Moredun colleagues, past and present were very sad to hear the news of the death of Dr David Smith who was world renowned for his research into veterinary parasitology and in particular his ground breaking work to develop the Barbervax vaccine.
Dr David Smith graduated from the University of Glasgow with a veterinary degree in 1971 and joined Moredun later that year to study for a PhD on immunity to a respiratory virus which infects sheep. In 1975 David turned his attention to studying how sheep become immune to worm infections. More recently he was successful in the development of a vaccine for Haemonchus contortus, globally the most important worm affecting sheep and goats worldwide. The development of a commercial vaccine against worm infections is a significant breakthrough as the mainstay method to control worm infections in livestock is through drug treatments and there is a growing problem with increasing levels of drug resistance across the world. Dr Smith was a Director of Wormvax Australia, the initial commercial company set up to produce and distribute the vaccine in Australia. The vaccine is now sold in Australia and South Africa, with work ongoing to expand markets to other countries around the world.
David’s son Robin said of his father, “Dad absolutely loved his work at Moredun, the science and teamwork involved in developing a vaccine. Barbervax was never just a job—it was his passion project. He poured his heart into it, not because he had to, but because he truly loved every bit of it. It wasn’t just work—it was about having a blast doing what he loved, surrounded by great people at Moredun along with his collaborators in Australia.”