Kathy Belov is acknowledged for her ground-breaking work using genetics and genomics to trace the evolution of mammalian immunity to overturn the paradigm that marsupials and monotremes have primitive immune systems. She has shown that lineage specific evolutionary innovations provide marsupials and monotremes with additional defence mechanisms and that these offer exciting drug leads for humans and other animals. After determining the role that the Major Histocompatibility Complex plays in the spread of Tasmanian devil facial tumour disease, Belov led the genetic management of the recovery program to successfully increase immune fitness of wild populations through genetic rescue. She continues to work with government agencies to boost the immunogenetic resilience of native species threatened by disease.