Edward C. Holmes

Holmes was educated at University College London where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Anthropology in 1986. He then moved to the University of Cambridge where he was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Zoology in 1990{{cite thesis|degree=PhD|publisher=University of Cambridge|title=Pattern and process in the molecular evolution of the order primates|first= Edward Charles|last=Holmes|year=1989|oclc= 53489363|id={{EThOS|uk.bl.ethos.317751}} {{ProQuest|1771542055}}}} for research on molecular evolution in primates supervised by Adrian Friday.

Holmes has used genomic and phylogenetic approaches to reveal the major mechanisms of virus evolution and determined the genetic and epidemiological processes that explain how viruses jump species boundaries and spread in new hosts. His work has revealed the origin, evolution and molecular epidemiology of important human pathogens including Hepatitis C,{{cite journal |last1=Simmonds|first1=Peter |last2=Alberti|first2=Alfredo |last3=Alter|first3=Harvey J. |last4=Bonino|first4=Ferruccio |last5=Bradley|first5=Daniel W. |last6=Brechot|first6=Christian |last7=Brouwer|first7=Johannes T. |last8=Chan|first8=Shiu-Wan |last9=Chayama|first9=Kazuaki |last10=Chen|first10=Ding-Shinn|author-link10=Ding-Shinn Chen |last11=Choo|first11=Qui-Lim |last12=Colombo|first12=Massimo |last13=Cuypers|first13=H. Theo M. |last14=Date|first14=Takayasu |last15=Dusheiko|first15=Geoff M. |last16=Esteban|first16=Juan I. |last17=Fay|first17=Oscar |last18=Hadziyannis|first18=S. J. |last19=Han|first19=Jang |last20=Hatzakis|first20=Angelos |last21=Holmes|first21=Eddie C. |last22=Hotta|first22=Hak |last23=Houghton|first23=Michael |last24=Irvine|first24=Bruce |last25=Kohara|first25=Michinori |last26=Kolberg|first26=Janice A. |last27=Kuo|first27=George |last28=Lau|first28=Johnson Y. N. |last29=Lelie|first29=P. Nico |last30=Maertens|first30=Geert |last31=McOmish|first31=Fiona |last32=Miyamura|first32=Tatsuo |last33=Mizokami|first33=Masashi |last34=Nomoto|first34=Akio |last35=Prince|first35=Alfred M. |last36=Reesink|first36=Henk W. |last37=Rice|first37=Charlie |last38=Roggendorf|first38=Michael |last39=Schalm|first39=Solko W. |last40=Shikata|first40=Toshio |last41=Shimotohno|first41=Kunitada |last42=Stuyver|first42=Lieven |last43=Trépo|first43=Christian |last44=Weiner|first44=Amy |last45=Yap|first45=Peng L. |last46=Urdea|first46=Mickey S. |title=A proposed system for the nomenclature of hepatitis C viral genotypes |journal=Hepatology |volume=19 |issue=5 |year=1994 |pages=1321–1324 |issn=0270-9139 |doi=10.1002/hep.1840190538|pmid=8175159 |s2cid=1573464 }}{{cite journal |last1=Simmonds|first1=P. |last2=Irvine|first2=B. |last3=Yap|first3=P. L. |last4=Kolberg|first4=J. |last5=Chan|first5=S.-W. |last6=Cha|first6=T.