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Monday July 01, 2024

Congratulations to Danika Hill
2022 ASI Margaret Baird Awardee

We warmly congratulate
Danika Hill
winner of the 2022 ASI Margaret Baird Women in Immunology Award

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I lead the Precision Vaccinology Laboratory within the Department of Immunology at Monash University. Our research focuses on elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underpin antibody responses to vaccination and infection, with a particular emphasis on T follicular helper cells and the Germinal Centre response. Our research is focussed on  unraveling how immunity to Group A Streptococcus, malaria, influenza, and Shingles develops in humans, with the ultimate goal of enhancing vaccine strategies.

I work at the intersection of human immunology, infectious disease, vaccine design, and bioinformatics—expertise that I have cultivated over 15 years of research. I completed my PhD at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) in 2015, where I focused on antibody responses to malaria under the mentorship of Alan Cowman and Louis Schofield. Subsequently, I undertook postdoctoral research in Michelle Linterman’s lab at the Babraham Institute in Cambridge, UK, investigating T follicular helper cell responses to vaccines, supported by an NHMRC CJ Martin fellowship. In 2020, I returned to Melbourne to continue my fellowship at Monash University in Professor David Tarlinton’s lab. During this time, I initiated an independent research program on Group A Streptococcus, supported by the Michelson Prize from the Human Immunome Project. In July 2023, I established my own laboratory, following an important personal milestone—the birth of my first child in 2021.

Precision Vaccinology Laboratory 2023. (L to R): Sheng Lo (Honours Student), Holly Fryer (PhD Student), Dr Danika Hill, Dr Craig McKensie (Postdoc), Cathy Pitt (RA), and Sherene Brodie (Masters Student)

I was extremely honoured and humbled to receive the Margaret Baird Award at the end of 2022, the most challenging year of my career to date. Returning to work after parental leave, and balancing part-time work while caring for a young child frequently home sick from childcare was a constant juggle. This award also came at a crucial time in my career, as I had recently transitioned into a new field (Strep A) and established my own independent research program but the pandemic and parenting responsibilities had limited my opportunities for travel and networking. With the support of the Margaret Baird Award, I have visited University of Queensland Institute for Molecular Bioscience, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Telethon Kids Institute, and participated in a hybrid seminar at the University of Auckland Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, supported by the NZ branch of ASI. These seminars have been invaluable in raising my profile across Australia and New Zealand, and has resulted in several new collaborations and grant applications. I was also able to combine these visits with attendance at two fantastic ASI conferences, the Mucosal Immunology SIG meeting and the ASI Annual Meeting in Auckland.

In addition to presenting my scientific research, the Margaret Baird Award provided a platform to share my experiences as a woman and parent in the field. Our family has been fortunate to benefit from several institutional initiatives that have been instrumental in supporting my career over the past three years. Monash University provided generous paid parental leave (8 months), flexible return-to-work options, and bespoke career coaching and leadership training. Additionally, when I returned to work when our son was 8 months old, my husband became primary carer and received 14 weeks of paid parental leave through WEHI. Unfortunately, I know that my experience is the exception rather than the norm. It is my hope that through continual dialogue and advocacy, including by societies such as ASI, all institutions in Australia and New Zealand will provide women and their families with similar support during the most critical years of their careers. We need radical change across the sector to ensure we retain our exceptional early- and mid-career researcher talent in immunology on both sides of the Tasman.

Danika presenting at the ASI 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting in Auckland.

Author: Danika Hill

Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of ASI