26 Facts About Jonathan Van-Tam

Sir Jonathan Stafford Nguyen Van-Tam was born on 2 February 1964 and is a British physician specialising in influenza, including its epidemiology, transmission, vaccinology, antiviral drugs and pandemic preparedness.

Jonathan Van-Tam became a Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England on 2 October 2017.

Jonathan Van-Tam played a very significant part in the UK's response to the Covid-19 pandemic which started in 2020 as one of two deputies.

Jonathan Van-Tam is partially of Vietnamese descent, his grandfather was Nguyen Van Tam the Prime Minister of the State of Vietnam and his uncle, Nguyen Van Hinh, was Chief Of Staff of the Vietnamese National Army and the first Vietnamese officer in the French Armed Forces to be promoted to the rank of general.

Jonathan Van-Tam graduated in medicine from the University of Nottingham in 1987.

Jonathan Van-Tam was awarded bachelor's degrees in Medical Sciences in 1985 and a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery in 1987.

Jonathan Van-Tam was awarded a Doctorate of Medicine in 2001, supported by a thesis on epidemiology.

Jonathan Van-Tam became a senior lecturer at the University of Nottingham in 1997, before joining the pharmaceutical industry as an associate director at SmithKline Beecham in 2000.

Jonathan Van-Tam returned to the public sector in 2004 at the Health Protection Agency Centre for Infections, where he was head of the pandemic influenza office until October 2007.

Jonathan Van-Tam then returned to Nottingham as professor of health protection.

Jonathan Van-Tam has published over 100 scientific papers and written four textbooks.

Jonathan Van-Tam is co-editor of the textbook Introduction to Pandemic Influenza and was editor-in-chief of the journal Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses from 2014 to 2017.

Jonathan Van-Tam's unit is an officially designated WHO Collaborating Centre for pandemic influenza and research and a UK Faculty of Public Health "National Treasure" research training location.

On 2 May 2023, Jonathan Van-Tam began work as a senior medical consultant to the Covid-19 vaccine maker Moderna.

Jonathan Van-Tam was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1998 New Year Honours as an acting major in the Lincolnshire Army Cadet Force.

Jonathan Van-Tam's ideas were accepted by the Ministry of Defence.

Jonathan Van-Tam is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health, of the Royal Society of Biology and the Academy of Medical Sciences.

Jonathan Van-Tam delivered the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures in 2021.

In 2021, the Royal College of Physicians invited Jonathan Van-Tam to hold the Harveian Oration, the most prestigious lecture of the learned society.

Jonathan Van-Tam was knighted in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to public health.

Jonathan Van-Tam was unable to attend his scheduled investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on 17 May 2022 due to self-isolating, having contracted COVID-19.

Jonathan Van-Tam was invested by the Duke of Cambridge at Buckingham Palace on 7 July 2022.

In October 2022, Jonathan Van-Tam was promoted to Honorary Colonel for Medical Support, in the Army Cadet Force.

Jonathan Van-Tam has many years of experience working with the ACF.

Jonathan Van-Tam was appointed Honorary Colonel Lincolnshire Army Cadet Force on 1 December 2024.

Jonathan Van-Tam is a supporter and season ticket holder at Boston United FC He has three children.