Three awards which promote talented scientists who pursue leading-edge research have been announced by The Pirbright Institute.

Dr James (‘Jamie’) T Kelly and Dr Miguel Hernandez-Gonzalez have been awarded Fellowships at the Institute. And Dr Taissa Ricciardi-Jorge receives a three-year Strategic Career Development Award (SCDA).

Dr Kelly joined the Institute in 2016, working alongside Dr Toby Tuthill in the Picornavirus Molecular Biology Group, studying the role of picornavirus VP4 in cell entry. In 2018, he transitioned to the Viral Glycoproteins Group with Dr Dalan Bailey and in 2023 began a role as a Research Co-Investigator, focusing on the role antiviral restriction factors play in determining host range and species-jumping in livestock viral diseases, using foot-and-mouth disease virus as a model.

Jamie said: “I’ve been at Pirbright since 2016. It’s a great place to do fantastic science, so I’m very pleased to continue to progress my career here. I’ve applied three times for a Fellowship, so it feels very much like third time’s the charm! My group will investigate the molecular determinants of host range and species tropism for picornaviruses. I will be seeking to understand what host factors protect livestock from infections with novel viruses, as well as understand what viral adaptations influence host range and enable species jumps.”

Jamie Kelly
Dr Jamie Kelly
Miguel Hernandez Gonzalez
Dr Miguel Hernandez-Gonzalez
Taissa Ricciardi Jorge
Dr Taissa Ricciardi Jorge

Dr Hernandez-Gonzalez will join Pirbright from The Francis Crick Institute in September. He graduated in Biology from the Complutense University of Madrid (Spain). During his PhD at the Spanish National Research Council, he studied membrane trafficking and Golgi apparatus organisation. In 2018, he moved to Stephen Royle’s lab at the University of Warwick for a short stay, expanding his knowledge on the role of multi-subunit complexes in membrane trafficking. 
He then joined the Way Lab at The Crick in 2019 to study host–poxvirus interactions, which ultimately led him to expand his focus towards understanding how poxviruses assemble inside infected cells.

Miguel said: “I’m really looking forward to joining Pirbright. It is a unique place, combining cutting-edge facilities with deep expertise in virology. My research will focus on the fundamental question of how large DNA viruses such as poxviruses build infectious particles inside cells. Understanding this process is key to finding new ways to stop them, both to protect livestock and to prepare for potential future zoonotic threats.”

Postdoctoral scientist Dr Taissa Ricciardi-Jorge, a specialist in the replication of positive-sense RNA viruses and the interaction of their genome with host cells, receives a coveted SCDA. Taissa graduated in Pharmacy at UFPR (Brazil) and completed her MSc in Bioscience & Biotechnology at Fiocruz (Brazil), developing serological tests for yellow fever virus. In 2012 she completed a diploma in Clinical Virology at the Pasteur Institute in France.

Welcoming the SCDA, which supports researchers in transitioning from postdoctoral positions to independent scientists, Taissa said: “I’m delighted and grateful for this major opportunity to further my career. This award will enable me to lead my own research project to unveil pathogenic determinants of arboviruses through comparative studies between relevant hosts.”

Professor John Hammond, Director of Research, said Pirbright was dedicated to nurturing long-term, progressive talent across the Institute’s spectrum of scientific disciplines.  

“The Institute works hard to build a career pipeline for talented researchers, ensuring they have the tools and support needed to advance scientific research whilst furthering their career prospects and preparing for leadership roles at Pirbright or beyond.”

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