Vale Dr Peter Kerr – a distinguished veterinary virologist (24 April 1956 – 9 July 2022)
By Tanja Strive, Lyn Hinds and Steve Henry.
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Dr Peter Kerr, highly valued member of the CSIRO Rabbit Biocontrol Team and the Health & Biosecurity Biosecurity Program. Peter passed away peacefully on July 9th after a long illness.
Peter was a distinguished veterinary virologist and prolific scientist who made invaluable contributions to rabbit biocontrol research in a career spanning over three decades. His scientific pursuits and achievements encompassed almost every aspect of the biology, epidemiology and evolution of diseases of European rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus. Specifically, his research endeavours studying myxoma virus and rabbit calicivirus made him a highly respected global authority, particularly on myxomatosis in rabbits.
Peter graduated in veterinary science from the University of Melbourne and worked in rural practice and agribusiness before undertaking graduate studies in molecular virology at ANU, where he was awarded his PhD in 1990. The same year he joined CSIRO Division of Wildlife Ecology and spent the next 15 years working on the epidemiology and pathogenesis of Myxoma virus and the European rabbit. In 1992 Peter was one of the founding CSIRO researchers of the Cooperative Research Centre for the Biological Control of Vertebrate Pest Populations and was a key player in the development of genetically modified Myxoma viruses as potential self-disseminating fertility control vaccines for rabbits.
Peter was fascinated by the ongoing co-evolution of myxoma virus and the European rabbit, the classic textbook example of these processes following a species-jump of a pathogen. This led to arguably his most influential work which he was able to drive through recent collaborations with colleagues at the University of Sydney and Penn State University, USA. This work has produced the next chapter on the evolutionary arms race between myxoma virus and its host, especially the role of optimised pathogen virulence in the face of host resistance, driven by the only thing that matters to a virus: transmission. Writing this next chapter, Peter continued the work of another Australian scientific great, the late Professor Frank Fenner John, Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University (ANU). Peter’s close association with Frank was enjoyable and valued by him – their many discussions about immunology and co-evolution of myxoma virus and rabbits, as well as on other viruses such as vaccinia and smallpox, were rewarding and stimulating.
To his peers and colleagues, Peter was known as a rigorous and critical thinker with an impressive intellect. He dissected every hypothesis, always setting and meeting the highest standards for his own work. A very private person, Peter did not seek the limelight preferring to focus on perfecting his own work – this contributed to him not always receiving the recognition his colleagues and admirers believe he deserved.
Peter was an incredibly versatile scientist, with broad expertise ranging from molecular virology, immunology, cell biology and pathology to evolutionary genomics. Not just a generalist but an expert in many of these disciplines, due to a lifetime of curiosity, learning and striving for excellence. His publication record is a testimony to his breadth of interests and his collaborations nationally and internationally. Furthermore, Peter was always generous with his vast knowledge, which was often sought out by younger colleagues, undergraduate and graduate students and mentees looking for feedback on project design, research directions and to troubleshoot results. Throughout his career, Peter also maintained a strong research and teaching associations with the Australian National University where he lectured on Infection and Immunity until 2021.
Around the office, Peter would often drop by for a door-side chat – not about science necessarily, and more often than not about current international or national issues, some politics and sport. Being raised in Geelong he had some ideas about Aussie Rules! His conversations, as always, were considered and delivered with good humour.
His presence, knowledge and guidance will be sorely missed.
Our thoughts are with his wife Jean Finnegan and his family.