Page 38 - Eclipse - Autumn 2021

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Page 38 - Eclipse - Autumn 2021
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Dirk Pfeiffer granted


        Lifetime Achievement Award



                                                                                Health and Welfare Panel of the
                                                                                European Food Safety Authority, which
                                                                                introduced him to the complexity of
                                                                                conducting interdisciplinary science
                                                                                and engaging effectively with policy
                                                                                makers. In 2015 and 2016, he also had
                                                                                a part-time role as Chief Epidemiologist
                                                                                of the UK Governmentֱs Animal and
                                                                                Plant Health Agency (APHA).

                                                                                Under his leadership, the Veterinary
                                                                                Epidemiology, Economics and Public
                                                                                Health (VEEPH) Group at the RVC
                                                                                developed a global profile, which
                                                                                led to its status as a United Nations
                                                                                FAO Reference Centre for Veterinary
                                                                                Epidemiology in 2012 and in 2019
                                                                                to becoming a designated OIE
                                                                                Collaborating Centre in Risk Analysis &
                                                                                Modelling jointly with the APHA.
                                                                                Professor Pfeiffer said: ֱI am grateful
                                                                                for the support that I received at the
               he Association for Veterinary   some of which included wild animal   RVC, which allowed me to set up the
               Epidemiology and Preventive   reservoir species, such as bovine   globally recognised VEEPH group, and
               Medicine in North America    tuberculosis, African swine fever   I am particularly pleased that the group
        Thas awarded Professor Dirk         and avian influenza. These activities   continues to prosper without myself
        Pfeiffer the 2021 Calvin W. Schwabe   were conducted in many different low-,   having had any management role since
        Award for his lifetime achievement   middle- and high-income countries   November 2016. I want to emphasize
        in veterinary epidemiology and      around the world.                   that receiving this award has only
        preventive medicine.                                                    been possible due to the collaboration
                                            Professor Pfeiffer co-led the MSc   with many professional colleagues in
        Professor Pfeifferֱs career involved   in Veterinary Epidemiology that the   academia, government and industry all
        11 years as a PhD student and       RVC has been running jointly with   over the world, but most importantly
        academic at Massey University in    the London School of Hygiene and    through the commitment of the
        New Zealand, followed by now, 22    Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) from its   ֱ students and researchers
        years at the RVC as Professor of    inception in 2000 until 2016. Together   that have worked with me in the past
        Veterinary Epidemiology. The last five   with other colleagues from the RVC,   30 years.ֱ
        years of this period were as a part-  Professor Pfeiffer has also taught the
        time appointment, since he took on   China Field Epidemiology Training
        a position as Chow Tak Fung Chair   Programme for Veterinarians since
        Professor of One Health at the newly   2010. His ֱ MSc and PhD
        established veterinary school at City   students are working in academia and
        University of Hong Kong in 2016. He   government in many countries around
        also has an Adjunct Professorship   the world.
        at the China Animal Health and      The translation of science into policy
        Epidemiology Centre.
                                            has become a particular emphasis
        During his career as a researcher,   of Professor Pfeifferֱs work, and
        spanning over the past 30 years,    in that context, he gained a lot of
        he has published over 300 peer-     experience from working with UKֱs
        reviewed scientific publications, as   Defra, the European Commission, the
        well as several textbooks and technical   United Nationֱs Food and Agriculture
        guidelines. The research of Professor   Organisation (FAO) and the World
        Pfeiffer has involved several infectious   Organisation of Animal Health (OIE).
        animal diseases of global significance,   He served six years on the Animal

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