Prof Anton Muscatelli, principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Glasgow receiving the award.

Buckingham Palace ceremony honours work targeting infectious disease

During a recent ceremony at Buckingham Palace, a UK research centre was awarded the Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education for its work addressing the spread of infectious diseases.

Researchers from the University of Glasgow's Boyd Orr Centre for Population and Ecosystem Health were praised for their “outstanding achievement at a world-class level”.

Prior to receiving the award, the centre was assessed by a specialist panel for several months then put forward by the Prime Minister to the Queen for Royal Assent.

Research at the centre aims to address the links between human activity, ecological changes and the overall health of ecosystems that include humans, livestock and wildlife.

Recent research has focused on diseases affecting animals and humans, such as rabies, foot-and-mouth disease, bovine TB and malaria.

Rowland Kao, the centre's director, explained: “While traditional epidemiology has been successful in studying and controlling many infectious diseases, it is typically focused on solving single disease problems via relatively simple direct measures.

“Many of the world’s most serious infectious diseases are embedded in diverse and complex ecosystems and cannot be effectively addressed in isolation.

“Our centre is committed to breaking down traditional boundaries across academia and promoting new research partnerships that have a direct and positive impact on communities around the world.”

The award also celebrates the centre's success in collaborating with other research institutions to support major research initiatives.

Boyd Orr forges ties between researchers across a wide range of areas, including veterinary science, ecology, evolutionary biology, ecology, physics and engineering.

Work being carried out at the centre includes extensive research on the epidemiology of bovine TB, including the first use of whole genome sequencing to track the disease between hosts.

A collaborative project to trace foot-and-mouth disease transmission has also advanced understanding of the processes behind disease transmission.

Professor Anton Muscatelli, principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Glasgow, said: “I am delighted that the Royal Anniversary Trust has seen fit to honour Boyd Orr Centre for Population and Ecosystem Health with this award.

“It is testament to the important work that is happening at the University of Glasgow and impacting on the lives of people around the world."

Image courtesy of the University of Glasgow.