Keynote speakers at AIRG 2026

Professor Ian Brown is an internationally recognised veterinary virologist whose career has focused on the epidemiology, control and molecular understanding of animal influenza and other major avian diseases. Based at The Pirbright Institute, he leads the Avian Virology group and provides scientific consultancy to national and international stakeholders, including government and industry, with a strong emphasis on evidence-based approaches to disease control and practical laboratory application.

He gained his PhD on the epizootiology of influenza in pigs in Great Britain and has held senior leadership roles at the UK’s Animal and Plant Health Agency, including Head of Virology and Director of Science. In these positions, he directed the WOAH/FAO International Reference Laboratories for Avian Influenza, Newcastle disease, and Swine Influenza, leading large multidisciplinary programmes integrating diagnostics, surveillance and research at national and international scale. He was awarded an OBE in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to animal health and welfare, recognising his longstanding contributions to veterinary science and disease control.

His research spans influenza infection dynamics, transmission, pathogenicity, vaccination strategies, and zoonotic risk. He has authored more than 250 peer-reviewed publications and numerous book chapters and has contributed extensively to global preparedness through initiatives such as OFFLU’s AIM (Avian Influenza Monitoring) programme, which informs international H5 vaccine strain selection and strengthens global influenza surveillance capacity.

Professor Brown has played a defining role in shaping international animal influenza networks, including as a founding member and former chair of the OFFLU Laboratory Network steering committee. His contributions to global animal health were recognised with a Gold Medal at the 2026 Animal Health Achievement Awards from the World Organisation for Animal Health, reflecting his outstanding influence on veterinary influenza science, global surveillance systems, and coordinated responses to emerging disease threats.

Area of expertise: Viral diseases, Avian virology

Title: TBC

Professor Helen Sang is Emeritus Professor at the Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at The University of Edinburgh. A pioneer in avian genetics and biotechnology, she has played a leading role in transforming the application of molecular biology and genetic technologies in poultry research. She earned a degree and PhD in genetics from Cambridge University, followed by a SERC-NATO fellowship at Harvard University. She later moved to Edinburgh, where she established a research group at the Poultry Research Centre (now The Roslin Institute), where she helped build an internationally recognised programme applying molecular biology to chickens.

Her research pioneered the development of genetic modification techniques in chickens, opening new opportunities in animal breeding, biotechnology and developmental biology. She obtained major research funding from the Biotechnology and Biotechnology Research Council (BBSRC), the Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust and industrial partners.

Alongside her scientific achievements, Prof Sang has made major contributions to research leadership and policy through senior roles, including Vice President of the UK Genetics Society (1999-2008), a member of several BBSRC Committees (1999-2020), a member of BBSRC Council (2014-2018), member of Friedrich Loeffler Institute Scientific Advisory Board (2012-2018), member of the Global Challenges Research Fund Strategy Advisory Group (2016-2019) and is currently a member of the Pirbright Institute Scientific Advisory Board.

She has also been a strong advocate for public engagement with science, particularly around genetic modification technologies and a champion of gender equality in research, leading the Roslin Institute’s successful Athena SWAN Gold Award application. In recognition of her exceptional contributions to science, Prof Sang was elected a Fellow of both the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Royal Society of Biology in 2008, was appointed an OBE in 2020 for services to food security and bioscience for health and was elected as a Trustee of the Houghton Trust (2024). Her career has been distinguished by scientific innovation, leadership and a lasting impact on both animal bioscience and the wider research community. 

Area of expertise: Transgenic technologies, developmental biology

Title: TBC

Professor Ivan Rychlik is Head of the Salmonella Research Group at the Veterinary Research Institute in Brno, Czech Republic and Professor of Veterinary Microbiology at the University of Veterinary Sciences, Brno. He is internationally recognised for his contributions to veterinary microbiology, gut microbiome research and the control of foodborne pathogens in livestock.

His research focuses on understanding the role of the gut microbiota in poultry and pigs, with particular emphasis on identifying bacterial communities that enhance resistance to major enteric pathogens. His group has made significant advances in characterising members of the chicken gut microbiota that restrict colonisation by Salmonella and Campylobacter, as well as pig gut bacteria that improve resistance to Clostridium perfringens infection. Through this work, he has helped advance microbiome-based approaches to improving animal health, food safety and sustainable livestock production.

A notable outcome of his research is the development of QuoCNA, a probiotic product for newly hatched chicks consisting of a defined consortium of nine strict anaerobic gut bacteria. Introduced commercially in the Czech Republic in 2024, QuoCNA represents a practical application of microbiome science for pathogen control in poultry production.

Alongside his research and teaching activities, Prof. Rychlik serves as an editor for the journals Microbiome and Animal Microbiome. Through his scientific leadership, editorial work and mentorship of young researchers, he continues to contribute to advances in veterinary microbiology and microbiome research at both the European and international levels.