PGDip BSc (Hons) RN RVN

Helen graduated with a degree in Pharmacology in 2002, qualifying as a Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN) in the UK in 2005. She has worked nationally and internationally, gathering experience in referral medicine and surgery, charity practice, emergency nursing and exotics.

In 2013 she qualified as a human centred nurse, initially working in cardiothoracic intensive care. Currently she works as a Specialist Transplant Nurse. Day to day she supports living kidney donors through the process of donation. She also holds an on call role, managing the logistics of matching, retrieving and transplanting abdominal organs from deceased donors. 

Helen remains a RVN and has developed a strong interest in the principles of One Health and is the current chair of the UK One Health Coordination Group. She is particularly interested in elements of nursing that might be shared between the

veterinary and medical sectors. 

Her first textbook, Veterinary Nursing Care Plans: Theory and Practice was published in 2018. She completed a MSc in Healthcare Management in 2021 and is thinking hard about her next big project!

Dave graduated from the University of East London in 1995 with a BSc (Hons) in Infectious Diseases and began work at Moredun Research Institute later that year. Whilst working at the Institute he was awarded his PhD from Edinburgh University (2008). 

He is now a principal investigator with 30 years’ experience in veterinary parasitology and has worked on many facets of sustainable roundworm control and improving diagnostics associated with species identification and anthelmintic resistance. His research interests also include the development, transport and mechanisms associated with anthelmintic resistance. 

He actively participates in the promotion of best practice roundworm control in ruminants and sits on the Sustainable Control of Parasites of Sheep (SCOPS) and Control of Worms sustainably; COWS) committees.  He has published a wide range of scientific papers and lay articles and developed and delivered numerous continued professional development (CPD) and training events.

MA VetMB, PhD, CertVA, DACVAA MRCVS

Rachel Bennett qualified from Cambridge Veterinary School in 1991. She spent a year in small animal first opinion practice prior to becoming the Elise Pilkington Equine Anaesthesia resident at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket. She gained the RCVS Certificate in Veterinary Anaesthesia in 1994. 

She then moved to UCDavis, USA in 1995 to continue her anaesthesia training, becoming a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Anesthesiology and Analgesia in 1999. She returned to the UK in 1999 where she subsequently spent six years working as a Clinical anaesthetist and Lecturer in Veterinary Anaesthesia at Cambridge Veterinary school.

Between 2007 and 2009 she was a consultant anaesthetist at Newmarket Equine Hospital. From 2009 to 2015 she worked at UCD, Ireland, where she was a Lecturer in Veterinary Anaesthesia.

During this time, she was taught both 4th and 5th year veterinary undergraduates. She also supervised postgraduate students training for the ECVAA diploma. Whilst at UCD she undertook a PhD in the Clinical Pharmacology of the α2-adrenoceptor antagonist MK-467, which she successfully defended in 2017. She has been a visiting Lecturer in Large Animal Anaesthesia at the New Bolton Center, Pennsylvania USA and a visiting Professor in Veterinary Anaesthesia at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, St Kitts and Nevis in the West Indies. Since 2016 she has worked as a Clinical Anaesthetist at AndersonMoores Veterinary Specialists in Hampshire. 

Rachel is interested in pharmacogenetics and its role in anaesthetic drug sensitivity and analgesic drug efficacy.

Mark graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 1996 and stayed there in a number of post-graduate and clinical roles in equine medicine. He obtained RCVS certificates in veterinary anaesthesia and equine internal medicine. He completed a residency in equine thoracic medicine and a PhD in equine cardiology, both funded by the Horserace Betting Levy Board. He was appointed as a lecturer in equine cardiology and internal medicine. He moved to the University of Nottingham as founding member of the school of Veterinary Medicine and Science in 2006. In that role he led on multiple education projects and continued his research interests in equine cardiology, becoming Professor in Veterinary Medicine in 2016.

