José Manuel Sánchez-Vizcaíno Rodríguez was born in Murcia in 1951. He received his Licentiate and PhD at the Veterinary Faculty of the Universidad Complutense. Subsequently, he conducted his post-graduate studies in animal immunology and virology at Cornell University in New York. Upon returning to Spain he joined the National Institute of Agricultural and Food Research (INIA, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agrarias y Alimentarias) performing the following functions: Researcher (1978-1980), Chief of Research Projects (1980-1985), Chief of the Animal Virology Department (1985-1988), Chief of the Animal Health Department (1988-1993) and Chief of the Animal Health Research Center (CISA, Centro de Investigacion en Sanidad Animal) (1993-2002).

Since the year 2002 he has been a Professor of Animal Health at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, carrying out his teaching and research in the Department of Animal Health at the Veterinary Faculty.

The Scientific contributions of Professor Sanchez-Vizcaino have notably contributed to the control and eradication of various animal diseases, among them the African Swine Fever, African Horse Sickness and Classical Swine Disease. All of that thanks to the development of new methods and fast and sensitive diagnostic reagents, new epidemiologic strategies as well as the development of new vaccines.

He has more than 200 research publications in high international impact journals. He is the author of various chapters in books with international prestige (African Swine Fever and Diseases of Swine, African Horse Sickness in the OIE handbook, Trends in Emerging Viral Infections of Swine…) and digital courses dedicated to immunology and infectious diseases as well as sanitary simulations. He has directed a great number of research projects and doctoral theses about infectious animals diseases.

Since 1990 Professor Sánchez-Vizcaíno has collaborated with the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and with the FAO in various health missions for controlling infectious diseases and for technological transference in several European countries, in America and Africa. He has participated in many national and international scientific commisions. He is an OIE expert on African Swine Disease (1991 to present), a member of the National Committee of the Health Alert System (2001 to date), the Assessing Scientific Committee of the Public Health Institute of the Madrid Community (2002 to date), Scientific Committee of the animal health and wellness commission of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) (2003-2006) and Scientific Committee of the Spanish Agency of Food Safety (AESA) (2003-2008).

He is a member of several scientific societies, both nationally and internationally and is currently the president of the ESVV (European Society for Veterinary Virology).

His current scientific interest is centered in the study of animal infectious diseases and particularly in the development of new diagnostic techniques and new strategies for its control by means of analyzing the risk and development of epidemiologic models as well as establishing networks for sanitary monitoring.

He belongs to various Scientific National and International Societies and has been the President of the Scientific Swine Production Association (ANAPORC).