A Bristol graduate, he worked in mixed practice in Wiltshire for 16 years. He joined MAFF “temporarily” in 2000, worked through the FMD epidemic of 2001 and became a Veterinary Officer. He left APHA after 14 years, which included a year seconded the Welsh Government as a Veterinary Advisor on bovine TB. Now a regional TB test assessor and has worked on OCQ(V)s for Improve International. He also continues to work part-time for a large practice in Wiltshire.

Josephine graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2008 and worked in a variety of small animal and mixed practices in Norfolk, Essex, London, Wales and the Midlands. Josephine currently works as a practice manager and head nurse at a small animal practice in Leicester. Jo is also currently the BVNA Junior Vice President. Since graduating, Josephine has undertaken further certificates in Canine and Feline Clinical Nutrition, Feline Nursing and End of Life Care with Compassion Understood.

Jon., originally from Somerset, graduated from the RVC in 1999 and spent two years in mixed practice in Dolgellau, North Wales. From there, he moved to Pembrokeshire where he spent seven years in a couple of practices as a mixed practitioner and VN assessor, and then as a predominantly large animal/abattoir vet. He then spent three years working for the State Veterinary Service (now APHA field services). In 2009, Jon. Moved to Aberystwyth where he spent six years as a mixed practitioner and VN assessor. Other duties included a TB-testing assessor for Improve International.

Jon. now works as centre manager for the Wales Veterinary Science Centre in Aberystwyth. Most of his time is occupied by lecturing in all aspects of veterinary science at Aberystwyth University on the Veterinary Bioscience degree, post-mortem examination of animals and as Quality Manager. He has chaired the OV conference for Improve International for the last three conferences.

Kieran worked in general practice for 6-years after graduation, where he became interested in cardiology and gained an initial post-graduate qualification in the subject. In 2011, he undertook a cardiology residency and Master’s degree at the Royal Veterinary College in London. He is an American and European college Diplomate in Cardiology, and an RCVS Recognised Specialist in the subject. He works as Clinical Lead in Cardiology at Langford Vets, University of Bristol, where he treats all species and works alongside two other Diplomates and two residents in training.

Alongside a busy cardiovascular interventional caseload in dogs and horses, he works with the feline centre to treat cats with heart disease. He has published widely on a variety of topics but has a particular passion for feline cardiomyopathy and congenital heart disease. He had the privilege of speaking all over the world to help vets learn more about cardiology, and is supported at home by his incredibly patient wife and four children – as well as a troublesome cat called Boris (in no way related to the current/former* UK Prime Minister [delete as appropriate based on the forthcoming election!]). You can follow him on Instagram via @cardio_vetbristol for posts of interesting cases and mini-CPD updates.

Owen graduated from Cambridge University in 2005 and worked in a rural practice for three years before undertaking a rotating internship and then two years of work for charities, at first in India and then back in the UK. In 2011 he moved to work in a large hospital practice and emergency centre where he focused on medical cases, and in 2014 he moved to the Royal Veterinary College to further specialize in veterinary oncology. After completing his residency term at the Royal Veterinary College he started work for Highcroft Referrals in 2017.

Owen passed examinations to award him membership of the Australian & New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists (chapter of Small Animal Medicine) in 2012 and passed speciality examinations of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2017. He was awarded American Specialist status in veterinary oncology in 2018 and RCVS specialist status in 2019. Owen holds a Master’s degree based on research into canine lymphoma and is interested in all aspects of medical oncology, especially haematopoietic malignancies, targeted therapy for cancer and paraneoplastic disease.

Jon grew up in the veterinary profession with his parents owning a small animal practice near Wigan.  After several years in small animal practice, an internship at the RVC and residency at Cambridge, he was appointed senior lecturer in soft tissue surgery at Royal Dick in Edinburgh and recently set up VetEd Specialists Ltd providing high quality CPD and veterinary specialist services.  He is a European and Royal College Specialist in small animal soft tissue surgery and a senior fellow of the higher education academy, regularly lecturing at national and international conferences.  He is highly active in postgraduate education programmes and has held Examiner positions in veterinary undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications.  Recently he has been working closely with Wear Referrals in the North East of England helping develop the impressive patient care provision currently offered and ensure that the cutting-edge surgical advancements and principles refined in academia are teamed with the client care, efficiency and professionalism of private practice.

I have been a RVN since 1999 and throughout that time have worked in a variety of settings ranging from referral hospitals, mixed animal practice, through to taking a 5 year break and running a breeding and stud yard, where I oversaw the care and wellbeing of 37 German Shepherds and 17 Thoroughbred Horses. I have lectured at colleges, been the Devon Regional Co-ordinator for the BVNA and I am presently a head nurse at a busy mixed animal practice in Devon.

Hands on nursing has always been my passion and following completion of a BSAVA merit award in Canine Rehabilitation I then began studying the Delving Deeper into Wounds Certificate on the first cohort of the course. I have a real enthusiasm for wound care and bandaging and am now proud to be a Bandaging Angel providing CPD and in house training for practices in the South West.

I strongly believe nurses can really carve themselves out a role in practice as a wound care nurse or similar providing first class care and increasing job satisfaction. I am the proud owner of a Boston Terrier and a French Bulldog, who are little monkeys!!

Will graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2010 and then completed an internship in a busy referral hospital in Berkshire.  He subsequently worked in both first opinion and referral practices before starting a residency in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia at the University of Bristol in 2014.  During his residency he completed an RCVS Advanced Certificate in Veterinary Anaesthesia in 2016, before finishing his residency in 2017.  Will plans to sit his specialist exams in 2019. He is part of the Associate of Veterinary Anaesthetists subcommittee promoting safer practice in veterinary anaesthesia, which recently published a set of guidelines to highlight the importance of anaesthesia to both veterinarians and owners.

