Frederick A. Murphy is a professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas. He holds a BS and DVM from Cornell University, a PhD from the University of California, Davis, and four honorary doctoral degrees. He has spent half of his professional life in research and public service (director, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta) and half in academia (dean, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis). He is a member of the Institute of Medicine - U.S. National Academy of Sciences and is a member of the German National Academy of Sciences.