John Skehel

Who is John Skehel?

Sir John James Skehel, FRS is a British virologist. He was born in Blackburn to Joseph and Annie Skehel in 1941, and was educated at St. Mary's College, Blackburn before being accepted to the University of Aberystwyth for a BSc in agricultural biochemistry. He was elected as Biological Secretary of the Royal Society in July 2013 and will take up the position on 20 November 2013.

Soon after graduating he married Anita Varley, with whom he has two sons. He moved to study at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, completing his PhD in biochemistry in 1966 and moving to the University of Aberdeen for research, continuing it at Duke University.

In 1969 he returned to Britain and began work at the National Institute for Medical Research on the influenza virus. In 1984 he was made head of the virology division, followed by a promotion in 1987 to director of the Institute. He was director of the World Health Organisation's Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza from 1975 to 1993.

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1984.