He completed a master’s in medical education and a further residency in large animal internal medicine, becoming a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2013. He is a principal fellow of the Higher Education Academy (Advance HE) and a Diplomate of the European College of Equine Internal Medicine and a defacto Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation. He has been involved in the British Equine Veterinary Association for many years and authored their responsible antibiotic use toolkit (Protect ME) and was President in 2015. He continues to contribute to their Health and Medicines Committee and to the Equine Disease Coalition with a particular interest in responsible antibiotic and anthelmintic use.

He has been a clinically active specialist in equine internal medicine and has a particular interest in equine cardiology. He taught undergraduates and postgraduate students (PhD, Interns and Residents) at the University of Nottingham, working in each of its partner practices before leaving in 2021 to establish his own business as a clinical consultant in equine medicine. He is also Director of Education for the European Board of Veterinary Specialisation. He is a contributor to the VMD CANTER project and a member of the HBLB Veterinary Advisory Committee.

MSc MBA

Benjamin is a qualified Toxicologist with more than 25 years industry experience in EU food safety assessment and product development. He has lived and worked in UK, France and the US and lead multidisciplinary, global, teams in animal health (comprising personnel from Manufacturing, Chemistry, Quality, Safety, Efficacy, packaging and supply/launch) to develop a variety of successful veterinary medicinal products (including large and small molecules via a range of delivery routes: tablets; injectables; slow-release capsules; feed additives). He believes in the central contribution of technology towards a safe, affordable and sustainable global food supply which has motivated him throughout his career which he has instilled in the teams he has led. 

He holds a Bachelors Degree in Anatomical Science from Bristol University, a Masters Degree in Toxicology from the University of Surrey and an MBA from the University of Bath. 

Outside of work Benjamin is a qualified Mountain Leader and regularly teaches and assesses young people undertaking Duke of Edinburgh Award Expeditions in the United Kingdom. Benjamin is also Trust Chair of a thriving local Scout Unit, an Instructor with Avon County Scouts teaching adult leaders how to take groups of young people into the outdoors safely, and is a Trustee of the Grundy Educational Trust. 

Yu-Mei Ruby Chang gained her M.S. degree in Statistics and PhD in Quantitative Genetics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Upon completing her PhD, she was appointed to the post of Computational Geneticist in the Dairy Science Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she provided statistical and computational assistance to students and faculty staffs, and she also participated in collaborative research in the area of statistical modelling and algorithm development with application to dairy cattle improvement programs. 

She joined the Section of Epidemiology and Biostatics, Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Leeds as a Research Fellow in 2006. She allied with scientists and clinicians on the genetic and epidemiological data analysis of melanoma studies. Ruby works widely with many colleagues in laboratory animal, wild animal farm animals research. She has special interest in study design and use machine learning techniques to extract meaningful information from different sources and types of data. She is currently Associate Professor of Statistics at the Royal Veterinary College. She has been a Chartered Statistician (CStat) of the Royal Statistical Society since 2012.

MA, VetMB, MBA, PGCHE, FHEA, MRCVS

Mike graduated from Cambridge Vet School and then spent 4 years in mixed practice in the Cotswolds. From there he moved to Minster Veterinary Practice in York. It was not long before he made the shift from mixed practice to 100% poultry and gamebird work. 

In 2000 he set up the Minster poultry office in Hereford and became a partner in the business. On the move again, he then established the Minster poultry office at Sutton Bonington and became involved in poultry teaching at Nottingham Vet School; latterly becoming an honorary associate professor in poultry medicine. 

In 2011 he completed an MBA at Nottingham Vet School. For the last 4 years Mike has been a consultant poultry veterinary adviser at Boehringer Ingelheim. He is clinical associate professor in poultry medicine & agribusiness at Nottingham Vet School, where he is head of the division of population science, deputy clinical director, senior tutor and deputy chair of the ethics committee. 

Mike has been involved in various committees including the Animal Health and Welfare Board of England (AHWBE), BVPA (currently president), the Poultry Vet Study Group of the EU, the Poultry Disease Group and the APHA Avian Expert Group.

