Anthony Epstein is a virologist, noted for discovering a new herpes virus (later named Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) after him) while searching for a causative virus in a lymphoid children’s cancer, Burkitt lymphoma (BL). This was the first discovery of a human cancer virus. An essential step in the search involved growing BL cells in the lab and Anthony thus achieved the first culture of any human lymphocytic cell — a technique important for many other investigations.

Silent EBV infection occurs in very young children worldwide, but with cofactors causes BL in African children and cancer of the nose in Southern Chinese adults. It also causes some Hodgkin lymphomas, and cancers in immunosuppressed HIV sufferers and bone marrow recipients. Infection delayed until adolescence may lead to self-limiting glandular fever.

Anthony has received many awards, medals, and scientific honours, including four significant international prizes. He served as Royal Society Vice-President and Foreign Secretary for five years, twice on its Council and on many national and international scientific advisory boards. He was knighted in 1991.