P004741 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 2006-09-19 human Annette Alafaci updated 2025-06-13 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P004741b.htm person French Eric Lancelot AO AACR2 1 June 1914 12 February 2002 Place of Birth Jamestown, South Australia, Australia Place of Death Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Medical scientist Veterinary scientist Virologist Eric Lancelot French was a virologist who worked in both the human and veterinary disease fields. He was an advocate of tough quarantine and disease control measures to protect Australia's livestock industry and was the first person to isolate and characterise Murray Valley Encephalitis. French was Assistant Chief of the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) Division of Animal health from 1968 to 1977 and a researcher at the Walter and Eliza Hall Medical Research Institute (WEHI) from 1947 to 1958. While at WEHI he worked on Asian flu, Murray Valley Encephalitis, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS or cot death). At CSIRO French established Australia's first laboratory that was dedicated to the study of animal viruses. Over the years he received many honours including honorary membership to the Australian Veterinary Association and to the Australian College of Veterinary Surgeons, honorary doctorates in veterinary science from the universities of Melbourne and Hanover (Germany) and was appointed an Officer in the Order of Australia (AO) 1938 1942 Career position - Senior Laboratory Technician in the Bacteriology Department of the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science in Adelaide 1942 1942 Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc), ?University of Adelaide 1942 1946 Career position - Lieutenant in the Australian Army Medical Corps 1946 1946 Career position - Lecturer in Bacteriology, University of Adelaide 1947 1947 Education - Post doctoral studies at the London School of Hygiene 1947 1958 Career position - Scientist at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Parkville, Victoria 1958 1958 Career position - Established the first animal virology research lab in Australia at the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) Animal Health Laboratory in Parkville 1968 1977 Career position - Assistant Chief of the CSIRO Division of Animal Health and Officer-in-charge of the Parkville Laboratories 1976 1977 Career position - President, Australian Society for Microbiology 1977 1977 Life event - Retired 1980 1980 Award - Doctor of Veterinary Science (DVSc), honoris causa, University of Melbourne 1997 1997 Award - Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) - In recognition of service to scientific research CSIRO Division of Animal Health, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (1959 - 2000)

Established the first animal virology research lab in Australia at the CSIRO Animal Health Laboratory in Parkville (1958); Assistant Chief of the CSIRO Division of Animal Health and Officer-in-charge of the Parkville Laboratories 1968 - 1977

 Australian Society for Microbiology (1959 - )

President 1976 - 1978

 Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science, Royal Adelaide Hospital (1938 - 2008)

Senior Laboratory Technician 1938 - 1942

 French, E L (1914-2002)

Trove

 'French, Eric Lancelot', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology French, Eric Lancelot Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Resource: Honorary degree holders University of Melbourne Honorary degree holders University of Melbourne 2023 Newspaper Article: Obituaries: Precise and inquiring mind battles diseases Warren, Jenni; French, Greg; Snowdon, Bill Obituaries: Precise and inquiring mind battles diseases 2004 The Age 9 Journal Article: An Eye on the Past: Eric French An Eye on the Past: Eric French 1996 Australasian Science 17 1 64