-A. |last7=Beall|first7=E. |last8=Urdea|first8=M. S. |last9=Holmes|first9=E. C. |last10=McOmish|first10=F. |title=Classification of hepatitis C virus into six major genotypes and a series of subtypes by phylogenetic analysis of the NS-5 region |journal=Journal of General Virology |volume=74 |issue=11 |year=1993 |pages=2391–2399 |issn=0022-1317 |doi=10.1099/0022-1317-74-11-2391 |pmid= 8245854|doi-access=free |hdl=20.500.11820/235f2867-10dc-4b3d-822a-45e7b02d7375 |hdl-access=free }} influenza,{{cite journal |last1=Subbarao|first1=Kanta |last2=Tong|first2=Suxiang |last3=Zhu|first3=Xueyong |last4=Li|first4=Yan |last5=Shi|first5=Mang |last6=Zhang|first6=Jing |last7=Bourgeois|first7=Melissa |last8=Yang|first8=Hua |last9=Chen|first9=Xianfeng |last10=Recuenco|first10=Sergio |last11=Gomez|first11=Jorge |last12=Chen|first12=Li-Mei |last13=Johnson|first13=Adam |last14=Tao|first14=Ying |last15=Dreyfus|first15=Cyrille |last16=Yu|first16=Wenli |last17=McBride|first17=Ryan |last18=Carney|first18=Paul J. |last19=Gilbert|first19=Amy T. |last20=Chang|first20=Jessie |last21=Guo|first21=Zhu |last22=Davis|first22=Charles T. |last23=Paulson|first23=James C. |last24=Stevens|first24=James |last25=Rupprecht|first25=Charles E. |last26=Holmes|first26=Edward C. |last27=Wilson|first27=Ian A. |last28=Donis|first28=Ruben O. |title=New World Bats Harbor Diverse Influenza A Viruses|journal=PLOS Pathogens |volume=9 |issue=10 |year=2013 |pages=e1003657 |issn=1553-7374 |doi=10.1371/journal.ppat.1003657 |pmid= 24130481 |pmc=3794996 |doi-access=free }} {{open access}}{{Cite journal |last1=Rambaut|first1=Andrew |last2=Pybus|first2=Oliver G. |last3=Nelson|first3=Martha I. |last4=Viboud|first4=Cecile |author-link4=Cécile Viboud |last5=Taubenberger|first5=Jeffery K. |last6=Holmes|first6=Edward C. |title=The genomic and epidemiological dynamics of human influenza A virus |journal=Nature |volume=453 |issue=7195 |pages=615–619 |doi=10.1038/nature06945 |pmid=18418375 |pmc=2441973 |year=2008 |bibcode=2008Natur.453..615R }} {{closed access}} HIV{{cite journal|last1=Leslie|first1=A J|last2=Pfafferott|first2=K J|last3=Chetty|first3=P|last4=Draenert|first4=R|last5=Addo|first5=M M|last6=Feeney|first6=M|last7=Tang|first7=Y|last8=Holmes|first8=E C|last9=Allen|first9=T|last10=Prado|first10=J G|last11=Altfeld|first11=M|last12=Brander|first12=C|last13=Dixon|first13=C|last14=Ramduth|first14=D|last15=Jeena|first15=P|last16=Thomas|first16=S A|last17=John|first17=A St|last18=Roach|first18=T A|last19=Kupfer|first19=B|last20=Luzzi|first20=G|last21=Edwards|first21=A|last22=Taylor|first22=G|last23=Lyall|first23=H|last24=Tudor-Williams|first24=G|last25=Novelli|first25=V|last26=Martinez-Picado|first26=J|last27=Kiepiela|first27=P|last28=Walker|first28=B D|last29=Goulder|first29=P J R|title=HIV evolution: CTL escape mutation and reversion after transmission|journal=Nature Medicine|volume=10|issue=3|year=2004|pages=282–289|issn=1078-8956|doi=10.1038/nm992|pmid= 14770175|s2cid=28756735}} and dengue,{{cite journal|last1=Holmes|first1=E|last2=Twiddy|first2=S|title=The origin, emergence and evolutionary genetics of dengue virus|journal=Infection, Genetics and Evolution|volume=3|issue=1|year=2003|pages=19–28|issn=1567-1348|doi=10.1016/S1567-1348(03)00004-2|pmid=12797969|bibcode=2003InfGE...3...19H}} {{subscription required}} and enabled more accurate assessments of what types of virus are most likely to emerge in human populations and whether they will evolve human-to-human transmission. His recent research has provided fundamental insights into the breadth and biodiversity of the viral world.

