Spotlight on Professor Vince Emery

What is your role and what does it involve?

I have multiple roles in UCL. Primarily, I am a Professor of Virology in the Division of Infection and Immunity in the newly formed Faculty of Medical Sciences. However, I am also one of UCL's recently appointed Pro-Provosts charged with overseeing and stimulating our strategic opportunities and developments in Africa and the Middle East.

In particular, I am looking forward to further enhancing our Africa connections over the next three years. In addition, I have been a Vice-Head of UCL's Graduate School since 2004. I participate in the workings of a number of senior academic quality assurance committees of UCL, which includes chairing the Programme and Course Approval Steering Group, which oversees all new programme approvals in UCL.

How long have you been at UCL and what was your previous role?

An interesting question since I was originally appointed as a Lecturer in the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine in 1988 and so officially became a member of UCL when that institution merged with UCL in 1998, at which time I was a Reader. 

What working achievement or initiative are you most proud of?

I am proud of three initiatives in UCL. The first is our research that was the first in the world to show that the virus we work on (called cytomegalovirus) replicates very quickly inside the human body. This fundamental work has been translated into the clinic and had a profound impact on the way this infection is managed and treated across the world.

Second, I am excited by the substantial progress that has been made in our engagement with India during my tenure as Pro-Provost (South Asia and the Middle East).

Third, I am equally proud of the ways in which the student experience is being improved through initiatives I have led, including the introduction of service standards for feedback to students on their work - an area which, while still in its early days, I believe will make a substantial difference to students' performance while they are studying at UCL.

What is your life like outside UCL?

We live in south Hertfordshire and when we moved there I took up church bell-ringing, which appealed to me based on my liking for mathematical patterns and the fact that it was much cheaper (and more fun) than going to the gym.

I enjoy performing and listening to music and play the organ for church services twice a month, in addition to occasionally performing on the piano and clarinet for small fund-raising concerts in the local area and composing the odd piece for choir or piano.

I am a benefactor to the Camden Choir, which gives performances of a range of choral repertoire in the Camden area. Just recently, I have rediscovered my interest in oil painting, partly stimulated by the fact that my son has just started his A level fine art programme. Naturally, I am not sufficiently good at any of the aforementioned hobbies to give up the day (and evening) job!