The Doherty Institute is named after the Nobel laureate Peter Doherty, who won the Nobel Prize in 1996 for his discovery on how the immune system recognizes virus-infected cells. The Doherty Institute is a joint venture between The University of Melbourne (Department of Microbiology and Immunology) and The Royal Melbourne Hospital, combining research, teaching, public health and reference laboratory services, diagnostic services and clinical care in infectious diseases and immunity. Over 700 scientists, researchers, academics, clinicians and graduate students, The Doherty Institute is home to over 35 lab groups who specialise in bacteriology, virology and immunology along with more generalist infection and immunity activities and have close interactions with clinical and public health researchers, who translate basic science into direct patient care and policy outcomes. The Doherty Institute is a hub for postgraduate study and high-level research training for students to develop advanced skills in independent research on a particular topic. The main areas of research include HIV, hepatitis, influenza, tuberculosis, hospital acquired infections, antimicrobial resistance and immunology.