Page 42 - Eclipse - Autumn/Winter 2024
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Professor Fiona Tomley Dr聽Ben聽Swift named
CBE awarded as the newest <
the prestigious winner of the
Plowright Prize by Basil Jarvis Prize
RCVS Knowledge for microbiology
n recognition of her key contributions to the 铿乪ld of r聽Swift聽was named as winner of the prize at the
animal infectious diseases, Professor Fiona Plowright prestigious EMI lecture 2023, held at BMA
has received the prize fund of 拢100,000 to establish House in London on November 16th. The prize
Ia mentoring network to support the next leaders in Dis part of the Applied Microbiology International
infectious disease One Health research. Horizon Awards, which celebrates the brightest minds
in the 铿乪ld and promotes the research, group, projects,
The 铿乺st year of the mentoring scheme, funded by the products and individuals who continue to help shape the
prize, will focus on identifying mentors within UK veterinary future of applied microbiology.
schools and research institutes and from established
networks within Africa and South Asia. The network will Dr Ben Swift, Senior Lecturer in Antimicrobial Resistance,
then recruit its 铿乺st cohort of early career researchers in is the Founder and Director of Research and
2025, to access mentoring and establish new relationships Development at PBD Biotech, whose team are
via one-to-one mentoring, group mentoring and peer currently researching and developing novel tools for the
mentoring sessions. detection and treatment of mycobacterial infections.
Fiona currently holds the position of Professor of Congratulations, Ben! We look forward to seeing future
Experimental Parasitology at the RVC and is Director developments from you and your team.
of the UKRI GCRF One Health Poultry Hub. Spanning
more than four decades, her career has included basic
science discovery, technological advances, industrial
collaboration, international research leadership, and
knowledge exchange.
She has contributed substantially to the understanding
and control of animal disease, particularly viral and
parasitic pathogens of poultry, and is renowned
internationally for her work on聽Eimeria聽and coccidiosis.
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