INTERNATIONAL SPEAKER

Patrick Reading is the Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza (WHO CCRRI) in Melbourne, which is part of the World Health Organization Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS). We work with WHO Collaborating Centres in Atlanta, Beijing, London and Tokyo to analyse influenza viruses currently circulating in the human population in different countries around the world. This information is used to make recommendations on appropriate viruses for inclusion in annual seasonal influenza vaccines for the northern and southern hemispheres. WHO CCRRI also undertakes research, training and regional capacity building activities related to influenza. 

Patrick Reading holds joint appointments as the Educator at the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza (WHO CCRRI) and as a Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Melbourne (UoM), both of which are located at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne, Australia. 

Patrick completed his Ph.D. at the University of Melbourne in 1997. He was awarded a Howard Florey Fellowship for his post-doctoral training in the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology in Oxford (1998-1999), followed by Imperial College London, St Mary’s Campus, London (1999-2001). Since returning to Australia in 2002, he has been awarded a C.R. Roper Fellowship (2003-2005), a R. D. Wright Career Development Award (2006-2011) and his group is currently funded by grants from the NHMRC and ARC. 

Patrick leads a small team of researchers investigating how the body first recognises and responds to infections with respiratory viruses, including influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, human metapneumovirus and parainfluenza viruses. In particular, the research themes in his laboratory aim to define four key areas of interest:

·       the cell-surface receptors used by respiratory viruses to gain entry into host cells;

·       induction of host genes in different cell types following influenza virus entry and infection;

 ·      identification of novel cellular restriction factors that are active against influenza and other respiratory viruses;

·       the soluble proteins present in airway fluids that limit early virus replication and spread;

Patrick’s work at the WHO CCRRI is focused on improving laboratory-based detection and characterisation of influenza viruses in the Asia-Pacific Region, which is a key function in the detection of novel variant and potential pandemic influenza viruses.