Glasgow Professor to direct new Centre for Virus Research
24 June 2010
Professor Massimo Palmarini will lead the new Medical Research Council - University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research. Scientists working in the Centre will tackle questions about both human and animal viruses including Hepatitis C virus and those linked to development of cancers.
Professor Palmarini’s current research at the University of Glasgow’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine focuses on animal retroviruses and on bluetongue.
His appointment as Director has been made jointly by the Medical Research Council and the University of Glasgow.
Speaking about his appointment Professor Palmarini said: “I am extremely excited about the opportunities and challenges of this new position. The CVR will be a unique research centre in the UK made up of an outstanding collection of scientists studying viruses that cause diseases in humans side by side with those that affect a variety of animal species. The CVR will take a holistic approach to virology encompassing molecular virology, virus-host interaction and pathogenesis, virus evolution, epidemiology and mathematical modelling. The CVR will actively collaborate with national and international partners in order to provide a strategic research framework that addresses the evolving threat to health and economic security presented by viral diseases. I am truly grateful to both MRC and the University of Glasgow for the opportunity to lead this Centre.”
Professor Palmarini will take up the position in August 2010.
Funding for the Centre was announced in July 2009. The Medical Research Council will invest £28 million over five years and the University of Glasgow will contribute an additional £10m. The Centre for Virus Research will, in due course, be located in a new building to be constructed on the University’s Garscube Campus; this will enable scientists to share expertise and build upon existing collaborations.
The MRC’s £28m investment in the Centre for Virus Research is a strategic investment intended to help build capacity in virology research and train scientists to tackle the health problems posed by viruses now and in the future. It will build on the strong history of MRC-supported virology research in Glasgow as the existing MRC Virology Unit will become part of the Centre.
Speaking in support of Professor Palmarini's appointment MRC Chief Executive Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, said:
‘‘Professor Palmarini has a strong research record and his veterinary expertise will be an asset to the Centre for Virus Research and breadth of virology research it will host. I expect the CVR to build a strong collaborative network with scientists in Edinburgh and St Andrews as well as the rest of the UK, and Palmarini will be well placed to achieve this.’’
Professor Anton Muscatelli, Principal of the University of Glasgow, also welcomed the appointment saying:
‘‘I am delighted that Professor Palmarini has been appointed to lead the Glasgow Centre for Virus Research.
“We were pleased that the University was chosen to establish the Centre in partnership with the MRC, given our strengths in this area. I believe Prof Palmarini as a research and academic leader of international standing is the ideal choice. Under his direction, I feel confident that the Centre will go on to fulfil its promise and establish itself as a world leader in the field of virus research.’’
Notes to editors
For further information or to arrange an interview please contact Eleanor Cowie in the University of Glasgow on 0141 330 3683 or 07816 984 686 or email e.cowie@admin.gla.ac.uk
Alternatively please contact the Medical Research Council press office on 020 7637 6011 or press.office@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk. Out of hours call 07818 428 297.
About Prof. Massimo Palmarini
Massimo Palmarini qualified in Veterinary Medicine in Italy and then trained as a virologist at the Moredun Research Institute obtaining a PhD at the University of Edinburgh. He then moved to the US as a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of California Irvine before joining the University of Georgia as an Assistant Professor. He received a Chair in Molecular Pathogenesis from the University of Glasgow in 2005 where he also acted as Head of the Division of Veterinary Pathological Sciences and Associate Dean for Research of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. His research interests focus on animal viruses with special emphasis on the biology, evolution and pathogenesis of retroviruses and of bluetongue virus. His laboratory is funded by programme and project grants from the Wellcome Trust, BBSRC, SFC and NIH. Massimo Palmarini is Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and was a Wolfson-Royal Society Research Merit Awardee.
About the Medical Research Council
For almost 100 years the Medical Research Council has improved the health of people in the UK and around the world by supporting the highest quality science. The MRC invests in world-class scientists. It has produced 29 Nobel Prize winners and sustains a flourishing environment for internationally recognised research. The MRC focuses on making an impact and provides the financial muscle and scientific expertise behind medical breakthroughs, including one of the first antibiotics penicillin, the structure of DNA and the lethal link between smoking and cancer. Today MRC funded scientists tackle research into the major health challenges of the 21st century. www.mrc.ac.uk
About the University of Glasgow
Founded in 1451, the University of Glasgow is one of the top 100 universities in the world with an international reputation for its research and teaching and it plays an important role in the cultural and commercial life of the country. The University is a major research powerhouse, with annual research contract income in the top ten of UK universities.www.gla.ac.uk
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