Richard Whittington

Professor Whittington conducts research to prevent and control infectious diseases of farmed livestock and aquatic animals in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. Professor Whittington's research interests integrate the pre-clinical disciplines of microbiology, virology, immunology and pathology and extend these to applied epidemiology for diagnostic test development and validation, transboundary biosecurity, outbreak investigation and improved disease control. Long-term research programs on i) ovine virulent footrot, ii) paratuberculosis and iii) viral diseases of fish and oysters led to improved diagnostics, vaccine registration and husbandry changes adopted by farmers, providing solutions for intractable diseases. Novel improved vaccines developed for ovine virulent footrot and paratuberculosis are being commercialised by the University while a vaccine for herpesvirus infection of oysters has just achieved proof-of-concept. Professor Whittington is currently collaborating in a project on bovine tuberculosis in Fiji, a project on investigation of unexplained mass mortality events in aquaculture, vaccines for oysters and an assessment of the future needs of Australia’s aquatic animal disease diagnostic system.