Poultry industry is one of the fastest growing sectors critical for global food security. Diseases caused by viral pathogens continue to threaten the sustainability of growth in this sector. With significant expansion of the poultry population, particularly in parts of Asia and South America, there is the increased risk of emergence and re-emergence of several viral pathogens, including zoonotic viruses such as avian influenza.
My research interests are in understanding virus biology and diversity, virus-host molecular interactions in pathogenesis, evolution of virulence as well as in the development of novel vaccines and diagnostics for control of avian diseases. I am particularly fascinated by the molecular mechanisms of induction of cancers by oncogenic viruses, in the events that lead to neoplastic transformation and in studying regulation of gene expression, both at genetic and epigenetic levels in cancer cells.
I am currently Emeritus Professor at the Pirbright Institute, and also hold position as Jenner Investigator at the Jenner Institute, Oxford. I am also a Trustee of the Jenner Vaccine Foundation.
With the aim of developing international collaboration in the field of avian diseases, I have initiated the Centre of Excellence for Research on Avian Diseases partnering with a number of academic institutions in China.
