Peter White

Professor Peter White is a faculty member at the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences (BABS), University of New South Wales (UNSW), where he leads a molecular virology research group. He serves as an Honorary Consultant Virologist at Prince of Wales Hospital and coordinates the undergraduate course Viruses and Disease. His research integrates virology, bioinformatics, and epidemiology, focusing on norovirus pandemics, antiviral development, and viral discovery in wildlife. He mentors postgraduate students and has secured significant research funding from peer-reviewed and industry sources.

Education:

• B.Sc. Hons in Biotechnology, King's College London (1992)
• PhD in Molecular Microbiology, University College London (1996)
• Fellow of the Australian Microbiology Society (FASM, 2011)

Research Interests: Professor White's work spans molecular virology, viral evolution, and antiviral therapies. His lab tracks pandemic noroviruses using clinical and wastewater surveillance, identifies novel viruses through metatranscriptomics in animals (e.g., bats, cane toads), and develops broad-spectrum antivirals targeting RNA-dependent RNA polymerases. His paleovirology research explores endogenous viral elements in marsupial genomes as antiviral defense mechanisms.

Publication Insights: Recent articles highlight trends in viral epidemiology (e.g., norovirus GII.4 evolution), antiviral compound screening, and metatranscriptomic discovery of pathogens in aquatic and wildlife hosts. Computational approaches using UNSW's Katana supercomputer enable large-scale viral genome analysis and identification of bio-control candidates.

Awards & Honors:

• Titan of Teaching Award, School of BABS (2015)
• Royal Society Postdoctoral Fellowship (1996)
• MRC PhD Scholarship (1992–1996)
• Fellow of the Australian Microbiology Society (2011)

Professional Engagement: He chairs committees for the Australian Centre for Hepatitis Virology and serves on UNSW's Institutional Bio-Safety panel. His lab collaborates globally on norovirus surveillance and antiviral research, supported by grants focusing on RNA virus therapeutics and pandemic preparedness.

Laboratory & Team: The molecular microbiology lab at BABS utilizes next-generation sequencing, reverse genetics, and cell culture systems for viral characterization. Current projects include antiviral drug repurposing for SARS-CoV-2 and bio-control of invasive species using discovered viruses.