ISSUE No13 AUTUMN 2000 Dick et News NEWSLETTER FOR THE ALUMNI & FRIENDS OFV THE ROYAL (DICK) SCHOOL OF VETERINARY STUDIES, THE

2 Alan’s back! 4 CTVM in the 5 Reunions African Bush

All smiles as hospital opens

The William Dick Large Animal Hospital has been rebuilt. A series of interlinked and carefully designed buildings now form the modern facilities of our new Equine and Farm Animal Hospitals. We now offer the best veterinary facilities in Europe. These purpose built areas for the care of large Jonathan Littlejohn, Visual Resources animals are providing state-of-the-art facilities for the training of veterinary undergraduates, and for the provision of continuing professional development of veterinary surgeons and nurses. Teaching is being conducted in an atmosphere that is conducive to learning, while at the same time providing for hands-on experience without risk of injury to either patient or student. The facilities have been designed to support a veterinary service devoted to the treatment, care and welfare of horses, ponies, donkeys and farm animal species such as cattle, sheep and goats, as well as more exotic species such as alpaca, llama, camels and water buffalo.

We now offer the best veterinary facilities in Europe.

The new hospital was opened by the Principal, Professor Sir Stewart Sutherland, on the 1st of September this year. He warmly acknowledged the generous contributions from the many individuals, clients, riding clubs and horse societies, companies and charitable trusts, and our hard working students, that helped make our aspirations such a fine reality. The contributions from the Home of Rest for Horses, the Crighton Charitable Trust, the Friends of the Dick Vet, Faculty endowments and the Development Trust of the A horse has its teeth examined by Kirstie Pickles. University gave encouragement for the University to approve the project and allow it to go ahead. Substantial donations were also received from the Marjorie Coote Animal Charity Fund, The Barry Green Memorial Fund, Miss AM Pilkington’s Charitable Trust, the PF Charitable Trust, the Mainhouse

Continued on back page 2 ISSUE NO.13 AUTUMN 2000

THE DEAN’S COLUMN

I am not sure whether the appropriate term questions, but equally we have no alternative

Contributed for a Dean who leaves office for six years, but to respond to the challenges in the and then returns is a ‘recycled Dean’, or a manner that we are. ‘reincarnated Dean’. Whatever the correct This is the main reason for our need to seek term, it is certainly a privilege to be back at accreditation by the American Veterinary the helm. Medical Association (AVMA). A significant Much has been accomplished in the last number of US citizens leave the country each six years. Dreams of a new state-of-the-art year to study abroad. A number have come to Hospital for Small Animals have become a the ‘Dick Vet’ in past years. However reality, and its first year of operation saw a graduation from a veterinary school that is 36% increase in the number of referral not AVMA-approved poses great difficulties patients that we were able to help. September for them on their return — including a of this year saw the formal opening of the new minimum of one year of additional Equine and Farm Animal Hospitals. These are supervised experience, and extensive (and equally impressive in terms of patient care expensive) additional examinations. The ...the new delivery, and the ability to teach in a learner- AVMA visit will take place in two stages, in friendly environment. No longer do students December of this year, and in May of 2001. millennium finds have to stand in the rain or snow, desperately Research is, of course, another of our key William Dick’s trying to determine the origin of lameness in academic objectives. April 2001 is the an uncooperative horse! None of this would deadline for submission of our data for the Veterinary School have been possible without the support of the Research Assessment Exercise. The results of in a healthier state University and of our commercial and this will determine the magnitude of charitable sponsors, and without the generosity approximately one third of our funding. With than ever before. of our alumni and our clients. some key research appointments, the The funding of higher education continues continued emphasis on the development of to pose serious problems, however. Over the interdisciplinary links, and the increasing past ten years, the ‘unit of resource’, which is productivity of our current staff, we are the amount of money we receive for teaching confident of an excellent result. each student, has declined in real terms by So the new millennium finds William Colin Warwick some 40%. To compound the problem, the Dick’s Veterinary School in a healthier state veterinary unit of resource in Scotland is now than ever before. The interaction, support and lower than it is in England. One is forced to advice of our alumni have played a pivotal ask when, if ever, this decline will end. Its role in this, with the major conduit being the result is that we must teach more students, Friends of the Dick Vet, and its Council. The just to maintain our current staffing levels. Chairman of the Council, Brian Singleton, We are in a relatively strong position at the has stimulated and served magnificently Dick Vet, with a steady base of some 20-30 since its inauguration some ten years ago. full-fees students from home and overseas, in Brian felt that with the achievements noted addition to the 70-73 funded by the Scottish above now made, this was an opportune time Higher Education Funding Council. But the to step down. We are enormously grateful to numbers will have to increase if we are to him for all his enthusiasm, wisdom and Alan Rowland in disguise as meet the financial projections over the next counsel over the years. His place will be William Dick. five years. Our colleagues in the other taken by Alan Rowland, who has taught veterinary schools are faced with the same pathology to many generations of Dick Vet challenges, with London now admitting 166 graduates. Alan is equally committed to students into their first year. A major concern ensuring that the partnership between the is to ask at what point will our ability to School and its alumni continues to deliver a training programme of excellence strengthen. This will be ever more important be compromised. And when will this trend as we face the uncertainties and the challenges lead to an oversupply of graduates, which is ahead. Feedback is important, and any the situation in a number of European comments on our achievements and on our countries? We have no answers to these plans for the future will be most welcome. 3 ISSUE NO.13 AUTUMN 2000 Scottish Centre for Genomic Technology and Bioinformatics

