Meeting report: A celebration of the work of Professor Tony Hart, Liverpool, United Kingdom, 7 March 2009.

Over 300 delegates participated in this scientific meeting to celebrate the career of the late Professor Tony Hart, who was Head of Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Liverpool, from 1986 until his death in September 2007. The meeting, which was opened by Professor James Stewart (Head, School of Infection and Host Defence, University of Liverpool) and closed by Professor Bernard Brabin (Head of the Child Health Group, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine), captured some of the major elements that distinguished Tony Hart's remarkable career. These included: broad research interests spanning both human and veterinary medicine; the ability to conduct both clinical and basic science research with equal skill and vigour; and his phenomenal mentorship of postgraduate students. Each session was chaired by a colleague who had co-supervised students with Tony Hart and 10 former students spoke about the work that they undertook under his supervision. Session themes included herpes viruses (cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus), paediatric infections (respiratory syncytial virus, rotavirus, Neisseria meningitidis and Salmonella typhi) and zoonoses (non-typhoidal salmonellae, Cryptosporidium, antibiotic resistance and emerging infections), reflecting the broad range of Tony Hart's contribution to medical microbiology.