/* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}

Dr O’Brien is recognized for research contributions in human and comparative genetics, evolutionary biology, HIV/AIDS, retro-virology, and species conservation.

 

He is the author and co-author of over 650 publications including the highly acclaimed book ‘Tears of the cheetah: And other tales from the genetic frontier’. Some of his noted achievements include the description of the first human gene to influence HIV-1 infection and AIDS progression, annotation of the feline genome, documenting the epidemic prevalence of FIV among wildcat species, defining new species of orang-utan, clouded leopard and elephant, and developing the discipline of conservation genetics by describing the remarkable genetic uniformity of the African cheetah, a prelude to genetic assessment of endangered species.

 

The lecture, which will take place in Room 135 of the Arnold Theiler building at the Faculty, will be followed by a cocktail.