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26 October 1998 |
Ref 98/252 |
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A senior CSIRO scientist has been appointed as the director of the largest animal disease laboratory within the United States Department of Agriculture.
Dr Keith Murray, Deputy Chief with CSIRO Animal Health, will take up the position with the National Animal Disease Centre (NADC) in Ames, Iowa, in December.
The NADC carries out research in the detection, characterisation and prevention of animal diseases of importance to US livestock industries.
CSIRO Animal Health Chief, Dr Mike Rickard, says the appointment pays tribute to Dr Murray's depth of experience in the management of a sophisticated laboratory and expertise in animal health.
"Dr Murray has made an invaluable contribution to CSIRO Animal Health during his time with the division. His appointment will no doubt serve to foster stronger links between NADC and CSIRO, to the benefit of both organisations," Dr Rickard says.
Dr Murray has served as Deputy Chief with CSIRO Animal Health since 1989, based at CSIRO's Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) in Geelong, and was Head of AAHL until 1996. AAHL is the national high-security laboratory for diagnosis and research into foreign and emerging animal diseases.
During Dr Murray's time with AAHL, the scientific team has
been involved in diagnosis and research of several previously
unknown diseases, including:
- Hendra virus, which killed a Queensland horse trainer and fourteen horses in 1994
- mysterious pilchard deaths - thought to be due to a herpes virus
- kangaroo blindness
- ostrich fading syndrome
- the Australian bat lyssavirus.
Dr Murray acknowledged the high calibre of animal health scientists within Australia.
"The AAHL team always rises to the challenge of giving Australia's state veterinarians the information they need to deal with an animal disease emergency. The combination of state vets, and regional laboratories backed by AAHL and the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS), gives Australia one of the strongest defences in the world against emerging disease that threaten agriculture.
"I hope that my appointment is seen as international recognition of the excellence of CSIRO Animal Health. I certainly wish the division a continued run of successes," Dr Murray says.
Before joining CSIRO, Dr Murray worked on three other continents. In Africa, he worked in Nairobi as a veterinary clinician. He was a director of research for a multinational pharmaceutical company in the USA, and researched exotic (foreign) animal diseases in the UK.
Dr Murray holds a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery degree, membership of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, and is a Doctor of Philosophy and a fellow of the Australian Society for Microbiology. He is married with three daughters.
For further information contact:
Emma Homes on 03 5227 5123
(Australia's largest scientific research organisation)
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