Judith Breuer is a Clinical Professor of Virology at UCL, whose work has revolutionised how we diagnose and treat life-threatening infectious diseases.
Hailing from a long line of scientists but equally drawn to literature and history, Professor Judith Breuer, or Judy as she’s often known, found that medicine offered the ideal balance of science and humanity. She trained at the Middlesex Hospital Medical School, now part of UCL.
Early in my career, I cared for one of the first HIV-positive patients in the UK. At the time, very little was understood about the disease. This experience was the beginning of my interest in infectious diseases.
Attracted to UCL’s world-class Department of Virology, she joined the university as staff and was inspired by the number of leading female scientists she met there. Having been told at a clinical interview early on that having children was not compatible with practicing hospital-based medicine, she went on to build a distinguished medical and scientific career in virology alongside raising a family.
At UCL, Judy established the Pathogen Genomics Unit, using genetic sequencing to identify and understand infectious diseases. Her team were among the first to adapt new sequencing technologies for pathogens, improving the speed and accuracy of diagnosis and informing development of new antiviral drugs.
A lot of good science is also about having ideas.
Judy later developed pathogen metagenomics, which detects unexpected infections by analysing all genetic material rather than testing for a single cause. This has had a major impact on diagnosing brain infections such as encephalitis. Working with Great Ormond Street Hospital and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, she helped establish one of the only accredited metagenomics services of its kind in the UK and Europe.
Her work as chair of the UK Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunisation (JCVI) human papillomavirus (HPV) and varicella zoster virus (VZV) vaccine committees also led to the introduction of three vaccination programs that are likely to eliminate HPV cancers in the UK and massively reduce cases of shingles.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Judy was part of the United Kingdom genome sequencing team that mapped the spread of the virus, coordinating sequencing across London and advising nationally on vaccine development. Her lab was one of the few at UCL that remained open throughout lockdown.
She encourages others to follow what genuinely interests them.
Being curious and following through on what interests you can be rewarding both personally and scientifically.