Alison graduated from the University of Bristol in 1996.  She spent four years in general practice and worked at the Royal Veterinary College for seven years as an Intern, Resident and then Lecturer in Small Animal Surgery.  She joined Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists in 2008 where she works as a Soft Tissue Surgeon.  She is interested in and competent in all aspects of soft tissue surgery, including interventional radiology techniques.  Alison became a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2005, and is an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Small Animal Surgery and a Fellow of the RCVS.

Alison regularly gives lectures and webinars to vets and nurses, both in the UK and abroad.  She is the Surgery Program coordinator for the BSAVA certificate program and an examiner for the RVC’s CertAVP.  She has been an external examiner for the certificate program at Edinburgh University.

She is involved with the veterinary community and has volunteered as Associate Editor of the Journal of Small Animal Practice, been a member of the BSAVA Education committee and spent 10 years on the committee of the Association of Veterinary Soft Tissue Surgeons, most recently as President.

She co-edited the second edition of the BSAVA ‘Manual of Canine and Feline Wound Management and Reconstruction’ and has published many book chapters and clinical and research papers.

Ian Ramsay is Professor of Small Animal Medicine at Glasgow University and an RCVS and European Recognised Specialist in Small Animal Medicine.  He has lectured and published extensively on many aspects of small animal medicine, but his main interest is endocrinology.  He is the editor of the BSAVA Canine and Feline Formulary and was awarded the BSAVA Woodrow Award for contributions to small animal medicine in 2015.

Amelia began working in practice in 2008 and went on to obtain her Diploma in Veterinary Nursing (RVN) in 2012. Whilst currently studying for her Certificate in Anaesthesia, she is Consulting Nurse Lead and Clinical Coach in a mixed, first opinion practice in South Wales. Amelias trained at hospital standard and has experience in a variety of settings, including working as an emergency nurse covering out of hours.

Amelia’s keen interest in wound management goes back to her days as an SVN and after completing the first cohort of the Delving Deeper into Wounds Certificate she has successfully carved out a role as a wound nurse in practice. In 2014 Amelia became involved with The Veterinary Wound Library and she went on to become Bandaging Angels Co-ordinator followed by a role as Clinical Development Manager.

Managing Director, SYNLAB VPG (Veterinary Pathology Group)

Graduating from Cambridge (1985) Andrew started his career at Michigan State University, USA. American Boarded (ACVIM 1989), PhD at the Royal Veterinary College (1992) then lecturer in Critical Care Medicine. Moved into Clinical Pathology in 1994, American boarded (ACVP 1998). In 2001 he launched TDDS (Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory) in Exeter. Another 5 laboratories followed becoming the Veterinary Pathology Group (VPG 2014). VPG merged with SYNLAB in 2017, Andrew became Managing Director of the group in the new structure. VPG is known for high quality cutting edge diagnostic work and has an outstanding training record for residents in Clinical Pathology.

Criticalist at Vets Now Referrals Manchester and previously 8 years at Petmedics emergency hospital in Manchester. Designated RCVS Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice in the field of Emergency and Critical Care.

Qualified from the Royal Veterinary College, University of London in 1998 with BVetMed MRCVS

Obtained MSc (Clinical Oncology) University of Birmingham in 2003

Obtained RCVS Certificate in Veterinary Dermatology in 2010 and RCVS Advanced Practitioner Status in 2015 and ran two busy Dermatology Referral Services in the South of the UK (Highcroft and Lumbry Park); Extensive teaching experience and CPD provision; Proceedings Editor for the British Veterinary Dermatology Study Group (2011-2018); President of the British Veterinary Dermatology Study Group (2018- ongoing) Allergy Vet Advisor for Axiom, Greendale and Finn Laboratories (2015-2019) Key opinion leader for nine pharmaceutical companies (Elanco, Vetruus, Artuvet, Zoetis, Virbac, Lintbells, Royal Canin, Hills, Bayer)

Currently Chief Veterinary Officer for Vet-AI, a vet/tech research and development company with a telemedicine provision, heading up the recruitment, support and training for the entire clinical team.

David qualified from Cambridge vet school back in 1988 knowing he wanted to focus on veterinary ophthalmology.  He worked at the Animal Health Trust and Royal Veterinary College gaining a PhD in ocular immunology and Certificate in Veterinary Ophthalmology followed by a Fellowship of the Royal College by thesis on ocular abnormalities in farmed halibut (well someone had to do it!) and a VetMD on age-related cataract across different species.  He is also passionate about animal welfare and is a diplomate of the European College of Animal Welfare and Behaviour Medicine.  He teaches at Cambridge Vet School running the ophthalmology clinic there and has in an honorary senior lecturer in ethics and welfare at the RVC.  He is currently completing a (third!) doctoral thesis on teaching ethics to vet students.  In his spare time, he helps run the youth group in his local church and walks to keep up his 10,000 steps a day!

RCVS recognised specialist in small animal surgery (orthopaedics)

Phil qualified in 2005 and worked in mixed general practice for two years before embarking on specialisation with a surgery-specific internship followed by a residency in small animal orthopaedics. He achieved his certificate in general small animal surgery in 2014 and his diploma in small animal surgery (orthopaedics) in 2018. He is interested in all aspects of small animal orthopaedics and neurosurgery but has a soft spot for the challenges presented by angular limb deformity correction.