Qualifications
1980 BVSc (Hons 1, University Medal)
1987 MACVSc
1994 PhD
2008 GAICD
2010 FASM
Career History
1980 – 1983 Veterinary practice
1984 – 2002 NSW Agriculture and Fisheries
2002 – present The University of Sydney
Professional Distinctions
2002 Ian Clunies Ross Award, Australian College of Veterinary Scientists
Specialist registration in Veterinary Pathobiology
Fellow of the Australian Society for Microbiology
Research Interests
Richard aims to improve understanding of host-pathogen-environment interactions leading to effective disease control strategies. He has been actively engaged in footrot research since 1985. He graduated from The University of Sydney in 1980 and spent several years in veterinary practice on the NSW south coast and in the United Kingdom before undergoing training with NSW Agriculture and Fisheries in Veterinary Pathology. Following five years as a diagnostic pathologist Richard commenced research full time at the Veterinary Research Station, Glenfield and Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, working in microbiology, virology and immunology of economically significant diseases of aquatic and terrestrial animals. He completed a PhD on footrot in 1994, supervised by Professor John R Egerton.
Richard was appointed Chair of Farm Animal Health at the University of Sydney in 2002, where he led research on infectious diseases. His multidisciplinary activity encompassed epidemiology, diagnostic test development and validation, biosecurity, import risk analysis for aquatic animal health, and the impact of viral infections on aquaculture and biodiversity. Major studies involved vaccine development, molecular studies of viruses and bacteria, immune responses and pathology in individual animals and animal populations. Richard also led aquatic animal health projects for poverty alleviation and food security in Indonesia for ACIAR. He taught in veterinary public health (epidemiology), principles of disease, microbiology, virology, pathology, ruminant health, and aquatic animal health and he was the inaugural chair of the Veterinary Public Health Management masters degree program. Richard was an OIE-nominated technical expert and managed OIE international reference laboratories in conjunction with CSIRO, stepping down in 2017.
In 2017 Richard took a new role as Emeritus Professor in the School of Veterinary Science within the Faculty of Science, where he remains engaged in research in specialist infectious diseases laboratories, connected to a large and dynamic group of young scientists, post graduate students and support staff. He is committed to training and mentoring young scientists for Australia’s future prosperity. He is affiliated with the Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity and the Sydney Institute of Agriculture. Richard is a member of the NSW Footrot Steering Committee, national and international scientific committees, and a board member of the International Association for Paratuberculosis.
Footrot @ Sydney 