Dr. Hume Field is an Australian veterinarian who has contributed to emerging disease research for more than 25 years. He played a key role in the identification of bats as the natural reservoir of Hendra virus in Australia, Nipah virus in Malaysia, SARS coronaviruses in China, and Reston ebolaviruses in The Philippines. His cross-disciplinary formal qualifications include veterinary science, environmental science, and emerging diseases epidemiology. His enduring professional focus is human-associated disease emergence from wildlife, and associated threats to veterinary and public health. He is currently an Adjunct Professor in the School of Veterinary Science at The University of Queensland, Australia.
In his spare time, Hume is co-founder and Operations Manager of Little Bella Nature Refuge in the Sunshine Coast hinterland in SE Queensland, Australia, where threatened habitat and wildlife species including Koala, Greater glider, Powerful owl, and all native creatures great and small are protected and fostered.