Magazine for the Alumni & Friends of The Royal (Dick) Issue Number 23 Spring 2010 School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh DICK VET news VET SCHOOL ON TV Nobel Prize-winning alumnus visits p4 | Elisabeth Svendsen Honorary Degree p5 INSIDE New Exotics Training Centre p13 | Feline-friendly innovations p16 Hill’s Pet Nutrition supports the Dick Vet News Dick Vet News Spring 2010 Dick Vet News Spring 2010 NEWS 3 CONTENTS MessAGE FROM Vet School ON TV Members of staff at the Small and Large Animal Hospitals have found themselves HEAD OF school in the limelight with the airing of a five part, fly-on-the-wall documentary series called simply “Vet School”. 3 Welcome to our May edition of the Dick Vet John Keen who was featured in the News. You will have seen from the cover ‘Vet School’ series. page that the School has been featured in a new television series on STV (Scottish FEATURES Television), “Vet School”, which goes behind the scenes to follow the stories of our staff MUSICIAns TAKE TO the stAGE 26 and students, along with our patients and their owners. Those of you who do not OUR MAN IN AFRICA 27 receive STV can view the series on Scottish Television’s website, STV Player (http:// A VIew FROM OUtsIde 28 player.stv.tv/) This has been a wonderful opportunity for us to showcase to the public REGULARS the work that Dick Vet clinicians are doing in our excellent facilities, such as the Equine News 3 Hospital and the Hospital for Small Animals, STAff News 11 which were completed in the late nineties under the leadership of Professor Richard CLINIC News 13 Halliwell. We have also had confirmation that ReseARch News 18 Beechgrove Garden on BBC Scotland will STUdent News 21 participate in creating a new garden next to the Hospital for Small Animals. The project, Vet Jo Hedley treats a swan. ALUMNI news 29 which has evolved into a collaborative activity with the Edinburgh College of Art, We are delighted that Dr Billy Karesh will The series, made by STV (Scottish and even came to the Christmas party.” to Langhill Farm to get some shots with Editor-in-Chief Elaine Watson the Scottish Agricultural College, The Royal join us on October 8th to deliver this year’s Television), focuses on the Small and Series Producer, Richard Higson, cows,” he continues. “After a while we Editor Neil Wilson Botanic Garden Edinburgh and Balfour Charnock Bradley Lecture. Billy is Vice- Large Animal Hospitals following the agrees that it was a very positive realised they had surrounded us, so we Editorial Services provided by Beatty, has been driven forward with President of the Global Health Programme stories of staff, patients and their owners, partnership: “It was amazing having picked up our things and very slowly Stephanie Brickman PR characteristic energy and enthusiasm by one of the Wildlife Conservation Society, based making compelling viewing. access to all the cases coming in. There started edging towards the gate, seconds Cover Image Paul Dodds of our Development Board members, client at the Bronx Zoo in New York. He is a According to Ronnie Soutar, Director was a huge array of animals and owners later we were running at full pelt carrying Caroline Freedman. popular international speaker on ‘One World, of Veterinary Services, approaches had every day and they, and the vets, were the camera!” If you have any ideas or feedback Fundraising for the new teaching One Health’, and leads projects in over 50 been made to film in this way before, but brilliant. It was a real privilege to follow “There’s some wonderful footage,” for the Dick Vet News email facility and for the clinics continues apace countries in the developing world. Please had never gone ahead. However, the STV the process right through from arriving to agrees Ronnie Soutar. “There was this [email protected] with, most recently, the MacRobert Trust make a note of this date in your diaries and team were co-operative and flexible and, leaving - everyone is so hugely qualified, one little dog, a papillon, who just wanted The Royal (Dick) School confirming a gift towards video technology email [email protected] if you would like following detailed discussions, became the Vet School really gets the cream of the to bite everyone and it was very hard to of Veterinary Studies to fund a “Virtual Post-Mortem Room”. This to join us in Edinburgh for this event. the first film crew to be given access to all crop staff-wise.” get the muzzle on. Then there was the The University of Edinburgh adds to the growing numbers of gifts and In this issue we have news of some of the areas. “Our aim was to show the wide range nerve-wracking process of trying to treat Easter Bush Veterinary Centre pledged support from other Trusts and