JMedCBR Editorial Board
PROF LES BAILLIE, MPHIL, PHD
UK
Dr Baillie’s research career has focused on the study of Bacillus anthracis and its illicit use as a bio-weapon. From 1991-2002 he worked at Dstl Porton Down, an agency of the UK ministry of Defence and lead a team developing vaccines and detectors. Notable successes were the development of the UK’s recombinant anthrax vaccine and the sequencing of the Ames strain of B.anthracis (the group provided the DNA). In 2002 he joined the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute in Baltimore as an associate professor and established a research group working on project ranging from Salmonella based oral vaccines for anthrax to real time detectors. The following year he took an appointment as director of the Biodefence Medical Countermeasures Department at the Naval Medical Research Center. By the time he left in 2007, he had established a multidisciplinary research group focused on developing and delivering novel technologies to the warfighter to counter the threat of bioterrorism. Approaches included high-throughput genome sequencing of biothreat agents, rapid hand held fluorescence based detector systems, innate immune system triggers for broad-spectrum protection, DNA vaccines and the development of an artificial immune system. Baillie returned to the UK in 2007 to take up a chair in microbiology at Cardiff University where he has continued his interest in defence related issues in the UK and US.
Dr Baillie gained his undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences from Plymouth Polytechnic which was followed by a master of philosophy degree from the University of the West of England. His PhD was subsequently awarded by Sheffield University
He is currently funded to work on a number of defence related projects including the real time detection of anthrax, the decontamination of military vehicles and the development of medical countermeasures against biothreat agents. He serves as a scientific reviewer for the Canadian CRTI programme and is a member of the UK Home Office Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives Science and Technology Advisory Board.