While nations around the world race to develop the first vaccine to combat Covid-19, a local graduate from Good Shepherd Lutheran College, Lachlan Deimel is busily making his mark in the world of science, more precisely immunology.
Lachlan, who graduated in 2016 as College Dux reflects on his senior years at Good Shepherd.
“It was in Senior Biology where I first acquired a curiosity towards the living world,” he said.
“In particular, I recall an assignment that discussed emerging strategies to reduce malaria rates.
“This made me acutely aware of the implications of infectious disease on human health and society. Ultimately, I decided to pursue immunology at university.”
Having been awarded a prestigious Tuckwell Scholarship to attend the Australian National University in Canberra, Lachlan completed a Bachelor of Philosophy (Science) and quickly became involved in vaccine immunology where he learned to appreciate its uniquely profound impacts on public health.
Indeed, in 2020, of all years, the importance of vaccines on human wellbeing could not be more relevant.
Good Shepherd Lutheran College Principal Anthony Dyer said, “We at Good Shepherd are immensely proud to see how Lachlan has excelled since graduating in 2016.”
“The Senior Years at Good Shepherd are designed to empower students to realise their potential.
“We strive to send our students out into the world with a thirst for learning that will enrich their lives and the lives of others.
“We wish him all the success and are confident he will make a difference in the fast developing world of immunology.”
As a member of the Molecular Mucosal Vaccine Immunology Group at the John Curtin School of Medical Research, Lachlan and his colleagues are developing a potential vaccination against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
This group is also affiliated with the Australian COVID-19 vaccination candidate led by the University of Queensland.
Recently awarded the Brasenose College – Oxford Australia Clarendon Scholarship to complete his Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) at the University of Oxford, Lachlan hopes to move to the United Kingdom in September.
There he will commence his project which aims to establish a novel vaccination design platform against viral pathogens.
So while for many 2020 will be a year they would prefer to forget, Lachlan is excited about the next chapter in his life.
“I am incredibly excited about the prospects of this new platform and suspect that it will be particularly relevant in the current climate,” he said.
