Dr. Dalziel gained his BSc (Honours) in Biochemistry from the University of Glasgow in 1980. He then carried out his PhD studies on protein/DNA interactions in HSV-1 infected cells at the MRC Institute for Virology in Glasgow, graduating in 1984. He carried out post-doctoral research at the Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla CA, and in 1987 accepted a faculty position at the University of Edinburgh where he is now a senior lecturer and group leader in the Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies.

Dr. Dalziel's research interests focus on the mechanism of virus pathogenesis with a particular interest in herpesviruses. He has almost 30 years of experience in teaching undergraduate veterinary science and medical students and has designed and developed a number of undergraduate courses. He has supervised over 20 Graduate students and has served as a member of the UK Government Advisory Committee on Genetic Manipulation (ACGM). He is also Editor in Chief of Veterinary Research Communications.

Dr. J. Ross Fitzgerald is the principle investigator for the Laboratory for Bacterial Evolution and Pathogenesis, Centre for Infectious Diseases based at the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh. The laboratory is focused on the use of genomic and molecular tools to examine the evolution and pathogenesis of clinically important species of Staphylococci. Dr. Fitzgerald has published numerous papers in peer-reviewed research journals.