zhang said the research provided strong evidence that COVID-19 vaccination triggers effective immune responses against the virus in First Nations peoples.

“These findings also offer valuable guidance for vaccination strategies in Indigenous populations worldwide,” he said.

The international impact of his PhD work is evident from over 785 citations across continents, with h-index of 10 across his 16 manuscripts, attesting to the broad and significant impact of his research in the scientific community.

Dr Zhang’s international recognition has seen his recent successful appointment as the Junior Laboratory Head and Research Assistant Professor at the University of Hong Kong-Pasteur Research Pole, one of the leading medical and research universities in Asia.

“Becoming a Laboratory Head at an internationally renowned University so soon after completing the PhD work is a real testimony to the international impact and excellence of Dr Zhang’s PhD studies,” said the University of Melbourne’s  Professor Andrew Brooks, Head of Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Doherty Institute.

By receiving the Chancellor's Prize for Excellence in PhD Thesis, Dr Zhang takes his place at the forefront of emerging scholars whose work holds transformative potential to shape the future of viral immunology.

This article was originally published by the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Melbourne.