Dr Stuart Turville
Dr Stuart Turville risks his life every day by working with a deadly virus.
A Research Fellow at Westmead Millennium Institute, Dr Turville has to take extreme safety precautions, such as double- and triple-gloving, before entering the HIV lab. The laboratory is under negative pressure to prevent any particles from escaping, and nothing leaves, even paper. Research notes are faxed out of the lab, and notes remaining in the lab are sterilized under high temperature and pressure before being incinerated.
Stuart was tested for HIV in the past six months, and continually does so to ensure his family also remains protected.
"There's a low probability of getting anything, but I know what the virus does and there's no cure, so I'm not taking any chances," he says.
Stuart has been involved in HIV research for 11 years, and was first drawn to researching the virus because he wanted to work on a scientific problem that would eventually make a difference globally.
Stuart's research aims to improve our understanding of how HIV can spread rapidly between cell types. He firmly believes that understanding this fundamental process is the key to more effective treatment and prevention of HIV in the future. Stuart is also working to develop an HIV microbicide.
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