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This month we are profiling Adrian Fox, who is the Lead Plant Virologist from Fera Science Ltd, York, UK.

How did you find yourself on this career path?

I originally completed a Bachelor’s degree in general applied biology because I thought I wanted to work in biomedical science. However, I later discovered plant sciences and ecology, which led me to change direction. My degree included three six-month sandwich placements in industry, where I gained experience in agricultural trials, conservation education, and ecology surveying— skills I still use today.  After completing my degree, I got a job at SASA in Edinburgh, Scotland, working at the Scottish regulatory plant health laboratories on nematode and insect identification. Much of the work involved aphid identification in support of seed potato certification, which eventually steered me toward virus epidemiology work.

What does a typical workday look like for you?

This is a really difficult question! One of the reasons I love my job is there are no typical workdays. There are times when I am travelling either to Europe or beyond for panel meetings and conferences, while other days involve writing or brainstorming ideas. There are usually a number of meetings, either to check in on project progress or to mentor staff and students through their development objectives.

At 13:30 every day, we hold a general plant clinic triage session. Fera runs the largest plant clinic in the UK, handling certification, import and export inspection samples. The triage meeting allows all the discipline experts to gather and discuss the “unknown” submissions. I try to keep part of the afternoon free for writing proposals or manuscripts, but like all good intentions, this is often overtaken by diagnostic results discussions or other meetings.

How long have you worked in this area?

I have been in regulatory plant health for over 25 years, and 20 of those have been focused on plant virology

What roles have you held previously?

  • Invertebrate identification (entomology/nematology) in support of seed potato certification
  • Laboratory management (potato virus certification diagnostics)
  • Virology team leader (staff management and science leadership)

What training/education have you received?

After completing my bachelor’s degree, most of my training was on the job, complemented by specific skills development courses, such as Aphid Identification.  I received my PhD in 2019 through a portfolio of published works, where six of my published papers were considered as research chapters, and I then synthesized a general discussion of the work.

What is your most memorable career achievement?

I should say my most memorable achievement was gaining my PhD. However, it has been very rewarding seeing new PhD students’ progress in gaining their doctorates.

What advice would you give anyone starting or changing their career?

Never underestimate the value of resilience. In applied diagnostics, career development often dependents more on the skills and knowledge you have built on the job than on formal qualifications. I was a Principal investigator and team leader, BEFORE I got my PhD.

Links to professional profile(s)

Adrian Fox leading a workshop on virus diagnostics and operating a plant clinic for the CONNECTED network project.