Prof Sharon Brookes (-Wade)
Job Title:
Board Member
Biography
Sharon’s professional history is as follows: 1991-1994 junior post-doc – Kennedy Institute for Rheumatology (London) – retroviruses & autoimmunity; 1994-2000 senior post-doc – Institute for Animal Health (Pirbright) – ASFV and other livestock viruses; 2001-2007 project leader – Veterinary Lab. Agency (Weybridge) – Rabies and other lyssaviruses (5 staff); 2007-2013 team leader – AHVLA/APHA (Weybridge) – Swine and avian influenza viruses (10 staff); 2014-2018 – APHA (Weybridge) – Head of Avian Virology and Mammalian Influenza (35 staff); 2019- Lead Scientist – APHA (Weybridge) – Animal and Zoonoses Viral Diseases Portfolio (strategic leadership of 120 members) & SARS-CoV-2 research programme – retired on 31 May 2024; 2019- APHA Science Strategy Group, Scientific Quality and Integrity Assurance; 2023- Visiting professorship, School of Biosciences, University of Surrey, UK
Sharon has expertise with containment laboratory research and her specialist areas of expertise include veterinary virology disease surveillance and diagnostics; bluetongue disease, African swine fever, rabies, influenza of pigs, poultry and people, and latterly the detection of coronaviruses in animal hosts following exposure to humans. Her focus has been on disease pathogenesis with a strong microscopy and pathology theme. This has meant a career lifetime of working, managing and oversight of high security animal facilities in government run and sponsored institutions.
Over the last 10 years the focus of her work has been disease outbreak management (swine and avian ‘flu, and SARS-CoV-2) and government policy liaison as firstly the work group leader of avian virology and mammalian influenza and lead scientist for animal and zoonotic viral diseases portfolio. The latter has included oversight of the virology department (avian, mammalian, wildlife zoonoses and vector borne disease) and related epidemiology, wildlife, pathology and animal sciences with respect to research governance, quality and integrity.
Other current or recent executive roles engaging with relevant specialists include the Microbiology Society Council and Finance Committee for 3 years; Co-Director of the UK-International Coronavirus Network; BSL4ZNET Steering Group & co-chair Training Working Group; Veterinary Research Club junior vice president, president, and senior vice president; EPIZONE – European Network of Excellence for Epizootic Disease Diagnosis and Control, Executive Committee member.
Sharon is a fellow of the Royal Society of Biology and Royal College of Pathologists. Executive experience also includes Health and Safety Executive Expert Witness, Laboratory Quality Assurance – corporate auditee, internal auditor and quality manager, and High Containment Co-ordination Group representative. In addition, she is a member of veterinary and scientific journal editorial boards – The Veterinary Record and Journal of General Virology.
Sharon is also a director of Andrew Wade Ltd.