Dmitry Konstantinovich Lvov
Lead Researcher, Head of the Virus Ecology Department, RAS Academician, Doctor of Medicine.
Dmitry Konstantinovich Lvov was born on June 21, 1931 in the family of a professor psychologist. In 1949, he entered the Moscow Medical Institute named after I.M. Sechenov, and upon completion of the second year, in 1951, was transferred to the third-year course of the S.M. Kirov Military Medical Academy (Leningrad), which he graduated from with distinction in 1955.
D.K. Lvov’s teachers were well-known scientists — Ye.N. Pavlovsky, Sh.D. Moshkovsky, M.P. Chumakov. Till 1957, D.K. Lvov worked as a Junior Research Fellow of the Sanitation Institute of the USSR Ministry of Defense. After demobilization, he was admitted by competitive examination to the position of a Junior Research Fellow of the Institute of Medical Parasitology and Tropical Medicine of the USSR Ministry of Health, where he worked till December 1960.
Then, Dmitry Konstantinovich Lvov was transferred to the Institute of Poliomyelitis and Viral Encephalitis of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences, where he successively passed all the stages of the academic career path – from Junior Research Fellow to Laboratory Chief.
Since October 1967, D.K. Lvov has worked for the D.I. Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, initially (till 1969) as the Laboratory Chief, then as the Deputy Director of Research. From 1987 to 2014, he was the Director of the D.I. Ivanovsky Research Institute of Virology, supervising all the research & development and organizational activities of the Institute staff. For many years, Dmitry Konstantinovich Lvov has headed the Virus Ecology Department — the largest department of the Institute.
In 1960, D.K. Lvov defended a candidate’s dissertation, and in 1965 — a doctoral dissertation. In 1975, Dmitry Konstantinovich Lvov was elected a Corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences, and in 1984 – Academician of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences in the field of Virology.
Scientific and creative achievements.
The name of Dmitry Konstantinovich Lvov is associated with the formation and development of a new discipline – virus ecology and population genetics of arboviruses, molecular virus ecology, study of recombinant processes in the mechanism of formation of a genetic pool of virus populations. He used an evolutionary approach and mathematical methods of multifactor analysis in creation of a scientifically valid concept of regular patterns of arbovirus circulation in various climatic and geographical belts of the world.
D.K. Lvov developed a unique method of ecological sensing of Russia and former Soviet states. Later, under the supervision of the scientist, large-scale experimental and field studies resulted in identification of 60 viruses of various arbovirus families, many of which are recorded in the International Catalog of Arboviruses as new to science. The role of identified viruses in human pathology has been studied, and diagnostic products have been developed. Previously unknown infections have been described: Karelian fever, Issyk-Kul fever, Tamdy fever, Syr-Darya Valley fever. A forecast of epidemic outbreaks in various landscape belts of Russia has been developed. Genetic makeup of the Crimean hemorrhagic fever virus and West Nile virus that caused widespread epidemic outbreaks in 1999–2002 in the South of Russia was determined using the molecular ecology method. Identity of genomes of West Nile virus strains isolated in that period in Russia and the USA.
The ecological method was used to study mechanisms of origination of new pandemic influenza A. Active circulation of 14 various influenza A viruses in natural biocoenoses of Northern Eurasia, including genetic variations deemed to be possible predecessors of new pandemic viruses, has been discovered. Monitoring of spread of various genotypes of hepatitis C virus in Russia resulted in discovery of universal prevalence of the most pathogenic genotype — 1B. Causes and consequences of avian influenza H5N1 import to Northern Eurasia and global consequences of this process and pathogen evolution have been studied. Processes of spread of new pandemic influenza H1N1 in Russia have been studied.
Dmitry Konstantinovich Lvov is engaged in research relevant for science and public health, purposefully and successfully studying the issue of biological safety and related problems of new and recurring infections, as well as infections caused by viruses with high degree of genome variability.
Being a scientist with deep knowledge in virology, ecology of viruses, microbiology, epidemiology, infectious pathology, D.K. Lvov has made a significant contribution to successful fulfillment and practical implementation of major scientific programs. He has created a school of virologists, specialists in the field of arbovirology and virus ecology.
