Michael Houghton

Michael Houghton is a virologist, teacher, lecturer and researcher. He won a scholarship to study at the University of East Anglia and graduated with a second class honours degree in biological sciences and has a PhD in biochemistry from King's College London. He is a world reference for his scientific discoveries in medicine.

He is a researcher and professor of Virology and a lecturer in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Alberta and the Canada Research Chair of Excellence in Virology. He also serves as director of the Li Ka Shing Institute of Applied Virology. Together with his colleagues Qui-Lim Choo and George Kuo they made a discovery that opened up a new field of viral hepatitis research allowing the development of a cure in virtually all patients. He has also been part of the teams leading the effort to produce the vaccine against COVID-19, taking into account his previous experience of creating a successful vaccine for SARS-CoV-1 virus in 2004.

Among his many awards, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine (2020) for his decisive contribution to the fight against blood-borne hepatitis.