Dr Nuredin Habili.

Grapevine virus expert Dr Nuredin Habili has retired from his position at The Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) after a long career on the Waite Campus.

In his retirement he has accepted a position as Honorary Fellow at the AWRI and also acts as a guest editor of the journal Viruses. Habili is only the fourth Honorary Fellow appointed in the organisation’s history.

For the 20 years from 1997 to 2017, Habili worked as a senior research scientist at Waite Diagnostics, providing unique services in virus identification and elimination, and publishing numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals.

When Waite Diagnostics was taken over by AWRI Commercial Services in 2018, Habili moved to the AWRI to continue his virus work.

At a recent celebration marking Habili’s retirement, AWRI managing director Dr Mark Krstic commented that he had made a major contribution to the Australian grape and wine industry.

“[He] has significantly progressed knowledge of grapevine viruses, particularly in an Australian context,” Krstic said.

“We are delighted that he has agreed to accept the position of Honorary Fellow of the AWRI and that industry will continue to benefit from his skills and experience.”

The AWRI’s grapevine virus identification and elimination services continue under the management of Dr Amy Rinaldo.

Are you a Daily Wine News subscriber? If not, click here to join our mailing list. It’s free!