He is an author of 700+ main research papers, including 11 monographs and guides in general and special virology, a unique atlas reflecting the spread of pathogens of highly dangerous and insufficiently studied viral infections within the Russian Federation. Dmitry Konstantinovich Lvov trained more than 50 candidates and doctors of science. D.K. Lvov is the Chairman of the Special Board for Defense of Doctoral and Candidate’s Dissertations in Virology, Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases, the Chairman of the Scientific Council for the Virology Systemic Problem, and the Chief Editor of the Problems of Virology journal.
For many years, Dmitry Konstantinovich Lvov has actively carried out large-scale scientific and coordination activities in the field of virology. As the Head of the Centre of Ecology of Pathogens of Dangerous Infectious Diseases, he organizes annual expeditions, holds regional meetings, scientific conferences and seminars of virologists, epidemiologists, infectious disease specialists of practical healthcare of the country and CIS on the issue of Arboviruses and Arboviral Infections. He was the organizer and Chairman of the Arboviruses, Hepatitis Viruses and The 100th Anniversary of Virology international symposiums.
D.K. Lvov has high academic authority all other the world. He is selected an International Adviser to the American National Committee for Arboviruses (since 1976), a member of the International Committee for Study of Viruses in High Latitudes, a member of the Taxonomy Groups for Bunyaviridae and Togaviridae of the International Committee for Virus Taxonomy, the supervisor (on the part of Russia) of studies of influenza ecology as part of the Russian-American cooperation on the influenza problem, an expert of WHO for influenza (since 1989), Chairman of the Committee for Medical Sciences and Public Health of the Pacific Science Association (1974–1982), a member of the editorial board of two international journals and scientific subject collections.
Long-lasting scientific and organizational activities of Dmitry Konstantinovich Lvov, his invaluable contribution to formation and development of national virology are highly praised by the RAMS Presidium, the RF Government, and the President of the Russian Federation.
D.K. Lvov has been triply awarded the RAMS D.I. Ivanovsky Prize, and is a winner of the RAMS N.F. Gamaleya Prize. In 1976, he was awarded with the Order of the Badge of Honor, in 1991 — with the Order of Lenin for formation of the virus ecology discipline in the country and development of theoretical orientations on the issue. In 1999, Dmitry Konstantinovich Lvov was awarded with the State Prize of the Russian Federation in Science and Engineering for country-wide studies of the problem of new and recurring infections and creation of the Atlas.
Main research papers.
1. Lvov D.K., Lebedev A.D., Ecology of Arboviruses. M., Meditsina, 1974. – 184 pages.
2. Tsilinsky Ya.Ya., Lvov D.K., Population Genetics of Vertebrate Viruses. M., Meditsina, 1977. – 192 pages.
3. Lvov D.K., Ilyichov V.D., Bird Migration and Infection Pathogen Dispersion. Nauka, 1979. – 270 pages.
4. Zhdanov V.M., Lvov D.K., Ecology of Pathogens of Infectious Diseases. M., Meditsina, 1984. – 263 pages.
5. Lvov D.K., Klimenko S.M., Gaydamovich S.Ya., Arboviruses and Arboviral Infections. M., Meditsina, 1989. – 335 pages.
6. Lvov D.K. et al., Atlas of the Distribution of Natural Focal Viral Infection Pathogens in the Russian Federation. M., Publishing House of the Scientific and Medical Entity of Traditional Healthcare and Homeopathy of the RF Ministry of Health, 2001. – 192 pages.
7. Medical Virology. Guidance. M., Medical Information Agency, 2007. — 640 pages.
8. Lvov D.K. Circulation of Influenza Virus in Natural Biocenosis. In: Viruses and Environment. AC Press, NY – San Francisco – London, 1978, Ch.18, p.351-380.
9. Lvov D.K. Arboviral Zoonoses in Northern Eurasia. In: Beran J.W., Steeile О.Р. (Eds.). CRS Press, Boca Raton, Ann Arbor – London – Tokyo, 1994, p.237-260.
10. Mahy B.W., Lvov D.K. (Eds.). Concepts of Virology. Harwood Academic Publ., 1993, 438 p.
11. Lvov D.K. Viral Hepatitis. In: Man Against Viruses. UNESCO, Venice, 1994, Ch.4, p.159-205.
12. Lvov D.K. et al. Prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus and Distribution of its Genotypes in Northern Eurasia. Arch. Virol., 1996, Vol.141, p.1613-1622.
13. Lvov D.K. et al. West Nile Virus and Other Zoonotic Viruses in Russia: Examples of Emerging-Reemerging Situations. Arch. Virol., Suppl., 2004, Vol.18, p.85-96.