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World-leading virologist recognised for pioneering AI-based infectious disease detection technology

  • Professor Edward Holmes named winner of the 2025 GSK Award for Research Excellence for his pioneering work in infectious disease detection.
  • A global leader in virology and genomics, Professor Holmes played a pivotal role in the early response to SARS-CoV-2 (virus behind the COVID-19 pandemic) being the first to publicly share the virus’ genome sequence. This decision led to rapid vaccine and diagnostic test development.
  • His research harnesses artificial intelligence to identify new viruses in a matter of hours, instead of days, aiming to transform diagnostics and patient care worldwide.
  • This year the award marks 45 years of GSK’s investment in Australian medical research, recognising outstanding achievements that lead to improvements in human health.

 

Professor Edward Holmes has been awarded the 2025 GSK Award for Research Excellence (ARE) for his pioneering use of metatranscriptomics and artificial intelligence (AI) to identify viruses, improve diagnostics and better understand how infectious disease epidemics emerge.1,2 Metatranscriptomics refers to the process of sequencing all genetic material in a sample to determine which viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens are active.3 The approach offers a comprehensive view of infections, opening new possibilities for faster, more accurate diagnoses.

A world-leading virologist, National Health and Medical Research Council Leadership Fellow and Professor of Virology at the University of Sydney, Professor Holmes has made landmark contributions throughout his career. During the COVID-19 pandemic he was the first to publicly release the genomic sequence of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), enabling global scientific collaboration that led to the development of diagnostic tests and vaccines within days of its release.4

Over the past decade, the emergence of new viruses has shown that previously unknown pathogens can trigger epidemics and, in some cases, global pandemics.5 Recent research estimates that there are millions of undiscovered viruses, some of which will have the potential to infect humans, underscoring the need for innovation that enables rapid detection to help prevent disease emergence and reduce future pandemic risk.6

Accepting the award, Professor Holmes said:

“It’s an honour to receive the 2025 GSK Award for Research Excellence and to see our work be acknowledged in this way. Identifying the cause of an infection can sometimes be a complex, piecemeal process that is too slow to change the course of a patient’s illness.” He adds, “We are looking to change that. By pairing metatranscriptomics and advanced AI, we can now identify all the different microbes responsible for a specific infection. We are hoping to use this technique to deliver a diagnosis in as little as 24 hours, giving clinicians a critical head start in treating patients and responding to emerging threats.”

Working in collaboration with clinicians at a major Australian hospital, Professor Holmes’ team is developing a one-stop AI-based platform to rapidly and accurately identify pathogens in real patient samples, initially looking at patients with respiratory conditions. While he focuses on decoding genetic data, his clinical partners bring vital patient insights highlighting how collaboration across research and frontline care can turn innovation into real-world impact.

Dr Krispin Hajkowicz, a Senior Infectious Diseases Physician and Clinician Researcher at the University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, said the ability to integrate this technology into hospital workflows could be game-changing.

“When a patient is admitted with a life-threatening infection, every hour counts. This technology has the potential to give us an accurate diagnosis within hours from a single sample. That speed means we can make targeted treatment decisions sooner, avoid unnecessary medications, and give patients the best chance of a faster recovery,” said Dr Hajkowicz, “I’m incredibly proud to be part of this journey and congratulate Professor Holmes on this well-earned recognition.”

Professor Holmes said the $150,000 AUD grant will help accelerate the refinement of the AI platform including investment in specialised equipment to process and analyse sequencing data at speed.

He added, “Current metagenomic techniques generate enormous volumes of data, often taking days to interpret. Our platform will cut through that complexity to deliver accurate results within a clinically relevant timeframe, directly supporting better patient care.”

The 2025 GSK ARE was presented to Professor Holmes at the Australian Academy of Science’s Science at the Shine Dome 2025 Spring Soiree, taking place yesterday in Canberra. Speaking at the Spring Soiree, Dr Alan Paul, Executive Country Medical Director at GSK Australia said, “Professor Holmes’ work is a breakthrough in how we approach infectious disease detection. By combining global expertise in virology with cutting-edge AI, he is creating a tool that could save lives, reduce healthcare costs and improve future pandemic preparedness. We are proud to support this innovation through the GSK Award for Research Excellence.”

Now in its 45th year, the GSK ARE is one of the most prestigious and longstanding independent awards open to the Australian medical research community.

Among the previous recipients of the GSK ARE are some of Australia’s most notable scientific researchers, including Professor Georgina Long AO, Professor Richard Scolyer AO (2018), Professor Brendan Crabb (2019), Professor Mark Febbraio (2020), Professor Jamie Cooper AO, and late Professor Rinaldo Bellomo AO (2021), Professor Georgia Chenevix-Trench (2022) and Professor David Komander (2023). Most recently, Professor Matthew Kiernan was awarded the 2024 GSK Award for Research Excellence for his work in neurodegenerative diseases, including motor neurone disease and frontotemporal dementia.

 

ENDS

 

Enquiries or interview requests please contact:

Palin Communications GSK 
Annabel Pender Angela Hill
annabel@palin.com.au    angela.m.hill@gsk.com 
+61 420 797 363  +61 466 514 894

 

This media release has been issued by Palin Communications on behalf of GSK Australia.

 

About GSK

GSK is a science-led global healthcare company. For further information, please visit www.gsk.com/about-us.

 

References:

  1. Hou X, at al. Using artificial intelligence to document the hidden RNA virosphere. Cell. 187(24):6929-6942.e16 (2024). doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.09.027.
  2. Wu, F., Zhao, S., Yu, B. et al. A new coronavirus associated with human respiratory disease in China. Nature 579, 265–269 (2020). doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2008-3
  3. Shi M, Zhang YZ, Holmes EC. Meta-transcriptomics and the evolutionary biology of RNA viruses. Virus Res. 2;243:83-90. (2018) doi: 10.1016/j.virusres.2017.10.016.
  4. Lurie, N., Saville, M., Hatchett, R., & Halton, J. Developing Covid-19 Vaccines at Pandemic Speed. New England Journal of Medicine 382(21), 1969–1973. (2020) doi.org/10.1056/NEJMp2005630
  5. Woolhouse, M.E.J., Brierley, L., Predicting the emergence of human infectious diseases. Current Opinion in Virology, 62, 101347. (2024) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coviro.2023.101347
  6. Carlson, C.J., Zipfel, C.M., Garnier, R., Bansal, S., Global estimates of mammalian viral diversity accounting for host sharing. Science of The Total Environment, 887, 163818. (2023) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163818
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