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RVC professor elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
Professor Oliver Pybus' work aims to understand how evolutionary and ecological processes interact in natural populations.

Professor Oliver Pybus' work has contributed significantly to the COVID-19 response. 

Professor Oliver Pybus, vice-principal for research and innovation at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), has received the highest recognition of scientific achievement in the UK, being elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS).

The Royal Society is a self-governing Fellowship comprising some of the most eminent scientists, engineers and technologists from the UK and the Commonwealth. Members are elected for life through a peer-review process based on excellence in science. 

Professor Pybus' work aims to understand how evolutionary and ecological processes interact in natural populations. His career has seen him develop tools for inferring population dynamics from gene sequences  and show how analysis of pathogen genomes can provide new insights into virus epidemic history and transmission. 

Professor Pybus' work has also contributed significantly to the COVID-19 response - with the role of virus genomics made feasible in part by ideas he and colleagues developed and applied to other viruses over the previous 20 years. 

His published work includes a high-profile analysis of the mass introduction of COVID-19 into the UK via international travel and the development of the lineage naming scheme (B.1.1.7, BA.1 etc...), helping inform public health and public discourse throughout the pandemic. 

Professor Pybus also holds a Professorship in Evolution and Infectious Disease at the University of Oxford and a Professorial Fellow of New College, Oxford. He was awarded the Scientific Medal of the Zoological Society of London in 2009 and the Mary Lyon Medal of the Genetics Society in 2019. 

Professor Pybus said: “It is a great honour to be elected a Royal Society Fellow, and humbling to join scientists past and present who inspired and influenced me as a student. I hope to use my position to better support and mentor the researchers of the future. Modern science is a team effort and I am deeply grateful to my collaborators and colleagues, without whom my work would not have been possible.”

Professor Stuart Reid CBE, President and Principal of the RVC, added: “Recognition by the Royal Society is amongst the very highest scientific accolades internationally and I am delighted for Oliver. He brings distinction to himself, his collaborators and his discipline and I am grateful to count him a senior colleague in the leadership team here at the Royal Veterinary College.”  

Image (C) RVC.

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Defra shares new Sanitary and Phytosanitary guidance

News Story 1
 Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.

The agreement, which will change the movement and trade of animals and related products, could see reductions in checks, paperwork and certification. As well as describing regulatory developments, the advice highlights the importance of animal ID, registration and traceability in disease control and other compliance arrangements.

The guidance can be found here. More detail is expected as negotiations progress. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Lords Committee opens Pet Parasite Medication inquiry

The House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee will launch its inquiry into Pet Parasite Medication (PPM) on Wednesday (3 June).

Focusing on treatments containing fipronil and imidacloprid, the inquiry will seek to understand distribution pathways and the impacts of PPM use and non-use on biodiversity and human health. It will also cover current regulation, monitoring, and the potential implications for pets and their owners.

The committee will hear evidence from environmental non-governmental organisations and research institutes. The public can follow the proceedings live on Parliament TV or in person in the Palace of Westminster.