About Jonathan Van-Tam

Jonathan Van-Tam MBE BMedSci BM BS DM FFPH FRCPath Hon FFPM, Hon FRCP, FRSPH, FRSB graduated in Medicine from the University of Nottingham in 1987. After 5 years of hospital-based clinical medicine, he pursued an academic training in public health and epidemiology and developed an interest in influenza and respiratory viruses. He became a Senior Lecturer at the University of Nottingham (and Consultant Regional Epidemiologist, Public Health Laboratory Service) in 1997, before joining the pharmaceutical industry as an Associate Director at SmithKline Beecham in 2000. In April 2001 he moved to Roche as Head of Medical Affairs, before joining Aventis Pasteur MSD in February 2002 as UK Medical Director. He returned to the public sector in 2004 at the Health Protection Agency Centre for Infections, where he was Head of the Pandemic Influenza Office until October 2007. Jonathan returned to Nottingham as Professor of Health Protection in 2007, maintaining his 28-year special interest in influenza: epidemiology; transmission; vaccinology; antiviral drugs; and pandemic preparedness. Over that time he has published over 180 scientific papers and written multiple chapters in textbooks. He chaired the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) Expert Advisory Group on H5N1 human vaccines, sat on the UK national Scientific Pandemic Influenza Committee (SPI), and the UK Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), during the 2009-10 pandemic. He is Co-Editor of the highly rated textbook: “Introduction to Pandemic Influenza” (www.cabi.org) first published in 2009 and now in its second edition. He was Editor-in Chief of Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses from 2014-2017. His unit is an officially designated WHO Collaborating Centre for pandemic influenza and research and a UK Faculty of Public Health ‘National Treasure’ research training location. Jonathan is currently on secondment to the Department of Health and Social Care, England as Deputy Chief Medical Officer.