José Manuel Sánchez-Vizcaíno Rodríguez was born in Murcia in 1951. He received his Licentiate and PhD at the Veterinary Faculty of the Universidad Complutense. Subsequently, he did his post-graduate studies in animal immunology and virology at Cornell University in New York. Upon returning to Spain he joined the National Institute of Agricultural and Food Research (INIA, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agrarias y Alimentarias) performing the following functions: Researcher (1978-1980), Chief of Research Projects (1980-1985), Chief of the Animal Virology Department (1985-1988), Chief of the Animal Health Department (1988-1993) and Chief of the Animal Health Research Center (CISA, Centro de Investigacion en Sanidad Animal) (1993-2002).

Since the year 2002 he is a Professor of Animal Health at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, performing his teaching and researching labor in the Department of Animal Health at the Veterinary Faculty.

The Scientific contributions of Professor Sanchez-Vizcaino have notably contributed to the control and eradication of various animal diseases, among them the African Swine Disease, Horse Sickness and Classical Swine Disease. All of that thanks to the development of new methods and fast and sensitive diagnostic reagents, new epidemiologic strategies as well as the development of new vaccines.

He has more than a hundred scientific publications in high international impact magazines. He is the author of various chapters in books with international prestige (African Swine Fever and Diseases of Swine, African Horse Sickness in the OIE handbook, Trends in Emerging Viral Infections of Swine…) and digital courses dedicated to immunology and infectious diseases as well as sanitary simulations. He has directed a great number of investigation projects and doctoral theses about animal infectious diseases. He obtained the National Swine Investigation Prize ANAPORC 1990, the International Swine Prize “PORCO BRAVO 1999”, the First Prize on Swine Health and Production ( Produccion Animal 2000)and the Animal Health Prize 2007 “Los mejores de La Verdad 2007” .

He has been condecorated with the “Encomienda de Numero de la Orden del Merito Agrario” (Order of the Agrarian Merit) (03/12/99) y “del Merito Alimentario” (Nourishing Merit) (05/05/03), as well as the Military Service Cross with a white symbol (03/01/03) for his contributions in animal health and in controlling infectious diseases.

Professor Sanchez-Vizcaino has been collaborating since 1990 with the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and with FAO in various health missions for controlling infectious diseases and for technological transference in several European countries, in America and Africa. He has participated in a great number of scientific national and international commissions. He is an OIE expert on African Swine Disease (1991 to date), member of the National Committee of the Health Alert System ( 2201 to date), of the Assessing Scientific Committee of the Public Health Institute of the Madrid Community (2002 to date), Scientific Committee of the animal health and wellness commission of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) (2003-2006), Scientific Committee of the Spanish Agency of Food Safety (AESA) (2003-2008).

His current scientific interest is centered in the study of animal infectious diseases and particularly in the development of new diagnostic techniques and new strategies for its control by means of analyzing the risk and development of epidemiologic models as well as establishing networks for sanitary monitoring.

He belongs to various Scientific National and International Societies and has been the President of the Scientific Swine Production Association (ANAPORC).