At Research Features, our aim is to spotlight cutting-edge research from across the world and ensure it’s easily accessible to everyone. In this edition, we highlight a variety of recent research breakthroughs across diverse subjects.

We were privileged to interview Nobel laureate Peter Doherty, who has had an impressive and illustrious career as an immunologist. In 1996, Doherty and his colleague Rolf M Zinkernagel were awarded a Nobel Prize for their work on how the immune system recognises virus-infected cells – one of the most profound discoveries of the last 50 years, which turned the field of cell-mediated immunity on its head. Now, Doherty is still a force to be reckoned with, as well as a voice of reason in the ever-changing world of science.

An international research group is spotlighting the importance of Indigenous diplomacy, exposing treaties between the Haudenosaunee and the British Crown that predate European frameworks and that remain vitally significant today. Further, an Indigenous geographer based in Canada acknowledges that geography as an academic discipline is largely conducted from a ‘Westernised’ perspective. They aim to produce scholarship that highlights Indigenous perspectives for a broad range of geographies, ranging from death investigations to urban air pollution, and even Indigenous relationships with outer space.

We hope you will enjoy this issue of Research Features. Explore our latest collection of fascinating articles and learn more about the scientists behind these studies.