Rate My Professor Jodie McVernon

Professor Jodie McVernon AO is a Professor and Director of Doherty Epidemiology at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, within the Melbourne Medical School. A Monash University medical graduate with an MBBS and subspecialty qualifications in paediatrics, public health, and vaccinology, she is a Fellow of the Australian Faculty of Public Health Medicine since 2009. Her career includes expertise developed at the University of Oxford, the Health Protection Agency in London, and the University of Melbourne. She currently serves as Acting Deputy Dean Partnerships in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences and leads the Public Health cross-cutting discipline at the Doherty Institute. Professor McVernon heads interdisciplinary teams working on projects such as APPRISE, SPECTRUM, ACE-NTDs, and SPARK, focusing on infectious disease preparedness and response.

Her research specializations encompass clinical vaccine trials, epidemiologic studies, and mathematical and computational modelling to integrate biological, epidemiological, and sociological insights for understanding infectious disease transmission and evaluating control interventions. Focus areas include emerging pandemics, seasonal infections, neglected tropical diseases, vector-borne infections, zoonoses, and One Health challenges. She has led national modelling networks for the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic and COVID-19 responses. Key publications include 'Risk of vaccine failure after Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) combination vaccines with acellular pertussis' (The Lancet, 2003), 'Immunogenicity of a monovalent 2009 influenza A (H1N1) vaccine in infants and children: a randomized trial' (JAMA, 2010), 'A small community model for the transmission of infectious diseases: comparison of school closure as an intervention in individual-based models of an influenza pandemic' (PLoS ONE, 2008), and 'Infectious disease pandemic planning and response: Incorporating decision analysis' (PLoS Medicine, 2020). Professor McVernon contributes to policy as a member of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee and the WHO Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Infection Hazards of Pandemic and Epidemic Potential. Awards include the Officer of the Order of Australia (2025) for distinguished service to medical research in epidemiology and infection prevention, the 2020 MDHS Award for Excellence in Engagement-Partnerships, and election as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.