Leading DPI virologist wins Scientist of the Year award
Dr Peter Kirkland’s win in the plant and animals sciences category of the NSW Scientist of the Year Awards has today been praised by NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald.
“This win provides due recognition for Dr Kirkland’s crucial role during last year’s equine influenza outbreak and his significant contribution to animal sciences over the last 33 years,” Minister Macdonald said.
“Throughout the horse flu crisis Dr Kirkland and his virology team at the Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute (EMAI) played a crucial role in providing rapid diagnosis of the highly contagious EI virus,” Minister Macdonald said.
“Dr Kirkland refined procedures to speed up EI testing and established a system for high throughput processing and testing of samples.
“Around 135,000 EI tests were processed through EMAI, with more than 2,300 a day during the peak of the testing program.
“Without the fast turnaround of samples, beating EI could have much longer, costing millions of dollars more and causing further hardship to those dependent on horses for their income.”
Minister Macdonald said Dr Kirkland has had a long and distinguished career with NSW DPI, specialising in research into viral diseases of animals.
“Dr Kirkland began his DPI career at Newcastle in 1975 as a veterinary officer, working his way up to leading the world class EMAI diagnostic and research virology laboratory, Minister Macdonald said.
“Along the way Dr Kirkland has been instrumental in many major breakthroughs, identification of new diseases and the development of important diagnostic tests and vaccines.
“He helped develop an effective vaccine for Akabane virus in cattle that is now used around the world.
“His team identified the Menangle virus in pigs, developed a diagnostic test for pestiviruses and produced rabbit calicivirus for field release in Australia and New Zealand.
“Many diagnostic services and discoveries by Dr Kirkland and his team have been commercialised and are now generating royalties for NSW DPI.”
Minister Macdonald said the economic value of Dr Kirkland’s work to the people of NSW should not be underestimated.
“Dr Kirkland has saved millions of dollars by reducing livestock losses and exotic animal disease control costs, generated millions more in revenue for the State through the commercial application of his work and helped facilitate significant trade income through the international free trade of safe animal genetic material,” he said.
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