| Citation | Distinguished for his work on Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), its biology and relationship to human cancer. He described the system of immune T cell surveillance which controls EBV-induced B cell growth transformation 'in vivo' and was the first to draw attention to a novel form of infection underlying virus persistence in the immunocompetent host. In continuing studies on latency, he has shown that B cells rather that epithelium, the conventional view, constitute the reservoir of persistent infection. He has also identified novel forms of EBV infection in Burkitt's lymphoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. In the former, many EBV growth-transforming proteins are down-regulated and the tumour thus evades virus-specific T cell sureillance; in the latter EBV continues to express a key protein which blocks epithelial differentiation. He hasa provided new biological and moledular insight into infedtion and latency of EBV 'in vivo' and into their relationship with human cancer.
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