On this page you will find Q&A’s from our researchers giving you an insight into what inspired them to become a vet, the types of research that they have done and how it has had an impact on the profession, alongside any advice they would give to those intending to carry out their first clinical research project.
Meet The Researchers
Interested In Taking Part?
If you or a member of your research team are interested in taking part in future Meet the Researcher interviews, please email BSAVA PetSavers at petsaversadmin@bsava.com
Our Researchers
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Professor Adrian Boswood – Professor of Veterinary Cardiology and Vice Principal for Learning, Teaching and Assessment at the RVCProfessor Adrian Boswood is interested in the diagnosis, progression and treatment of acquired canine cardiovascular diseases. He has been the recipient of two of our grants investigating myxomatous mitral valve disease in dogs. |
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Professor Clare Rusbridge – Veterinary Neurologist at Wear Referrals and the University of SurreyProfessor Clare Rusbridge was awarded a PetSavers residency in neurology and has been the recipient of several of our grants investigating canine Chiari malformation and syringomyelia. |
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Dr Sophie Binks – Neurology Registrar at the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of OxfordDr Sophie Binks is currently in receipt of two PetSavers clinical research project grants, investigating feline neuroimmunology with a specific focus on autoimmune encephalitis. |
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Dr Penny Watson – Associate Professor of Small Animal Medicine, Queen’s Veterinary School Hospital, CambridgeDr Penny Watson has been the recipient of several BSAVA PetSavers grants for undergraduate student projects and clinical research projects. Her most recent funds a Master’s student in a project entitled An investigation of novel immunohistochemical markers and serum auto-antibodies in cats with chronic biliary tract disease. |
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Alexander Davies – Small Animal Primary Care ClinicianAlexander Davies undertook a BSAVA PetSavers student research project entitled Feline lymphoma of the nervous system: a retrospective study (2003-2018) at the Royal Veterinary College under the supervision of Elsa Beltran |
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Dr Tim Williams – Senior Lecturer in Clinical Pathology at the University of Cambridge Veterinary SchoolDr Tim Williams has been awarded several PetSavers grants, including those for clinical research projects and student projects. His most recent is for an undergraduate project entitled Can we use bacterial outer membrane vesicles as a novel anti-bacterial therapy? |
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Dr Aarti Kathrani – Senior Lecturer in Small Animal Internal Medicine at the RVCDr Aarti Kathrani is currently working on the PetSavers-funded study ‘Defining the duodenal mycobiota in dogs with chronic enteropathy’. She has also just been awarded a new PetSavers clinical research project grant for a study entitled ‘The characterisation and clinical significance of intestinal fibrosis in cats with chronic inflammatory enteropathy’. |
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Professor Oliver Garden, Henry and Corinne R Bower Professor of Medicine and Chair of the Department of Clinical Sciences & Advanced Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn Vet)Professor Oliver Garden has received three PetSavers’ grants. Two were as the supervisor of undergraduate students and one was as co-applicant of a clinical research project with Dr Barbara Glanemann investigating single vs split-dose regimens of prednisolone in treating immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia in dogs. |
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Dave Dickson – RCVS Recognised Specialist in CardiologyDave Dickson joined the HeartVets team in 2011. He lives and works in south Wales, where he offers cardiology referral clinics. In 2018, he was awarded the first cardiology-specific grant from PetSavers, jointly funded by the Veterinary Cardiovascular Society, for a project entitled Prospective validation of a rapid assessment with physical examination in dyspnoeic cats: RAPID CAT II. |
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Dr Conor O’Halloran – Full-Time Small Animal VetDr Conor O’Halloran was awarded PetSavers funding for an undergraduate project investigating the canine macrophage response to mycobacteria. |
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Dr Emily Dutton – RCVS Specialist in Veterinary CardiologyThird in our series of Meet the Researchers is Dr Emily Dutton who is currently working on a clinical research project jointly funded by PetSavers and the Veterinary Cardiovascular Society, entitled Genetic associations with dilated cardiomyopathy in deerhounds. |
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Dr Emi Barker – Referral Clinician in Small Animal Medicine, Langford VetsDr Emi Barker has received funding from PetSavers to work on the clinical research project: Prevalence of common respiratory infections within a normal population of owned cats. |
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Dr Melanie Hezzell – Senior Lecturer in Cardiology, University of BristolDr Melanie Hezzell has received several PetSavers’ grants; her current projects include: • Is the endothelial glycocalyx damaged in cats with cardiomyopathies and chronic kidney disease? • Feline cardiorenal syndrome – is fibroblast growth factor 23 associated with left ventricular hypertrophy and dysfunction in cats with chronic kidney disease? • Associations between intramyocardial arteriosclerosis and myocardial fibrosis and disease severity in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease |