Dr Peter Keith Murray

Peter Keith Murray BVMS(Glasgow) PhD(Glasgow) MRCVS FASM , has had a distinguished international career in veterinary science as the leader of the key national government animal health diagnostic laboratories in the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States. During his appointment as Head of the CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory at Geelong between 1989 and 1998, Keith Murray was a Professorial Associate in the Faculty of Veterinary Science, and made important contributions as a member of Faculty, and facilitator of research collaborations.

After graduating in veterinary science from the University of Glasgow in 1969 Keith Murray spent two years as a lecturer teaching clinical veterinary medicine at the University of Nairobi, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kabete, Kenya, and commenced research on the pathogenesis of Haemonchus contortus known as the Barber’s Pole Worm in sheep. He then returned to Glasgow as a research fellow and commenced research on the immunology and pathogenesis of African trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness in humans. In 1974 he returned to Africa as leader of a Rockefeller Foundation funded research project on trypanosomiasis in tolerant and resistant breeds of cattle at the Medical Research Council Laboratories at Faraja in Gambia. This research led to a position at the Merck, Sharp and Dohme Research Laboratories in Rahway, New Jersey in the United States and the discovery of novel therapeutics for African trypanosomiasis and trichomoniasis. In 1982 he was appointed Director of the Departments of Immunoparasitology and Experimental Pathology at the Merk, Sharp and Dohme Research Laboratories. His research team developed molecular vaccines for poultry coccidiosis and showed that these could be effective to prevent this economically important infection.

Keith Murray was appointed Head of the Division of Immunology and Pathology and the Institute for Animal Health, Pirbright Laboratory in the United Kingdom in 1986. Here he led research on exotic virus diseases of livestock, particularly foot and mouth disease, African swine fever, rinderpest, and equine herpes virus infection, including the further development of molecular vaccines.

Keith Murray was recruited to lead the CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory at Geelong in 1989 as the second Head of this national laboratory which opened in 1985. From 1989 to 1998 the laboratory developed as a major international facility under his leadership with outstanding microbiological security status, and one of the world’s major reference laboratories for animal disease diagnosis. In 1996, Keith Murray was awarded with the CSIRO Chairman’s Medal, which recognised the best CSIRO research in 1994/5, for leading the team which investigated the outbreak of Acute Respiratory Syndrome and discovering a novel virus, the Hendra virus. This virus was shown to be carried by fruit bats, infected horses, and was able to be transmitted to humans with fatal outcomes. This work was recognized internationally for the speed, the accuracy, and the quality of the research.

Keith Murray was recruited to become the Center Director of the United States Department of Agriculture National Animal Disease Center at Ames Iowa from 1998 to 2004. This is the United States Federal Government’s largest animal health research facility. Keith Murray re-organised the laboratory’s research programs, enhanced biosecurity and biosafety, and led the efforts that secured funding of $US460 million to build a new national facility for animal health research and diagnosis at Iowa that will be completed by 2010.

In recognition of his substantial contribution to international veterinary science, Peter Keith Murray is nominated for the award of Doctor of Veterinary Science honoris causa.