Welcome to Avian ORFeome Consortium

Professor David W. Burt, FRSB, FLS has an extensive background in genome research encompasses more than 35 years of work in the application of molecular genetics in diverse fields. He received a 1st Class Honours in Molecular Biology at the University of Edinburgh, UK (1977), a PhD in Molecular Genetics from the University of Leicester, UK (1980), and MSc modules in Bioinformatics from the University of Manchester, UK (2002). His post-doctoral training included research on the molecular genetics of a wide range of species (bacteriophage lambda, bacteria, mouse, rat and human) and research areas (transcription circuits, cDNA cloning of growth factors, renin-angiotensin system and hypertension, QTL mapping, bioinformatics, phylogenetics and avian genomics). He has worked as a Research Fellow/Associate at the University of Leicester/AstraZeneca (UK), Harvard Medical School (USA), MRC Clinical Research Centre (UK) and the Roslin Institute/University of Edinburgh (UK). He was appointed Head of the Avian Genomics Group (1988), Director of ARK-Genomics (2000), Director of the National Avian Research Facility (2014), convener of the Institute Strategic Program (Genomics, 2016) and Personal Chair in Comparative Genomics at the University of Edinburgh (2009). Recently, he was appointed as the inaugural Director of the Genomics Initiative at the University of Queensland (Australia). To facilitate continued collaboration with the University of Edinburgh and other research centres in the UK, he was awarded an honorary professorship (2017). He has obtained over $70m in competitive funding to support his research activities and has published over 250 articles, books and chapters (h-index 60) in high impact journals, such as Nature, Science, Nature Genetics, Current Biology and Genome Research. In 2017, Professor Burt was appointed Director of the UQ Genomics Initiative (www.genomics.uq.edu.au) a virtual network that aims to facilitate partnerships and engagement across all genomics researchers at UQ and throughout the world. The UQ Genomics Initiative offers a clear point of entry to UQ’s collective genomic capabilities, including its interactions with government and industry. As Director, DWB ensures that the UQ Genomics Initiative facilitates interdisciplinary interactions in fundamental and applied research, education, training and consulting across all faculties and institutes associated with the University of Queensland.