Richard Paley
Virologist and Molecular Biologist
Dr Richard Paley is an experienced virologist and molecular biologist and is involved in all aspects of fish disease research and diagnostics - from the discovery and characterisation of new and emerging diseases through the development and implementation of diagnostic methods in an accredited environment, to research on pathogenesis of and resistance to viral diseases. He specialises in fish virology and works closely with government and industry on the diagnosis and control of viral infections in fish aquaculture. After gaining his PhD in fish physiology at the University of Exeter and before joining Cefas he worked on various aspects of aquatic animal biology across several species at Fisheries Research Services, Aberdeen, Scotland; University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand; and the Max Plank Institute for clinical physiology, Bad Nauhein, Germany. Since 2006 he represented the UK as the national expert at the annual National Reference Laboratory meetings on fish diseases within the EU. He has been laboratory manager for UKAS and GLP/GMP accredited services. Richard leads a team of microbiologists in the Cefas Weymouth Laboratory and has managed or been a significant partner in numerous Government, UK RI and EU funded research projects and project manager or principal investigator for various commercial contracts developing aquatic animal health products including vaccines and selective breeding for disease resistance in fish and molluscs. Key to his work are the bio-secure tank facilities in the Weymouth lab which the team use for disease challenges in aquatic animals. Richard currently chairs the ICES working group on pathology and diseases of marine organisms (WGPDMO).
Email: richard.paley@cefas.gov.uk
