David Griffiths graduated from the University of Manchester in 1992 with a BSc in Biochemistry. He gained a PhD in Virology from the University of London in 1996 for his studies on the potential role of retroviruses in human rheumatic disease. Following a short postdoctoral position at the Chester Beatty Laboratories London, in 1998 he was awarded an Arthritis Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship at University College London. In 2003, he moved to the Moredun Research Institute as a Principal Scientist. Dr Griffiths has a longstanding interest in retroviral pathogenesis and his current research focusses on understanding the pathogenesis of ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma and the development of diagnostic tests for controlling this disease. He is a member of the BBSRC Pool of Experts and a former Scientific Editor of Research in Veterinary Science.