Congratulations to 2024 Fellow of the Australian Society for Parasitology, Peter Rolfe!
Peter Rolfe is one those “busy bees” of parasitological experience and contribution, utilising expertise learned and gained from a variety of “parasitological pursuits and postings” and flitting from project to project, fertilising R, D & E operations with incisive research contributions and managerial skill. He is a unique researcher and parasitologist, with a broad church of inputs around the globe in all aspects of veterinary parasitology, especially livestock parasite control and management. He is a truly an “integrated parasite manager” (IPM) in the true sense of the acronym. He is also an astute research and business manager.
The Research Career and accumulation of wisdom!
After graduating with Honours in the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, 1977, Peter joined the University’s Rural Teaching Clinic at Camden, initially as an intern and then as a resident clinician. And was awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Veterinary Clinical Studies (1978). His extensive industry experience commenced in 1981 at Grafton with NSW Dept Primary Industry and later at Glenfield in 1984. In that year, he commenced his PhD part-time on liver fluke with that legend and nemesis of Fasciola hepatica, Dr Joe Boray, completing it in 1990.
From 1997 to 1999, Peter Rolfe was the resident Director for a not-for-profit “Teen Ranch”, based at Cobbitty NSW, providing activity-based camping to around 5000 young people each year. He was responsible to the Board of Directors, supervision of 25 full time staff and approximately 300 regular volunteers, marketing, promotion and asset management. It was this business acumen that he brought to the ASP Treasurer position in 2015. Peter held the position of ASP Treasurer from July 2015 – June 2017.
Subsequently, Peter moved States to become laboratory manager of the Yeerongpilly Veterinary Laboratory, Animal Research Institute, Queensland Department of Primary Industries for 2 years. He managed approximately 40 staff that provided veterinary diagnostic services to the rural industries in Queensland, including arbovirus and other sentinel monitoring programs, BSE surveillance, EBL and TB eradication, anthrax and botulism outbreak management, remote disease surveillance trials and acaricide resistance surveillance.
Peter was “head-hunted” and recruited to Meat and Livestock Australia in 2000 as Project Manager, Animal Health and many of us met and were impressed with him in that role. Over the ensuing 4 years, he was responsible for identifying suitable research providers, contracting these organisations, monitoring and reporting the research outcomes and identifying and protecting valuable IP and implementing technology transfer for the adoption of the research solutions.
Peters “Industrial Career” commenced in 2004 when he was recruited by Pfizer Animal Health as a Project Team Leader (Sydney) and responsible for a global development team of scientists from New Zealand, United Kingdom, USA, Taiwan and Australia. From 2005-9, an interlude occurred when Peter joined the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) as a Research Program Manager, Animal Health in control of extension programs and transboundary disease.
He was back to the pharmaceutical bench in 2013 when he joined Novartis Animal Health at Badgerys Creek as Senior International Project leader, Life Cycle Management, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America and Asia. He was involved in developing chemical control products (“commercial- in-confidence “ naturally) use in pigs, cattle, sheep and poultry with technical transfer and advice for research providers around the globe.
With the purchase of Novartis by Elanco, Peter continued in pharmaceutical development and external innovation relevant for the R&D pipeline for and the Asia Pacific region for all animal species.
In 2020 he “retired” (not ever as he still had much to offer) and commenced a consultancy business (Veterinary Health Innovation) in the animal health sector. In 2021 to this day, he has a part time role as District Veterinarian, Local land Services, based at Yass NSW, where he reliably informs use that Ostertagia and Trichstrongylus (members of the HOT nematodes) still plague the beef cattle industry. Meantime he still runs his own sheep and cattle, so he knows what he is talking about!
Those research contributions
So as exemplified, Peters research interests are diverse and reflect the various employment postings over his career with “Big Pharma” and Funding bodies. They span both internal and external parasites, especially the epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, control and management of internal and external parasites of cattle, sheep, horses and dogs. In additional Peter has been centrally involved in experimental model development for gastrointestinal nematodes of ruminants, dogs, as well as filariids, and acarines (ticks and lice).
During his time in Industry, Peter’s research has concentrated on parasites of the highest economic importance for the profitability of livestock and the health and welfare of companion animals. Initially with DPI, NSW, he examined Closantel resistance in Haemonchus contortus including its characterisation, genetics and alternative strategies for control, while isolating and preserving defined strains for later genetic work. Other research defined and characterised ivermectin and moxidectin resistance in the sheep nematodes Ostertagia spp. and Haemonchus and identified and tested control options for industry uptake.
From his stints with Industry, he has made instrumental contributions to developmental R&D (and market support) for new anthelmintic classes in livestock. These included Derquantel, Monepantel (Zolvix); with inputs throughout the R, D & Extension pipeline around: – global clinical development including target animal efficacy in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, United States and Brazil (sheep, cattle, goats and horses), target animal safety, regulatory affairs. The contributions also encompassed AVPMA applications for registration or emendations for these products.
While involved in chemical control developments, Peter also contributed to discovery and preclinical development of Trematicides (Flukicides- as was his favourite from doctoral days!), as well as Dicyclanil for the management and control of Lucilia cuprina (sheep fly-strike) in Australia and Fluazuron to control flystrike in Australia and Brazil. He has also found time for some discovery research on heartworm!
From his conventional and Industrial research career, Peter has 28 peer-reviewed research papers, 1 book chapter, a great heap of consultancy reports and a huge range on confidential internal Industrial trial reports (we cannot confirm or deny that last rumour!). And 3 patents.
The International Scene
Internationally, Peter is an influential parasitologist whose advice was sought through consultancies to the Eastern Islands Veterinary Services Project, Indonesia in 1990-4 that concentrated on the training of field and laboratory staff in diagnosis and control of parasitic diseases. He oversaw fluke control projects in Bogor, Indonesia in 1988 and in 1994 at Lechang, China, he and advised on parasite and animal health issues for the developing pasture based beef industry on acidic soils.
Peter has provided reviews to the National Registration Authority (now APVMA), both as a primary and secondary reviewer, on efficacy and safety submissions for anti-parasitic products.
He has also been responsible for the co-ordination of parasite control programs for sheep in NSW (Drenchplan and Wormkill) from 1990 to 1993 and later as technical consultant to those groups and subsequently, extended these applications into overseas projects and to modelling programs for the field introductions of new anthelmintics.
Contributions to the ASP
So how do the financial operations of the ASP flow so smoothly and you get you funds so efficiently and effectively? It was not always the case!!
In 2015, Peter joined (or was cajoled into!) the Sydney-based ASP Executive. We could sense his mounting frustration with part-time accountants and the laborious cheque-based operation and the disjointed financial reporting in grants, awards and servicing.
So Peter blew it up!! He utilised his business expertise to introduce “Xero” and Commbiz and completely overhauled the whole of ASP financial operations, dispensing with paper trails and book keepers to introduce the streamlined and integrated system that we have today. It was a game changer for the Society that cannot be overstated. With savings in time and dollars, it enabled the ASP Executive to make the appointment of an Executive Officer (Lisa of course!!) who was trained in Xero and could dispense with the financial operations with one hand tied behind her back. And all due to the prescience and presence of Peter Rolfe.
Post that period, Peter has continued to contribute across worm and tick control programs in his own employment as well as a member of ASP and WAAVP.
Conclusion
In view of his broad and highly incisive contributions to the discipline and his seminal contribution to ASP financial operations, Peter Rolfe is an extremely worthy recipient of the title, Fellow of the Australian Society for Parasitology.
