Odilia Wijburg

Associate Professor Odilia Wijburg serves as Head of Teaching and Learning in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology within the University of Melbourne's School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences. She commenced her association with the department in 1996 as a PhD exchange student from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, where she completed her PhD in immunology in 1997, followed by a postdoctoral research fellowship. Holding a BSc and a Graduate Certificate in University Teaching, she transitioned to academic teaching in 2012 as a senior lecturer and subject coordinator, earning promotion to Associate Professor in 2017. Her research specializes in the immunology of infectious diseases, encompassing mucosal immunity, bacterial-viral co-infections, pneumococcal colonization and disease, and innate and adaptive immune responses, with a strong record in polymicrobial respiratory infections. She has obtained competitive grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), including fellowships, and received the University of Melbourne CR Roper Fellowship in 2005, the Pfizer Robert Austrian Research Award in Pneumococcal Vaccinology in 2010, and the 2014 Melbourne Medical School Early Career Teaching Award.

Wijburg delivers lectures and practical classes in immunology and microbiology to second- and third-year Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Biomedicine students, first-year Doctor of Medicine students, and second-year Doctor of Optometry students. She leads curriculum development and innovation, promoting student-centred learning, active engagement in large classes, and integration of cutting-edge research into teaching. Her scholarship of teaching and learning investigates strategies to enhance student-teacher interactions and self-directed learning in biomedical sciences courses. Notable publications include 'Nasopharyngeal colonisation by Streptococcus pneumoniae enhances host anti-viral responses to respiratory virus infection' (2025), 'Immunization with a whole cell vaccine reduces pneumococcal nasopharyngeal density and shedding, and middle ear infection in mice' (2024), 'Synergism and Antagonism of Bacterial-Viral Coinfection in the Upper Respiratory Tract' (2022), 'Aspirin-triggered resolvin D1 reduces pneumococcal lung infection and inflammation in a viral and bacterial co-infection pneumonia model' (2017), and 'Neonatal pneumococcal colonisation caused by Influenza A virus' (2016). With over 3,500 citations across 101 publications, her contributions have advanced understanding in infection and immunity, while her 25 years of service underscore her impact on education and research at the institution.

Professional Email: odilia@unimelb.edu.au