Patrick Reading is an Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Melbourne and the Educator at the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza (WHO CCRRI). At the University, Patrick leads a team of researchers investigating how the body first recognises and responds to infections with respiratory viruses. In particular, the research themes in his laboratory aim to define four key areas of interest: • the cell-surface receptors used by respiratory viruses to gain entry into host cells; • induction of host genes in different cell types following influenza virus entry and infection; • the soluble proteins present in airway fluids that limit early virus replication and spread; • the characteristics of the early inflammatory response associated with virus clearance and recovery compared to those associated with severe disease Patrick’s work at the WHO CCRRI is focused on improving laboratory-based detection and characterisation of influenza viruses in the Asia-Pacific Region, which is a key function in the detection of novel variant and potential pandemic influenza viruses. Patrick completed his Ph.D. at the University of Melbourne in 1997, receiving the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in the Ph.D. thesis. He was awarded a Howard Florey Fellowship for his post-doctoral training in the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology in Oxford, UK where his research focussed on the mechanisms by which poxviruses mediated immune evasion. Since returning to Australia in 2002, he has been awarded a C.R. Roper Fellowship (2003-2005), a R. D. Wright Career Development Award (2006-2011) and his group is currently funded by grants from the NHMRC and ARC. http://www.doherty.edu.au/people/associate-professor-patrick-reading