WSAVA Academy

Speaker

Biography

Heather graduated from the University of Bristol with a degree in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, and the University of Liverpool with a degree in Conservation medicine. She has worked in veterinary practice for fifteen years with a range of domestic, zoo and wildlife species. Heather is the Veterinary Welfare Education and Outreach manager at the Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education at the University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, where she is responsible for organising postgraduate courses on a variety of MSc programmes as well as organising the undergraduate veterinary curriculum in animal welfare and ethics. Heather is completing her PhD investigating the knowledge and attitudes of zoo staff to zoo animal welfare issues in a diverse global community. Heather is responsible for for developing and delivering the overseas projects of the JMICAWE, and works internationally to develop capacity in the areas of veterinary skills, animal welfare, animal behaviour and veterinary ethics.Through her role at the JMICAWE she has worked with NGOs, veterinary, and political organisations to develop veterinary education initiatives particularly on the topics of optimising veterinary care, dog population management, zoo animal, and exotic pet welfare. Heather is an active member of a number of veterinary committees. Previously, she has lived in China working as the Veterinary Director at the Animals Asia Foundation, an NGO working to end the trade in bear bile across Asia.