Dr. Victoria Smyth

I graduated from the Queen’s University of Belfast, UK, with a first class honours degree in genetics in 2002. I continued with pg studies at Queen’s University earning a doctorate in molecular biology for a project where I characterised the expression of a novel human gene upregulated during erythropoiesis and investigated its function. I worked as a post-doctoral fellow for 4 years characterising strains of chicken astrovirus circulating in broiler flocks and developing novel molecular and serological diagnostic tests for chicken astrovirus and avian nephritis virus. I am now a Senior Scientist at the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute in Belfast, managing the Avian Virology Unit and the Cell Culture Group at the Veterinary Sciences Division of AFBI, previously known as the Stormont Laboratories. My research follows on from diagnostic investigations into commercial poultry problems including broiler hatchery disease causing reduced hatches and substantial mortality as well as acute and chronic production disease of broiler meat chickens due to endemic, enteric viruses, including the problem of uneven flock growth. These early viral infections result in reduced bodymass and stunted growth often with increased culling of young birds. I use next generation sequencing and viral metagenomics to investigate the communities of viruses restricting bird growth and am focused on developing appropriate control measures, including vaccines.