BSAVA PetSavers approves funding of five new clinical research grants

30 October 2026

At the autumn grant awarding meeting, BSAVA PetSavers approved the funding of five new clinical research grants across some of the most important areas of companion animal health, bringing together expertise from leading vet schools and referral centres.

At the Roslin Institute, in collaboration with Young Epilepsy and North Downs Specialist Referrals, researchers will explore a pioneering brain imaging technology that could transform the diagnosis and monitoring of canine epilepsy. A study at the RVC will investigate the mechanisms behind kidney mineralisation in cats, with the potential to identify new ways of protecting feline renal health. A multi-centre collaboration led by the University of Liverpool, involving the University of Cambridge, RVC, The Ralph, Willows and North Downs Specialist Referrals, aims to improve the identification of bacteria causing pleural infections, supporting more targeted antibiotic use and better patient outcomes.

Meanwhile, researchers at the University of Liverpool, working with Caldy Vets4Pets and Behavioural Referrals Practice, will use wearable technology to enable earlier detection of canine cognitive dysfunction, helping ageing dogs maintain a better quality of life. At the University of Edinburgh, work to better understand canine spinal arachnoid diverticula could improve diagnosis, treatment planning and prognosis for affected dogs.

Alongside these, two new student-led research projects have been funded, including one at the University of Glasgow that aims to optimise immunocytochemistry techniques on previously stained cytology smears, potentially reducing the number of patient samples required for diagnosis, and a study at the RVC investigating novel biomarkers for feline LGI1-antibody encephalitis that could support earlier diagnosis, disease monitoring and relapse detection.

Find out more about the projects supported by BSAVA PetSavers this year.