The main theme will be our species' place in nature, because it is concentrations of susceptible populations - birds and humans - and their migrations that allow epidemics to become devastating pandemics. Bird Flu: Emerging threats to public health.   Nature of viruses: Colds and influenza.   The influenza virus: Human influenza Avian influenza.   2004 pandemic: Impact on business.   Disease control: When is the next human pandemic?

Ray retired from full-time university work in September 2007. I now do a small amount of external verification for Open College Network West Midlands Region as a Curriculum Area Moderator for biology and physical sciences & engineering modules in Access to Higher Education courses at about 15 colleges in the West Midlands. I am also a a volunteer Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics Ambassador (STEMNET) and will visit science teachers in schools in Worcestershire if requested. I was formerly Principal Lecturer in The Institute of Health & Social Care at University of Worcester in September 2007. I had administrative, research and teaching responsibilities. I have undertaken work as a specialist subject reviewer for the Quality Assurance Agency and have been an external examiner for undergraduate courses at Brunel University and the Buckinghamshire New University. My research included microbiology and clinical trials and I supervised two PhD students and one MPhil student to completion. I have examined PhD theses. At various times I have been course leader for the MSc in Health & Social Care (now called Advanced Social and Health Care Studies), Human Biology, Health & Wellbeing and Biological Perspectives courses at Worcester and I have led curriculum development teams to establish courses in biology and health care at Worcester. I taught students reading BSc Biology, DipHE Nursing Studies, BSc Health Studies, and MSc Health & Social Care. During some of this time I was a Governor of University College Worcester. Previous to this appointment, I was Director of Studies for Health Studies having advised senior staff and Governors on the incorporation of Nurse and Midwifery Education into the higher education curriculum at Worcester. I originally joined the staff at Worcester as a Senior Lecturer in the Science Division to lead the development of Human Biology. Previously I taught in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Loughborough developing the biology curriculum of BSc and MSc Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Chemistry. My first teaching appointment was as full-time University Demonstrator in the Department of Veterinary Pharmacology at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, having previously worked as a Technical Officer for the Medical Research Council Human Reproductive Sciences Unit.