MRC National Institute for Medical Research, London
Science for Health
Alan Hay’s retirement
09 November 2009
Alan Hay was a programme leader, working in influenza research, and for many years was also Director of the World Influenza Centre, the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza. At the gathering to mark Alan's retirement, John Skehel ex-Director of NIMR and Alan's predecessor as Director of the World Influenza Centre, gave an account of Alan's scientific career and achievements.
Alan joined the Institute in 1971 and achieved international renown for his research on influenza virus membrane protein synthesis and virus RNA replication and transcription and transcript structure. In the early 1990s, through his work on the antiviral action of amantadine, he discovered the first virus proton channel, the M2 protein. His research since then has been involved with characterizing the channel and with studies of the other anti-influenza virus drugs, the neuraminidase inhibitors, and the drug resistant mutants that they select.
Alan became Director of the World Influenza Centre in 1993. His Directorship covered an extremely important period for international influenza surveillance which saw the rise of the avian H5N1 highly pathogenic influenza virus threat and the first pandemic of the 21st century caused by the new H1N1 viruses. It is interesting to reflect that it is 38 years since Alan started working here on influenza and only another 38 years before that, in 1933, the influenza virus was first discovered at NIMR.
Alan Hay
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