Hunter Honored as UAB's 2002 Distinguished Faculty Lecturer

Eric Hunter, Ph.D., professor of microbiology and director of the Center for AIDS Research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), has been named recipient of the 2002 Distinguished Lecturer Award, the highest honor bestowed a UAB faculty member by the academic health center.

Posted on October 22, 2002 at 10:42 a.m.

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Eric Hunter, Ph.D., professor of microbiology and director of the Center for AIDS Research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), has been named recipient of the 2002 Distinguished Lecturer Award, the highest honor bestowed a UAB faculty member by the academic health center.

Hunter, an internationally renowned expert in the field of retrovirology and HIV/AIDS research, will present a lecture entitled, “Why Birmingham, Alabama?” on Friday, October 25, at The Harbert Center. The presentation will follow a reception and dinner beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Hunter has made many significant contributions to advancing the knowledge and understanding of the basic processes of retroviruses such as HIV. In particular, his research team was the first to map the envelope-based structure of retroviruses. This discovery provided the foundation for the production of envelope-based HIV vaccines and therapies currently being tested.

As a testament to the importance of his work and its impact on the field on retrovirology and HIV/AIDS research, Hunter has received three National Institutes of Health Merit Awards. The prestigious awards have provided continued funding for his research since 1989, demonstrating the scientific community’s respect and support for his work.

 

Hunter’s research publications include 137 journal articles and 26 book chapters. He also serves as editor-in-chief of AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, associate editor of Virology and a member of the editorial advisory board for Current Topics in Virology.

Hunter earned his bachelor’s degree in bacteriology from the University of Birmingham in England and received his doctoral degree in tumor immunology from the Imperial Cancer Research Fund and Brunel University in England. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles where his research focused on RNA tumor viruses.

Hunter joined the faculty of UAB in 1976 as assistant professor of microbiology. He was named professor of microbiology in 1984 and appointed director of the Center for AIDS Research in 1988. He also serves as a senior scientist with UAB’s Comprehensive Cancer Center, Multipurpose Arthritis Center, Cystic Fibrosis Research Center and Gene Therapy Center.

For more information, contact University Events at (205) 934-0771.