Sammy Bedoui

Professor Sammy Bedoui is a Professor of Microbiology and Immunology in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne. He heads the Bedoui Laboratory in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity. Bedoui holds a medical degree from Hannover Medical School in Germany. In 2005, he began postdoctoral training at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne with a fellowship from the German Research Council. In 2009, he moved to the University of Melbourne on an NHMRC Career Development Award, establishing his independent research group focused on immune cell interactions during infections.

The Bedoui Lab studies how innate immune cells, particularly dendritic cells, sense pathogens and integrate signals to drive adaptive T cell responses in models of viral and bacterial infections. Key research areas include the mechanisms of CD4 T cell help for CD8 killer T cell priming, contributions of different dendritic cell subsets to antiviral immunity, roles of inflammasomes and innate signals in protective responses against Salmonella, and influences of microbiota-derived metabolites on T cell memory and anti-tumor activity. Representative publications are 'Microbiota-Derived Short-Chain Fatty Acids Promote the Memory Potential of Naive CD8+ T Cells' (Immunity, 2019), 'GPR41 and GPR43 regulate CD8+ T cell priming during herpes simplex virus infection' (Frontiers in Immunology, 2024), 'CD4+ T-cell help amplifies innate signals for primary CD8+ T-cell priming' (Immunological Reviews, 2016), and a 2025 Immunity study on microbiome enhancement of melanoma immunotherapy, which secured a $5 million NHMRC Synergy Grant. Bedoui leads as Director of Research for the School of Biomedical Sciences, Co-Theme Leader for Immunology and Discovery Science Lead at the Doherty Institute, and Director of the Melbourne-Bonn Graduate School. He received the University of Melbourne’s Award for Excellence in Internationalisation of Research in 2018 and teaches immunology to biomedicine undergraduates. His contributions extend to public articles on immunity against Legionnaires’ disease and responsible COVID-19 research communication.

Professional Email: sbedoui@unimelb.edu.au