Dr Jonathan Heeney — Board of Trustees

Jonathan Heeney is a Professor of Comparative Pathology and Head of the Laboratory of Viral Zoonotics at the University of Cambridge. His research team focuses on cross-species transmission of viruses, and the co-evolution of viruses and their hosts including the evolution of immune mechanisms of disease protection. Not only has this interest led to the discovery of a number of new viruses, but genetic comparison of host and viral sequences from the same individual and sample have also provided powerful genetic tools to solve some of nature's intriguing mysteries. Currently, this laboratory applies such molecular technologies to address important questions concerning zoonotic infections of importance to both veterinary and human health. Ongoing projects include the evolution of human and animal viruses, the search for novel hepatitis viruses and the dynamics of norovirus infections.  Jonathan holds degrees from the University of Cambridge and the University of Guelph and was a post-doctoral Fellow at Stanford University.   He was a veterinarian for the 1984 Olympics and is an accomplished skier and backwoods explorer.