The recent award by SHEFC of a £2 million facility will provide Scotland with a major grant for a microarray facility led by focal point for the biomedical research Professor Tony Nash and Dr Douglas Roy community and provide opportunities for (Veterinary Pathology) and Dr Peter Ghazal exchanging ideas, sharing technology and (Medical Microbiology) will be based in the training staff. Veterinary School at Summerhall. Veterinary Medicine is set to capitalise on The Centre will be The Centre will be the first in Scotland to this technology in a number of areas. feature state-of-the-art DNA microarray Already projects have been formulated the first in Scotland technology, which is currently involving the development of DNA chips to feature DNA revolutionising biomedical and clinical containing sheep genes important in host research. This technology enables the defence. Genetic resistance of animals to microarray production and analysis of thousands of certain infectious diseases is a major area of technology, genes simultaneously on microchips, thereby development, and one project at the School is enabling gene function in normal and already under way exploring the resistance which is abnormal (diseased) cells to be analysed. genes of pigs to African Swine Fever virus. revolutionising This will open up new areas in diagnosis of Other applications include analysing the genetic disorders and diseases such as cancer, virulence determinants of Salmonella and biomedical and and neurological disorders. The Centre will E.coli 0157 involved in food poisoning, also look to build on current developments in studying the molecular of clinical research. computer and physical sciences to introduce viruses and bacteria and uncovering genes a new generation of ‘intelligent’ bio-chips linked to host evasion by parasites. and data analysis packages. This new technology is only part of the The award under SHEFC’s Research Centre’s activities and future programmes Development Grant scheme underpins will involve a major commitment to collaborative research programmes involving bioinformatics as a prelude to harnessing the the Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, St huge amount of data emerging in this post- Andrew’s, Aberdeen and Strathclyde. The genomic era.

Inaugural lectures

Following the successful inaugural lectures Airways — from the nostrils to the alveoli given last session by Professor Mark E J — always some problem or other” Woolhouse (Chair of Veterinary Public Health In the new year there will be lectures by & Quantitative Epidemiology) and Professor Professor Declan J McKeever (Moredun John Hopkins (Chair of Veterinary Chair of Veterinary Clinical Science) on Immunology), five new professors will give Thursday 8 March, by Professor Gordon D inaugural lectures this session. On Monday 6 Harkiss (Chair of Veterinary November, Professor Elaine D Watson Immunopathology) on Thursday 15 March (Chair of Veterinary Reproduction) began the and by Professor Vincent Molony (Chair of series with a lecture entitled: “Equine Animal Welfare) on Thursday 17 May. Reproduction: more than just fickle fillies and Further information concerning these open dud studs” and on Tuesday 28 November, lectures can be found at the Faculty web site: Professor Padraic M Dixon (Chair of Equine www.vet.ed.ac.uk/news/Lectures/ Surgery) will give a lecture entitled: “Equine Inaugurals.htm 4 ISSUE NO.13 AUTUMN 2000

CTVM in the East African Bush

Tuberculosis is a growing problem in , with over 40,000 new human cases diagnosed each year. It has also now been recorded in giraffe, buffalo, wildebeest and lions, with clinical disease associated with both Mycobacterium bovis and M. avium. The status of buffalo in the Serengeti is a particular concern, because numbers have been steadily declining from 70,000 in the 1970s to a present level of 16,000, disease being a factor in addition to illegal hunting. their cattle and goats graze in close proximity Numerous potential Numerous potential sources of and to wildlife. routes of transmission exist between The field work in Tanzania includes trace- sources of infection livestock, wildlife and people. The situation back studies of human patients infected with and routes of is further complicated by the widespread HIV M. bovis, extensive tuberculin-testing of infection in people, which raises the potential cattle and prevalence surveys of tuberculosis transmission exist for human-to-human and human-to-animal in wildlife (through post-mortem surveys in between livestock, transmission of M. bovis. local hunting camps and serological sampling Vets from the Centre for Tropical within the parks). Zoonoses are clearly an wildlife and people. Veterinary Medicine, Moredun Research important component of human infectious Institute, Sokoine University of Agriculture diseases in the country and collaborative and Tanzania National Parks, together with proposals are being developed for additional medical colleagues from the National work on and hydatid disease in Institute of Medical Research in Tanzania are pastoralist communities. An integrated working as a collaborative team to identify approach is clearly important for developing specific risk factors for bovine tuberculosis in successful strategies to investigate and people and cattle in northern Tanzania. Close control zoonotic diseases. In this respect, collaboration between veterinary, medical Tanzania is providing a leading example of and wildlife sectors is essential, not only veterinary-medical collaboration. because people in the study area live in close contact with their animals, but also because Sarah Cleaveland

Alumni plaques going up In response to the tremendous support by all the Life Friends of the Dick Vet to date. both our alumni and the public to our fund- Those donors whose support is sufficient for raising drives for the small and large animal their names to go up on the plaque will soon hospitals, the Life Friend Roll of Honour be receiving a mailing from the Faculty plaques are to be updated. These plaques are Office. located at the entrance to Summerhall and list Thank you, everyone!

