From left: Professor Emeritus Roger Morris with AVA President Dr Gemma Chuck and Dr Bill Tranter (winner of the Presidents Award and 1992 Massey PhD graduate) at the AVA Awards gala dinner in Brisbane.
During his career, he has contributed extensively to the dairy and pig industries, both as a clinician and as a developer of software to support health and management activities of livestock producers.
Professor Morris’ work has expanded over the decades to a global role as an epidemiologist and health economist. He has advised more than 50 countries on the control of animal diseases, including preventing their spread to people. His work has included avian influenza, Ebola and mad cow disease (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy). Professor Morris has played a prominent role in the international organisations dealing with health issues, and has provided postgraduate training for several hundred people from around the world.
His global contributions were recognised in 2014, when an international meeting was held in Chicago in his honour, at which he received the Calvin Schwabe Award for his lifetime achievements in epidemiology and disease control policy. Notable veterinary and medical scientists from several countries who had trained under Professor Morris joined him in presenting papers at the conference.
He is currently in the final stages of producing a multi-author book, titled How to Solve A Mystery Disease, which provides a comprehensive guide on dealing with the investigation of emerging and evolving diseases worldwide.
Although he retired from the university in 2008, Professor Morris continues to contribute to scientific activities at Massey and elsewhere.
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