Holmes wrote The Evolution and Emergence of RNA Viruses{{Cite book |url=https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-evolution-and-emergence-of-rna-viruses-9780199211135 |title=The Evolution and Emergence of RNA Viruses |last=Holmes|first=Edward C. |date=2009 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780199211135 |series=Oxford Series in Ecology and Evolution |location=Oxford, New York}} part of the Oxford Series in Ecology and Evolution edited by Paul H. Harvey and Robert M. May. He also co-authored the textbook Molecular Evolution: A Phylogenetic Approach with Rod Page.{{Cite book |title= Molecular evolution : a phylogenetic approach |last1=Page|first1=Roderic D. M. |first2=Edward C.|last2=Holmes |date=1998 |publisher=Blackwell Science |isbn=9780865428898 |location=Oxford |oclc=47011609}} Since 1994 he has supervised 31 graduate students.

Holmes co-authored the publication of the genome sequence of SARS-CoV-2{{cite journal|last1=Lu|first1=Roujian|last2=Zhao|first2=Xiang|last3=Li|first3=Juan|last4=Niu|first4=Peihua|last5=Yang|first5=Bo|last6=Wu|first6=Honglong|last7=Wang|first7=Wenling|last8=Song|first8=Hao|last9=Huang|first9=Baoying|last10=Zhu|first10=Na|last11=Bi|first11=Yuhai|last12=Ma|first12=Xuejun|last13=Zhan|first13=Faxian|last14=Wang|first14=Liang|last15=Hu|first15=Tao|last16=Zhou|first16=Hong|last17=Hu|first17=Zhenhong|last18=Zhou|first18=Weimin|last19=Zhao|first19=Li|last20=Chen|first20=Jing|last21=Meng|first21=Yao|last22=Wang|first22=Ji|last23=Lin|first23=Yang|last24=Yuan|first24=Jianying|last25=Xie|first25=Zhihao|last26=Ma|first26=Jinmin|last27=Liu|first27=William J|last28=Wang|first28=Dayan|last29=Xu|first29=Wenbo|last30=Holmes|first30=Edward C|last31=Gao|first31=George F|last32=Wu|first32=Guizhen|last33=Chen|first33=Weijun|last34=Shi|first34=Weifeng|last35=Tan|first35=Wenjie|title=Genomic characterisation and epidemiology of 2019 novel coronavirus: implications for virus origins and receptor binding|journal=The Lancet|volume=395|issue=10224|year=2020|pages=565–574|issn=0140-6736|doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30251-8|pmid=32007145|pmc=7159086|doi-access=free}}{{cite journal|last1=Zhang|first1=Yong-Zhen |author-link1=Zhang Yongzhen |last2=Holmes|first2=Edward C.|title=A Genomic Perspective on the Origin and Emergence of SARS-CoV-2| journal=Cell| volume=181|issue=2|year=2020| pages=223–227| issn=0092-8674| doi=10.1016/j.cell.2020.03.035| pmid=32220310 |pmc=7194821}} and the early descriptions of the disease, working with Zhang Yongzhen from Fudan University to share the first sequencing data from the virus.{{cite journal|last1=Wu|first1=Fan|last2=Zhao|first2=Su|last3=Yu|first3=Bin|last4=Chen|first4=Yan-Mei|last5=Wang|first5=Wen|last6=Song|first6=Zhi-Gang|last7=Hu|first7=Yi|last8=Tao|first8=Zhao-Wu|last9=Tian|first9=Jun-Hua|last10=Pei|first10=Yuan-Yuan|last11=Yuan|first11=Ming-Li|last12=Zhang|first12=Yu-Ling|last13=Dai|first13=Fa-Hui|last14=Liu|first14=Yi|last15=Wang|first15=Qi-Min|last16=Zheng|first16=Jiao-Jiao|last17=Xu|first17=Lin|last18=Holmes|first18=Edward C.|last19=Zhang|first19=Yong-Zhen |author-link19=Zhang Yongzhen |title=A new coronavirus associated with human respiratory disease in China|journal=Nature|volume=579|issue=7798|year=2020|pages=265–269|issn=0028-0836|doi=10.1038/s41586-020-2008-3|pmid=32015508 |pmc=7094943|bibcode=2020Natur.579..265W}} Holmes has figured prominently in commentary surrounding its origins. In March 2020, he co-authored a letter titled The proximal origins of SARS-CoV-2, published in Nature Medicine,{{cite journal|last1=Andersen|first1=Kristian G.|last2=Rambaut |first2=Andrew|author-link2=Andrew Rambaut|last3=Lipkin |first3=W. Ian |author-link3=W. Ian Lipkin|last4=Holmes|first4=Edward C.|last5=Garry|first5=Robert F.|title=The proximal origin of SARS-CoV-2|journal=Nature Medicine|volume=26|issue=4|year=2020|pages=450–452|issn=1078-8956|doi=10.1038/s41591-020-0820-9|pmid=32284615 |pmc=7095063}} which examined the mutations in the receptor-binding domain and furin cleavage site, and concluded that the virus sequence did not appear to be engineered.{{cite web | last=Spinney | first=Laura | title=Is factory farming to blame for coronavirus? | website=the Guardian | date=28 March 2020 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/28/is-factory-farming-to-blame-for-coronavirus | access-date=1 November 2020}}{{cite web | last=Mannix | first=Liam | title=Coronavirus Australia: Scientists dispel theory COVID-19 escaped from lab | website=The Sydney Morning Herald | date=24 April 2020 | url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/scientists-dispel-theory-covid-19-escaped-from-lab-20200424-p54mun.html | access-date=1 November 2020}} He co-authored a more-detailed review article in Cell.{{cite journal | title = The origins of SARS-CoV-2: A critical review. | journal = Cell | date = 16 Sep 2021 | author = Holmes EC | display-authors = et al. | volume = 184 | issue = 19 | pages = 4848–4856 | doi = 10.1016/j.cell.2021.08.017 | pmid = 34480864 | pmc = 8373617}}