DVM PhD FHEA DipECPVS FRCVS

Dr Ganapathy qualified as a veterinary surgeon in 1991 and became a member of RCVS in 2004.  He has been a RCVS-recognised specialist in poultry medicine and production since 2009 and a diplomate of European College of Poultry Veterinary Science since 2011. 

For the last 10 years, he has occupied the role of meeting secretary for the British Veterinary Poultry Association. He has also acted as a trustee for BVPA Trust and Gordan Memorial Trust and serves as section editor for British Poultry Science journal.   

Since completion of his PhD in 1997 at the University of Liverpool, Ganapathy specialised in diagnosis, control and prevention of poultry diseases, specifically those related to respiratory and egg losses. 

Areas of research include immunopathogenesis, diagnosis, epidemiology, vaccinology and control strategies.  He has acted as an independent research grant assessor for UK and international applications. 

Dr Ganapathy’s research output includes impact-case submission for REF2021, and publication of a number of peer reviewed papers in international journals on poultry infectious diseases and the use of vaccines. 

BSc (Hons), PG Cert (Distinction) Sustainable and Efficient Food Production

Mark Jelley graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Agriculture from Harper Adams University College in 2002 and holds a postgraduate certificate with distinction in Sustainable and Efficient Food Production.  

Shortly after his studies he returned to work on the family farm in Long Buckby, Northamptonshire. The farm ran a 250 head sheep flock along with 75 suckler cows and a beef finishing enterprise, as well as 250 acres of arable cropping. Changes in structure on the farm have since resulted in an end to the sheep enterprise and an increase in the beef herd to its current 98 head of suckler cows. The finishing unit has also grown to accommodate the increase in calves being born on farm. 

In 2015 Mark graduated from Aberystwyth University with a Post Graduate Certificate (Distinction) in Sustainable and Efficient Food Production before joining the Veterinary Products Committee as a Working Farmer in 2016. 

Mark is also the Chairman of The Cattle Antibiotics Guardian Group at RUMA, setting responsible antibiotic use targets for the cattle sector and for many years has worked with AHDB on knowledge exchange. 

A qualified R-SQP, Fiona works in a sales support role for Bimeda Animal Health in the North of England. She attended both Newton Rigg Agricultural College and Lancashire Agricultural College in the 1980’s. Coming from a farming background and currently working in a farming partnership on the family sheep farm in Cumbria. She has worked in the Animal Health industry for nearly 40 years in ruminant and equine roles. In addition, Fiona also is North of England regional advisor for the Moredun Institute. Interests outside work include breeding horses and following National Hunt racing.

BVetMed PgDipAP PhD CertSAM DipECVIM-CA (Onc) FHEA FRCVS

David qualified as a veterinary surgeon from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in 2003. He worked in mixed and then small animal practice before starting specialist training in veterinary oncology at the University of Liverpool in 2007. 

David then studied at RVC for a PhD identifying novel targets for anti-cancer immunotherapy from 2010. In 2014 David returned to the University of Liverpool where he is now Professor of Veterinary Oncology.

David holds the RCVS Certificate in Small Animal Medicine (2008), the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicines (ECVIM) diploma in veterinary oncology (2011) and a PhD (2014).

He is a RCVS and European Board of Veterinary Specialisation recognised specialist in veterinary oncology. David is current Chair of the ECVIM oncology specialty group, and a member of the RCVS ethical review panel and Fellowship credentials panel.

BVetMed MSc PhD MRCVS

David Mackay qualified as a veterinary surgeon in 1981 and worked in general veterinary practice before obtaining postgraduate degrees in immunology from the universities of Birmingham and London. He pursued a research career in exotic viral diseases of livestock culminating as Head of the Pirbright Laboratory of the Institute for Animal Health. 