many activities that our staff, students, alumni “We didn’t want something that of cases treated by the School and we a crocodile at Five Sisters Zoo in West Midlothian individuals, alongside Class Gifts from alumni and clients are engaged in, and I do hope would get in the way of the day-to-day worked closely with staff throughout the Lothian.” EH25 9RG and students. Our Development Board, you enjoy sharing some of your time with us functioning of the Hospitals. It was really process to make sure we were getting The series is broadcast on TV this Scotland chaired by George Gunn, met in March and as you read this edition. As always, news, important that staff and students were things right.” Spring and is available to view online at t: +44 (0)131 650 6407 we had a very constructive meeting, with articles and comments are welcomed as we able to go about their normal business.” However the filming was not without its http://player.stv.tv/. a number of the Board members giving look forward to our next edition in November. Ronnie continues: “Naturally some people difficult moments. Says Richard: “There examples of their leadership in different were nervous before the filming, but we were tragedies as well as animals being n The Dick Vet will be back on TV While we are grateful for the support areas. This will be an activity which continues met with the producer and he explained saved, there was one horse with a bad later this year when BBC Scotland’s of our advertisers, the appearance of to grow in our School, as in many others it was really just two teams of two people stomach condition and it became clear Beechgrove Garden create a garden products in this publication does not across the globe, and we are very fortunate and that we would soon forget they that it wasn’t going to make it and that at the back of the Hospital for Small imply endorsement by the School. to have excellent help with this both within the were there. It turned out to be a good was really sad.” Animals. School and throughout the wider University. Professor Elaine Watson partnership, they really got into the team “There was also a time we went down 4 NEWS Dick Vet News Spring 2010 Dick Vet News Spring 2010 NEWS 5 Peter DohertY VISITS SCHOOL DonKEY WelfAre Nobel Prize-winner gives inspirational talk. PionEER honoURED On 25th February Nobel Prize-winning always an interesting reception, often with community who have a solid science alumnus immunologist Peter Doherty students as well as faculty members.” training and are used to dealing with Honorary degree for Dr Elisabeth Svendsen. visited the Royal (Dick) School of He made it very clear how important evidence-based reality. It’s important Veterinary Studies to address staff and it is that young vets consider science to put those views forward when, students. Edinburgh was the fourth vet careers. for example, discussing issues like school he had visited in as many days, “People who train in veterinary science vaccination or serving on local community but it was particularly special as he did and medicine can end up doing a lot bodies.” FoR thE love his PhD in Edinburgh in 1970, before of different things, from stock-broking, Some 60 people attended the talk, embarking on his Nobel Prize-winning through politics, to acupuncture, to which was held at the Easter Bush OF donKEYS research on how T cells recognise their university administration to being top Veterinary Centre. The guest list included target antigens in combination with research scientists,” he said. “We tend to students, staff and also some old friends Elisabeth Svendsen was brought major histocompatibility complex (MHC) make decisions concerning career paths and colleagues who remembered up in Yorkshire, trained as a proteins. very early: sometimes our ideas change, Professor Doherty’s days in Edinburgh. teacher and taught for a short time The speaking tour was funded by The and it’s useful to have other possibilities He was presented with a hip flask by the before becoming a successful Wellcome Trust’s Veterinary Research in mind.” Dean, who in turn received a copy of his businesswoman and eventually Scheme, which aims to inspire vets “Also, even if we remain in practice, book, “The Beginner’s Guide to Winning a Director of Thorn Electrical to explore careers in science. Jacqui vets are among the few people in the the Nobel Prize”, for the library. Industries. Matthews, Moredun Professor of Her love of donkeys dates back Veterinary Immunobiology, and the Dean to her childhood and in 1966 she and Head of School Professor Elaine decided to establish a donkey stud Watson took time before the lecture to in the grounds of the family’s hotel in tell Professor Doherty about Edinburgh’s Devon.