Profile: It's infectious

Between writing articles and books, chairing various committees, and helping with the plans to prepare the NHS for a possible bioterrorist attack, Nick juggles his posts as a senior lecturer and honorary consultant in infectious diseases and tropical medicine. He divides his time between teaching and research responsibilities at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and clinical work on the regional infectious disease unit at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

He admits, “I feel privileged to enjoy all aspects of my career. Nowadays I'm based primarily in hospital in Liverpool, but have had the opportunity to work all over the world and I still have many contacts overseas.”

Nick exudes enthusiasm for his specialty, “I've got a fabulous job and I think I'm fantastically lucky. I work with a great group of people and I find the day to day practice of clinical medicine fascinating. When I first started in this field, HIV and hepatitis C were just emerging and their prognosis was poor. Ten years later, many patients with these infections can …