Pip Beard

Biography

I graduated from Sydney University Veterinary Faculty in 1997. After a year in mixed veterinary practice on the North York Moors I undertook a PhD at the Moredun Research Institute into the epidemiology and pathogenesis of paratuberculosis. After being awarded the degree I moved to Cornell University in upstate New York to work on the cleavage and packaging reaction of Herpes Simplex Virus 1. I was then awarded a prestigous Wellcome Trust Clinical Fellowship which allowed me to return to the UK to work at Imperial College, London, on the pathogenesis of poxviruses. In 2008 I worked as a specialist veterinary advisor for the Mongolian government. I was based at the State Central Veterinary Laboratory in Ulaanbaatar. In 2009 I took up a position as Career Track Fellow / Veterinary Pathologist at The Roslin Institute / Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies. I was awarded Associate status (by examination) of the Royal College of Pathologists in 2010. In 2015 I was promoted to Group Leader, and in 2016 to Senior Lecturer. In 2016 I accepted a joint Group Leader appointment between The Roslin Institute (20%) and The Pirbright Institute (80%). I am Head of the Large DNA Virus research group at The Pirbright Institute, focusing on viruses on veterinary importance such as lumpy skin disease and African swine fever. 

Research Interest

I hold a joint appointment between the Roslin Institute (20%) and the Pirbright Institute (80%). I lead a research team which investigates the pathogenesis of a particular group of large DNA viruses which replicate in the cytoplasm of the host cell. This specalised group includes poxviruses. My research can be split into three areas: 1. The pathogenesis of Vaccinia virus. Our work focuses on using Vaccinia virus, the prototype poxvirus, as a tool to learn more about cellular biology including miRNA biogenesis, anti-viral host responses and vesicle transport. We then extrapolate our findings to clinically relevant related viruses such as the capripoxviruses and African swine fever virus. 2. Capripoxviruses. The most important poxviruses of domestic ruminants are the three species of the Capripoxvirus (CPPV) genus which each cause severe systemic disease. Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) causes lumpy skin disease in cattle, Sheeppox virus (SPPV) causes sheeppox in sheep and Goatpox virus (GTPV) causes goatpox in goats. The three viruses are currently expanding beyond their traditional geographic niches in Africa and Asia. LSDV entered Europe for the first time in August 2015 and has since spread through the Balkans and Caucasus. It represents a rapidly emerging threat to cattle in Europe and Asia. Our group is studying the immunological response of livestock to infection with these viruses with the aim of producing better diagnosis and control tools. We are also studying the vector-borne transmission of LSDV in order to improve the current control, prevention and eradication programmes. 3. African swine fever virus.  This virus is closely related to poxviruses, sharing a number of biological features. It causes the high consequence, transboundary disease African swine fever. My group is collaborating with the Roslin groups of Bruce Whitelaw and Alan Archibald to develop new methods to control this disease. In addition to my role as a PI I am a veterinary pathologist. I am consultant pathologist for research teams within The Roslin and Pirbright Institutes and externally.