Malik Peiris

Malik Peiris
මලික් පීරිස්
Born
Joseph Sriyal Malik Peiris

(1949-11-10) 10 November 1949
NationalityBritish and Sri Lankan (dual national)
Permanent resident of Hong Kong, China
Other namesJoseph Sriyal Malik Peiris
Joseph Peiris
JSM Peiris
Alma materUniversity of Ceylon (MBBS)
University of Oxford (DPhil)
SpouseSharmini Arseculeratne
ChildrenShalini (d)
Shehan (s)
RelativesSarathnanda "Chubby" Arsecularatne (father-in-law)
AwardsJohn Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award
Silver Bauhinia Star
Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur
Scientific career
FieldsVirology
InstitutionsUniversity of Hong Kong
Royal Victoria Infirmary
University of Peradeniya
ThesisEnhancement by antiviral antibody of the replication of togaviridae in mononuclear phagocytes (1980)
Doctoral advisorJames S. Porterfield

Joseph Sriyal Malik Peiris (Sinhala: ජෝසප් ශ්‍රියාල් මලික් පීරිස්, born 10 November 1949) is a Hong Kong-based Sri Lankan virologist, most notable for being the first person to isolate the SARS virus. He is the current Tam Wah-Ching Professor in Medical Science, and Chair Professor of Virology at the Division of Public Health Laboratory Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Hong Kong. He was a member of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization of the World Health Organization from 2009 to 2010.