Staff News

New Director of the Centre for Tropical the International Livestock Research Veterinary Medicine Institute. Professor Ian Maudlin, manager of the DfID Animal Health Programme was appointed Olympic Vet director of the CTVM on the 1 August of this Campbell J Thompson (‘87) traveled to the year. Professor David Taylor is on Sidney Olympics this year as the British secondment as Deputy Director General of Showjumping Team Vet. 5 ISSUE NO.13 AUTUMN 2000 Andrew Swanson, Photo Express

Reunions

In addition to the University- George retires Colin Warwick wide alumni reunions we have had note of several George Costello joined the from the University. Dick Vet reunions this year uniformed staff of Edinburgh Everyone enjoyed the climate with quite a number of University in June 1971. He they worked in, and the alumni coming to see the spent sixteen years in various traditions of the College were new large and small animal departments before moving held in very high esteem”. hospitals. For example, the to the “Dick Vet” on Monday George has now retired, and class of 1963 came with 23rd March 1987 where he we wish him all the best. their partners early in took up the post of Janitor. “I If anyone would like to October. They brought with never thought that my ‘tour contribute to George’s them a garden bench that of duty’ would last twelve retirement present, please they donated to the Dick Vet enjoyable years. The college, send a cheque by 31 Easter Bush site in memory to my way of thinking in December 2000 to: The of one of their year, Don those early days, was very University of Edinburgh, c/o Eden, and his wife Joyce. much a family concern. It Ms Janet Hackel, The Faculty We also highlight another had its own identity separate of Veterinary Medicine. group, the graduates of 50 years ago shown in the photo, who returned on Saturday 23 September. Bedding donation These visits are a stimulus to us and are very welcome. Young and old contribute They enable us to show what to the ongoing success of we are doing for our students the large and small animal

today, and to hear the stories ‘The Advertiser’, Midlothian hospitals. For example, this of how life at the Dick Vet group of young pupils used to be ‘yesterday’. from Kilgraston Grange Junior School, Bridge of Earn, delivered to the Small Animal Hospital a minibus load of ‘bedding’ in the form of newspapers they had collected. These efforts are typical of the kindness we greatly appreciate. Many thanks. 6 ISSUE NO.13 AUTUMN 2000

CONTACTS

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Jonathan Littlejohn, Visual Resources Summerhall, Edinburgh EH9 1QH

Dean of the Faculty Professor Richard Halliwell

Associate Deans Research Professor Mark Woolhouse Students Mr Colin Stead Teaching Continued from front page The Principal, Sir Stewart Sutherland, and Dr Graham Pettigrew Prof Hugh Miller at the opening of the building. Admission Enquiries Charitable Trust and Loddon Livestock Equipment Ltd. The Principal also gave Undergraduate A horse is put through its paces credit to all those who had worked on the 0131–650 6130 in the new facilities. complexity of the construction project, Dr Postgraduate David Doxey, Professor Joe Mayhew, Mr 0131–650 6134 Bob Prentice who did the initial design work, and Mr John Williamson who supervised the Faculty Office Fax: 0131–650 6585 work through to completion. Dr David Doxey and Ms Janet Hackel in the Faculty

E-mail: [email protected] Jonathan Littlejohn, Visual Resources Office worked tirelessly to raise the funding Small Animal Clinic for this excellent facility. Easter Bush Students are now being trained (safe from 0131–650 7650 the weather) in the new hospitals. Clinicians Summerhall and clients are delighted with the vast 0131–650 6061 improvements. The former report “they make it easier to teach students and look Large Animal Practice after animals”. The latter enjoy watching the 0131–445 4468 clinical examination and care of their animals from positions of comfort and safety. The final phase of the project, the reception block, is due to be built within the next 24 The Dick Vet News costs £1.65 per copy, but is distributed free to months. Three hundred thousand pounds are over 3000 Alumni and Friends of still needed to reach this achievable goal. the Faculty of Veterinary We are working to find the funding to secure Medicine world-wide. project completion. Naturally, every offer of The next issue will be published assistance will be most appreciated. in Spring 2001.

Dick Vet News Editor: Dr Alastair A Macdonald E-mail: [email protected] This issue of the Dick Vet News was sponsored by Designed and produced by Susan Halcro, Visual Resources, THE MARY MILBURN BEQUEST The University of Edinburgh

Printed by Nevisprint on Elementary Contact Ms Janet Hackel, Faculty Officer, for information about gifts and bequests, or Chlorine free paper sponsorship of the Dick Vet News on 0131 650 6150.