Associate Professor receives award for excellence in poultry disease research
21 January 2008
Dr Amir Noormohammadi, Associate Professor in poultry diseases in the Faculty of Veterinary Science, has been awarded the Houghton Lecture Award for major contributions in poultry disease research by a scientist under the age of 45.
The Houghton Lecture is presented every two years at the World Veterinary Poultry Association (WVPA) Congress, and is sponsored by the Houghton Trust Ltd in conjunction with the WVPA.
Dr Amir’s lecture entitled ‘who is smarter, Mycoplasma or the host’ was presented at the WVPA in Beijing, China towards the end of last year. It featured highlights of his ground-breaking research on the bacterial species – Mycoplasma synoviae.
The research looks at the surface proteins and the molecular mechanisms used by this organism to generate antigenic variation and induce chronic diseases in chickens and turkeys. Amir’s work has influenced scientific thought into the intriguing biological phenomenon of phase variation and elucidated a unique mechanism about how it is achieved in Mycoplasma synoviae.
He said: “I was delighted to have been given the enormous privilege of presenting the lecture. The recognition is greatly appreciated and makes all the hard work that went into my research even more satisfying. I know this award would not have materialised without the help of many others, particularly Kevin Whithear and Glenn Browning.”
Dr Noormohammadi is a key researcher in several poultry disease projects including molecular pathogenesis and epidemiology of infectious laryngotracheitis, infectious bronchitis and chicken anaemia viruses and of pathogenic avian Escherichia coli.
As part of the award, he received an all expenses paid trip to attend the WVPA congress in Beijing, and was also presented with an engraved vase.
For further information please contact the Marketing Manager, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Melbourne, Tel: 8344 7844 / 0404 947 893 or email: vet-communications@unimelb.edu.au