Science rarely follows a straight path, and Professor Jarvis' experience with science is no exception. At the age of 15, he began working as a sheet metal worker and welder in central England. Attending university or pursuing a career in science was never part of the plan. However, everything changed when he moved to the United States to live with an aunt who shared her home with 28 Irish wolfhounds. This unique environment ignited in him a deep interest in becoming a veterinarian.
This ambition marked a turning point in his life, opening doors to further education and providing him with a new perspective on the world. Although veterinary medicine was the initial goal, he soon found himself drawn to the excitement of discovery, the process of testing new ideas, and an insatiable desire to learn. This ultimately led him to explore the fields of virology and immunology.
"Perhaps science had always been in my blood – after all, my sister also became a virologist."
In 2012, Professor Jarvis returned to the UK to take up a position as a Lecturer at the University of Plymouth. Over the past two decades, his research has focused on herpesviruses, a diverse group of large DNA viruses that can be found across various animal species from mollusks to mammals, including humans. His team's work has centered on using herpesviruses to combat emerging and re-emerging pathogens in humans and other animals.
"We can think of herpesviruses as our companions across evolutionary time. This long history of co-evolution has led to each herpesvirus being exquisitely adapted to its specific animal host. This has made them invaluable tools for studying the relationships between viruses and the host immune response. Moreover, herpesviruses hold promise as candidates for developing novel vaccines to target challenging infectious pathogens."
In his Inaugural Professorial Lecture, Michael Jarvis, Professor in Virology and Immunology, will reflect on his experience from a welder in the English shires to a scientific experimentalist engaged in international collaborative vaccine research. He will highlight his work as part of a collaborative team at Oregon Health Sciences University in the early 2000s, developing a herpesvirus-based vaccine against HIV through his position on the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) High Containment Program. He will then describe the application of these viruses to target the highly lethal Ebola virus. Finally, Professor Jarvis will detail the use of herpesviruses as transmissible vaccines to help prevent the spread of hemorrhagic Lassa fever virus from its inaccessible wildlife rodent reservoir to humans.
Acknowledgements
"I didn’t reach this point in my life by myself. Along with providing unwavering support throughout the years, my parents taught me the difference between right and wrong, but still allowed me the freedom to make my own mistakes. They instilled in me a passion for learning and an insatiable curiosity. My family, mentors, colleagues, and friends have all profoundly shaped my character and career through their tireless encouragement, guidance, and generosity. I have also been fortunate to work alongside incredible colleagues – many of whom have become friends – whose insights, energy, and 'never-give-up-edness' have significantly contributed to our shared success. My work has always been highly collaborative, and it is the people I've encountered along the way who have made this journey truly worthwhile."
You are welcome to join us for the University of Plymouth's Inaugural Professorial Lecture series, which provides a milestone event in a professorial career. Through these, we can promote and celebrate the academic reputation and achievements within their research.
