Professor Paul Hertzog has been the co-founder and co-convenor of the Victorian Infection and Immunity Network since 2009 and the Lorne Infection and Immunity Conference co-convenor since 2011, overseeing all 12 of the Lorne meetings.

After over a decade steering VIIN and the Lorne Infection and Immunity Conferences, Paul will be stepping down as co-convenor of both initiatives at the conclusion of the 2022 Lorne meeting.

To acknowledge Paul's foundational role and contribution to the network and conference in perpetuity, we have established the Hertzog Oration at the Lorne I&I conference from 2022 onwards. The Hertzog Oration will be delivered by the international invited speaker whose research is mostly closely aligned to Paul's, to support ongoing recognition of his contribution to I&I and to help develop and promote the field of innate immunity internationally and in Australia.

We are delighted that the inaugural Hertzog Orator is Prof Caetano Reis e Sousa, Francis Crick Institute, UK.

Paul's commitment and enthusiasm for VIIN and Lorne have been fundamental to their success.  He established the Monash Infection and Immunity Network (MIIN) nearly 20 years ago, with Prof Ben Adler at Monash University.  Supported by the Monash Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences and Morag Milton as Project Officer in 2004, the MIIN drew together immunologists and microbiologists at Monash and its associated research organisations for 5 years, before expanding into Victorian Infection and Immunity Network (VIIN) in 2011.  At this time, Prof Elizabeth Hartland, then from the University of Melbourne, become co-convenor of VIIN.  Paul and Liz oversaw the initiation of annual symposia for young investigators, including careers evenings and networking events, as well as the VIIN Industry Alliance (VIIN-IA), which ran from 2012 to 2014 supported by Rebecca Smith as Program Manager.  Funded by the Victorian Government, the VIIN-IA aimed to facilitate the development of Victorian business in the infection and immunity field and enabled a number of collaborative projects and the development of this website with its directory of scientific experts.  In 2017, Prof Heidi Drummer stepped into the role of VIIN co-convenor after Prof Hartland retired from this role, and Heidi and Paul have since led VIIN and the Lorne conferences through re-structuring and a difficult economic climate to secure the future of both the network and meeting.

The Hertzog Oration is one of two prestigious orations at the Lorne Infection and Immunity Conference, with the Hartland Oration recognising the other founding co-convenor of VIIN, Prof Elizabeth Hartland.  More information about the Hartland Oration and Orators can be found here: https://www.viin.org.au/news/the-hartland-oration