Professor Munir Iqbal leads the Avian Influenza and Newcastle Disease group at The Pirbright Institute, where he has worked for 28 years. He earned his Veterinary Medicine and MPhil degrees in 1985 and 1997, respectively from Pakistan, and a PhD from Imperial College London, UK in 1991, followed by postdoctoral roles at the Universities of Liverpool and St Andrews.
His research is centred on understanding how genetic evolutionary changes modulate the pathogenicity, antigenicity, and cross-species transmission of avian influenza and Newcastle disease viruses. Furthermore, Prof Munir Iqbal has pioneered the development of a novel poultry vaccine technology that selectively targets vaccine antigens to chicken immune cells, inducing faster, stronger, and more durable immunity. His ongoing work includes the development of new multivalent vaccines to enhance control over avian viral diseases, encompassing avian influenza, Newcastle disease, Gumboro disease, avian adenovirus, and avian metapneumoviruses.
Professor Munir Iqbal has achieved notable success, securing research grants exceeding 20 million British Pounds and publishing over 100 papers in high-impact journals such as Nature and PLoS Pathogens. Additionally, Professor Munir Iqbal serves as a member of several international Scientific Advisory Committees, working towards enhancing control systems against avian influenza viruses that pose threats to both animals and humans.
Related Session/Presentation:
Keynote Paper 5
Avian Influenza H9N2: Challenges and Innovations in Vaccination Strategies