Dr Mackay subsequently moved into the regulatory area, starting at the Veterinary Medicines Directorate in the UK before moving to the European Medicines Agency as Head of Veterinary Medicines. He retired from the EMA in 2018 and now provides independent advice to governmental and non-governmental bodies in relation to regulation and use of veterinary medicines. During his career Dr Mackay has published in peer reviewed journals on infectious disease of animals, veterinary vaccinology and regulatory affairs, particularly in relation to immunological veterinary medicinal products.

BVM&S, MSc, MRCVS

Mr Ronnie Soutar is a practicing veterinary surgeon working in aquaculture; he is currently employed as Head of Veterinary Services for Scottish Sea Farms, one of Scotland’s largest salmon farmers.  

Ronnie graduated from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in 1980 and has worked in general veterinary practice and management as well as fish farming. He holds an MSc in Aquatic Veterinary Studies from Stirling University and is a Past-President of both the Fish Veterinary Society and BVA Scottish Branch. He represents fish vets on the Scottish Government’s Farmed Fish Health Framework working group.

He is also involved in a variety of equestrian activities, runs a smallholding with sheep, poultry and cattle and was Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Scottish SPCA, Scotland’s foremost animal welfare charity, for four years until May 2022.

MA VetMB DCHP FRCVS

Jonathan graduated from Cambridge University Veterinary School in 1996 and combines more than 25 years in veterinary practice with a range of wider industry and academic roles. 

He is Chief Executive of RAFT Solutions Ltd, an innovation led agritech/biotech food sustainability company and director of Veterinary Diagnostics Ltd (VetDx). As chair of Bishopton Veterinary Group, a 45+vet independently owned practice (members of XL Vets) based in Yorkshire, he remains clinically active in practice.  

Jonathan has held a range of representative or policy linked roles including past President of the British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA) and Yorkshire Veterinary Society, member of GB ‘Cattle Health & Welfare Group’ (CHAWG), GB ‘Sheep Health & Welfare Group’ (SHAWG), the Veterinary Policy Group (VPG) of the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and is a past director of Cattle Health Certification Standards (CHeCS). 

He currently sits on UK Animal Science Advisory Board (ASAB) Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN), the UK ‘One Health’ Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Strategy Group, GB Ruminant Health & Welfare Steering Group (RH&WG) & is a fellow of Askham Bryan College.  He is currently Chair of the Animal Health & Welfare Board England (AHWBE) & Chair of Defra Animal Health & Welfare Pathway Chairs Groups. 

In 2020 he took up a chair at Harper and Keele Veterinary School and is Professor of Sustainable Livestock Health & Welfare, chairing the InSHAW (Institute for Sustainable livestock Health & Welfare) Leadership Group. 

Main veterinary and research interests include progressive herd health, reproductive technologies and Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) approaches to Sustainable Food. 

He has published a wide range of papers and is a co-author of textbook ‘Dairy Herd Health’. He is a RCVS recognised specialist in Cattle Health & Production, Fellow of RCVS and was named UK Dairy Vet of the year 2015.

Andrea Tarr qualified as a pharmacist in 1984 and has an MSc in evidence-based pharmacotherapy. She began her career in hospital pharmacy, specialising in medicines information, then worked in the pharmaceutical industry, in product information and in sales. 

For the next 20 years she was an editor on an independent medical publication, the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin, which produced independent evaluations of treatments, for doctors and pharmacists. She has written medicines evaluations for the WHO essential medicines list. She is the founder and a director of Veterinary Prescriber, which produces online CPD on medicines for vets, vet nurses, SQPs and pharmacists. She works part time as a community pharmacist at an independent pharmacy, which is owned by a doctors’ dispensing practice, and which serves a local veterinary referral hospital.

Enrique qualified as a Veterinary Surgeon in 1993 and has a further qualification in Business Management. He has a wide range of experience in veterinary public health and food safety, sales – purchasing and management. 

