Background
Bishop, Ruth Frances was born on May 12, 1933 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Daughter of Percival Charles William and Una Frances Armitage (Wilson) Langford.
educator microbiologist research scientist
Bishop, Ruth Frances was born on May 12, 1933 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Daughter of Percival Charles William and Una Frances Armitage (Wilson) Langford.
Bachelor of Science, University Melbourne, 1954. Master of Science, University Melbourne, 1958. Doctor of Philosophy, University Melbourne, 1961.
Doctor of Science, University Melbourne, 1978. FRACP (honorary), 2008. DMedSci (honorary), 2009.
In 1973, Bishop, along with Geoffrey Davidson (Royal Children's Hospital) and collaborators Ian Holmes and Brian Ruck (University of Melbourne), examined cells from the intestines of children with gastroenteritis. Intestinal biopsies were taken at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, and sent to Ian Holmes and Brian Ruck (University of Melbourne) to be examined by electron-microscopy. Under the electron microscope cells were seen to be infected with viruses, which were originally named "duovirus" because they were seen in the duodenum and had a double capsid.
The name "rotavirus" was later suggested by the Irishman, Thomas Henry Flewett, because of the round, wheel-like shape of virus particles. Rotaviruses cause diarrhoea and vomiting in young children and are a leading cause of death in the developing countries. Three thousand children are now hospitalised with rotavirus every year, down from 10,000 before the vaccine was introduced in 2007.
Bishop says the invention of electron microscopy helped her make the discovery. The team's work has led to global control of rotavirus. Dr Bishop has also published theoretical works about the patterns in the epidemiology of rotavirus infection.
From 1983 to 1988, Dr Bishop was Chair of the Committee on Diarrhoeal Diseases with the World Health Organization (WHO), and since 1989 has been Director of the WHO Collaborating Laboratory for Research on Human Rotaviruses.
Chairman associates special activities 8th Asian Conference ObGyn, Melbourne, 1979-1981. Fellow Australian Society Microbiology, Royal Australasian College Physicians (honorary). Member American Society Microbiology, American Society Virology, Pediatrics Research Society Australia (president 1972), Australian Society Medical Research, Australian Society Infectious Diseases, National Association Research Fellows National Health and Medical Research Council (secretary 1991-1993).
Married Geoffrey James Bishop, December 8, 1956. Children: Thomas Geoffrey, Anne Frances, Michael William.