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Professor Richard Webby obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Otago, Dunedin. He then moved to St Jude Childrenā€™s Research Hospital, Memphis, USA for a postdoctoral fellowship under the guidance of Professor Robert G. Webster, world-renowned influenza pioneer and also graduate of University Otago, who helped identified the avian strain of influenza known as H5N1, the causative agent of avian influenza or "bird flu"; that emerged in Hong Kong in 1997.

Dr. Webby is a Professor in the Department of Infectious Diseases and directs the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Studies on the Ecology of Influenza and a US NIH-funded Center of Excellence in Influenza Research and Surveillance. Richardā€™s research interests focus on understanding the factors that govern the interspecies transmission of influenza viruses and developing countermeasures. This work involves combining field studies in both animal and human populations with laboratory activities with a focus on emerging influenza threats. His important work on influenza has been profiled in Nature and he has been recognized by Scientific America and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Dr. Webby has been a mentor and supervisor to post-doctoral students, including those from New Zealand.