After working as an Official Veterinarian and Area Veterinary Manager for 7 years in the UK, he then moved to a Purchasing Director role at ESCA Food Solutions, a multinational company working in close relationship with McDonalds, managing a budget of 48 million euros, with responsibilities in meat purchasing and evaluation and contract management of suppliers. 

After this Enrique joined Hall Mark in 2004 as a Veterinary Director, responsible for service delivery of the contract with the Food Standards Agency, managing teams across England and Wales. Roles at Hall Mark have included board member, Veterinary Director (England and Wales), and ISO Quality Manager (development and maintenance of Hall Mark ISO 17020 system). These roles have required significant liaison with a wide variety of Stakeholder groups including all those represented on the FSA stakeholder group on current and future meat controls. They have also provided the opportunity to contribute in many working groups (both operational and technical) for policy formulation within FSA giving experience of the complex, cross disciplinary political environment in which Official Controls are delivered.

After leaving Hall Mark in March 2017, Enrique joined the Food Standards Agency (FSA), as a Veterinary Adviser providing support to both the Policy Division and the Science, Evidence and Research Division, being involved in food safety risk management and a wide range of veterinary public health policy issues.

Enrique is a past member of several veterinary associations such as Council member of the Veterinary Public Health Association and Member of the UK One Health Coordination Group.

BSc (Hons), PhD, FRSB, CBiol, EurProBiol, MIEnvSci, CEnv, CSci, CMIEEM MInstKT

Jason Weeks gained a PhD in marine ecotoxicology in 1990.   He spent 4 years in Denmark as a Royal Society Research Fellow and then associate professor at Odense University. Returning to the UK in 1994, to lead the newly created soil ecotoxicology team at the then Institute of Terrestrial Ecology (now CEH). After eight years he joined WRc plc as chief scientist.

Jason was Professor of Environmental Risk Analysis at Cranfield University until recently when he joined IEH Consulting. Prior to 2013, he was Director of the Aquatic Veterinary Pharmaceutical Programme at Cefas.

During his ten years at Cefas, he was responsible for the development of aquatic veterinary medicines as treatments for aquaculture production and fish vaccine development. 

Jason has over 30 years' experience as an international development consultant with extensive experience in the environmental and aquaculture sectors and has been instrumental in the successful delivery of significant international aid funded project work, including periods in-country (Latin America, SE. Asia; Australasia, Canada, Central and Eastern Europe, Central and Middle Asia, the Caribbean, Korea and Africa). 

He has published in excess of 120 peer-reviewed scientific papers on a broad range of subject areas mostly pertaining to environmental health and risks. He previously chaired the European Medicine Agency's Ad hoc Expert Group and was former co-opted member of the Committee for Medicinal Products for Veterinary Use (CVMP) at the EMA. 

Jason is Chair for the Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (PiE) intergovernmental group and is also a member of Hazardous Substances Advisory Committee (HSAC) (Defra) and a member of the UK REACH Independent Scientific Expert Pool (RISEP).

BVSc LLB DPM FRCVS

Mark White is a Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons recognised specialist in pig medicine working as a clinical veterinarian who qualified from University of Bristol in 1981. Following a spell in general practice in Oxfordshire, he moved to East Yorkshire in 1983 to develop his interests in pig medicine where he remained for 30 years. During that time he provided first and second opinion advice to commercial pig farms with a particular emphasis on health management and control. He obtained the Certificate in Pig Medicine from the RCVS in 1987 and became the first to go on and then obtain the Diploma in Pig Medicine (1993), both by examination. 

Consultancy work for pig breeding and pharmaceutical companies led to overseas work as well as expanding within the UK. Following retirement from Practice in Yorkshire Mark relocated to Herefordshire from where he now runs an independent pig consultancy business. He has served as Pig Veterinary Society President twice, chairs the medicines subgroup and has sat on BVA Council, Veterinary Policy Group and Medicines Group. He was veterinary advisor (pigs) to the 2017 Targets Task Force charged with reducing antibiotic usage in the pig sector. He has sat on the Farm Animal Welfare Committee since 2011.