Dr Colin Robert Laverty is an Australian medical practitioner and was one of the first people to find that the human papillomavirus

Papillomavirus

Papillomaviridae is an ancient taxonomic family of non-enveloped DNA viruses, collectively known as papillomaviruses. Several hundred species of papillomaviruses, traditionally referred to as "types", have been identified infecting all carefully inspected birds and mammals, but also a small number...

 was common in the cervix

Cervix

The cervix is the lower, narrow portion of the uterus where it joins with the top end of the vagina. It is cylindrical or conical in shape and protrudes through the upper anterior vaginal wall...

 and led to cervical cancer

Cervical cancer

Cervical cancer is malignant neoplasm of the cervix uteri or cervical area. One of the most common symptoms is abnormal vaginal bleeding, but in some cases there may be no obvious symptoms until the cancer is in its advanced stages...

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Early life

Colin Laverty was born in Sydney, New South Wales, the son of medical practitioners Dr Colin (Tas) Laverty and Dr Beryl Laverty. He attended Newington College

Newington College

Newington College is an independent, Uniting Church, day and boarding school for boys, located in Stanmore, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....

 (1949-1953) and then the University of Sydney

University of Sydney

The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...

. He has the qualifications MB,BS; BSc(Med); DCP(Syd); FRCPA; Dip.Cytopath (FRCPA). He graduated BSc(Med) with honours in 1959, Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery in 1962 and Diploma in Clinical Pathology in 1969 and subsequently obtained by examination Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia and a Diploma in Cytology from the same college. While at Sydney University he was awarded a Blue for Rowing.

Medical career

In 1982, Colin Laverty founded Dr Colin Laverty and Associates which provided specialised services in gynaecological cytology

Cell biology

Cell biology is a scientific discipline that studies cells – their physiological properties, their structure, the organelles they contain, interactions with their environment, their life cycle, division and death. This is done both on a microscopic and molecular level...

 and histopathology

Histopathology

Histopathology refers to the microscopic examination of tissue in order to study the manifestations of disease...

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Honours

• Medal of the Order of Australia
  Order of Australia
  The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
  
  - 26 January 2008 (for service to medicine in the fields of gynaecological cytology and histopathology, particularly through the advancement of cervical screening services in Australia and through developments in establishing the role of the human papillomavirus in the genesis of cervical cancer; and to art, particularly Indigenous art both in Australia and overseas.)

Publications (books/catalogues)

• Australian Colonial Sporting Painters: Frederick Woodhouse and Sons (Sydney, 1980) The David Ell Press, ISBN 0-908197-19-5
• Pastures and Pastimes: An exhibition of Australian Racing, Sporting and Animal Pictures of the 19th Century, Victorian Ministry for the Arts (Melbourne 1983) Catalogue, ISBN 0 7241 5392 1983;6
• Beyond Sacred: Recent Painting from Australia's remote Aboriginal communities, Hardie Grant Books (Melbourne 2008), ISBN 9781740665704 (hbk)