The University of Sydney published a statement by Holmes in April that stated, "There is no evidence that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans, originated in a laboratory in Wuhan, China", and that all evidence points towards its origin in an animal species.{{cite web | title=Statement from Professor Edward Holmes on the SARS-CoV-2 virus: On the origins of the virus that causes COVID-19| website=The University of Sydney|first=Edward|last=Holmes|author-link=Edward C. Holmes| date=16 April 2020 | url=https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2020/04/16/COVID-19-statement-professor-edward-holmes-sars-cov-2-virus.html | access-date=1 November 2020}} These views were reported in the Financial Times in May 2020.{{cite web | last1=Weinland | first1=Don | last2=Manson | first2=Katrina | title=How a Wuhan lab became embroiled in a global coronavirus blame game | website=Financial Times | date=5 May 2020 | url=https://www.ft.com/content/255a3524-0459-4724-a92a-58268ab627e2 | access-date=1 November 2020}}

Before moving to Sydney in 2012, Holmes held academic appointments at various universities in the UK and USA including:

His research has been funded by the Royal Society, the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Canadian Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Rhodes Trust, Wellcome Trust, United States National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), Australian Research Council, and Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).{{Cite web|title=Professor Holmes driven by the pursuit of scientific truth|url=https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2020/05/11/professor-holmes-driven-by-the-pursuit-of-scientific-truth0.html|access-date=2020-09-15|website=The University of Sydney|language=en-AU}}

Holmes was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (FAA) in 2015 and a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 2017.{{cite web |url=https://royalsociety.org/people/edward-holmes-13395/ |title=Edward Holmes |year=2017 |website=RoyalSociety.org |publisher=Royal Society |location=London |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170511093753/https://royalsociety.org/people/edward-holmes-13395/ |archive-date=11 May 2017 }} One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from the royalsociety.org website where: {{blockquote|"All text published under the heading 'Biography' on Fellow profile pages is available under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License." --{{cite web |url=https://royalsociety.org/about-us/terms-conditions-policies/ |title=Royal Society Terms, conditions and policies |access-date=9 March 2016 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161111170346/https://royalsociety.org/about-us/terms-conditions-policies/ |archive-date=11 November 2016 }}}} In 2017 he was awarded an Australian Laureate Fellowship.{{cite news |url=https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2017/06/05/fellowships-and-training-centres-accelerate-research-capacity.html |title=Fellowships and training centres accelerate research capacity |date=5 June 2017 |access-date=21 January 2018 |work=University of Sydney }} He was awarded the Scientific Medal, Zoological Society of London in 2003. In October 2020 Holmes was named NSW Scientist of the Year.{{Cite web|last=Aubusson|first=Kate|date=2020-10-26|title=Virus rebel Professor Edward Holmes named NSW Scientist of the Year|url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/virus-rebel-professor-edward-holmes-named-nsw-scientist-of-the-year-20201026-p568qj.html|access-date=2020-10-26|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en}} In January 2021 he was jointly awarded the General Symbiont prize as an exemplar in the practice of data sharing at the Research Symbiont Awards alongside Zhang Yongzhen for sharing the first SARSCov2 genome.{{Cite web|title=The Research Symbiont Awards|url=https://researchsymbionts.org/|access-date=2021-05-01|website=ResearchSymbionts.org|language=en|date=8 January 2021}} In November 2021 he was awarded the Prime Minister's Prize for Science.{{Cite web|date=2021-11-03|title=Prime Minister's Prizes for Science 2021|url=https://www.industry.gov.au/data-and-publications/prime-ministers-prizes-for-science-2021|url-status=live|access-date=2021-11-03|website=Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104123947/https://www.industry.gov.au/data-and-publications/prime-ministers-prizes-for-science-2021 |archive-date=4 November 2021 }}

He was the recipient of the 2024 Croonian Medal and Lecture, awarded by the Royal Society.{{cite news |url=https://royalsociety.org/grants-schemes-awards/awards/croonian-lecture/ |title=Croonian Medal and Lecture winner 2024 |date=20 August 2023 |access-date=31 August 2023}}

Holmes lists his recreations as Whale Beach, New South Wales, electric guitars, and Aston Villa Football Club.{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161119062029/https://blogs.royalsociety.org/publishing/meet-our-editors-an-interview-with-edward-holmes/|archive-date=19 November 2016|url=https://blogs.royalsociety.org/publishing/meet-our-editors-an-interview-with-edward-holmes/|website=blogs.royalsociety.org|title=Meet our Editors: An interview with Edward Holmes|year=2015|first=Bailey|last= Fallon}}

• Kristian G. Andersen
• Proximal Origin, a scientific and political controversy that arose from the 2020 Nature Medicine paper
• Zhang Yongzhen

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Category:Fellows of the Royal Society

Category:Alumni of the University of Cambridge

Category:Alumni of the University of London

Category:Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science

Category:British biologists

Category:Living people

Category:1965 births