From Silicon Valley to rural Tanzania: My journey into the world of animal scent detection

In this blog post, one of our One Health alumni shares insights into her incredible journey from a business oriented career, in Silicon Valley, into One Health. Whitney Hischier graduated from the One Health MSc programme in 2024 after completing a dissertation project focussed on working dogs, entitled “Scent Detection Dogs in the US: Uses and Challenges”. This fascinating project has since seen Whitney take on a role with the the incredible organisation APOPO, a charity training HeroRATs and HeroDOGs to use their extraordinary sense of smell to detect landmines and deadly diseases, including tuberculosis. In doing so, they are saving lives and restoring hope in communities across the globe.

From Silicon Valley to rural Tanzania: my journey into the world of animal scent detection

I entered the MSc in One Health programme as a bit of an outsider as someone who is on the Business School faculty at University of California Berkeley and had no formal education in the veterinary world. I had discovered the field of One Health during the pandemic, when suddenly zoonotic disease became a household term, but my childhood desire to become a vet had been derailed by a poor mark in organic chemistry at university. With this desire reignited in me and knowledge that everyone can find a home in and contribute to One Health, I applied and was not disappointed.

I loved the MSc programme and carried this passion into my final dissertation year. My chosen research topic for the dissertation grew out of a meta-level question of ‘what can animals do that technology cannot?’ – a pertinent question perhaps given that I live in the techno-centric world of Silicon Valley.

This led me to the world of animal scent detection, specifically with dogs and how the market for these specialised dogs has developed in the United States. The One Health programme team connected me with a fantastic mentor, Cindy Otto, who runs the Working Dog Center at University of Pennsylvania’s vet school setting me up for my dissertation year. This turned into a fascinating exploration of the work of stakeholders in the working dog world, with work briefs ranging from explosives detection and police work to wildlife and disease detection.

During this time, I was also travelling to Cambodia frequently to help run a joint USAID – UC Berkeley programme. Whilst there, I visited the APOPO Visitor Centre in Siem Reap. APOPO is an incredible organisation who employ African pouched rats (Cricetomys ansorgei) as well as dogs for land mine detection, tuberculosis detection, search and rescue and wildlife smuggling. APOPO operate in a number of countries, though much of the mine-action work is in Cambodia, a vestige of the Khmer Rouge era.

 

Whitney with Jenny, one of the retired rats at the visitors center in Siem Reap.

To appreciate just how incredible this collaborative work is it helps to understand how rats go about surveying a field, connected by via a harness to a line the length of the survey area: When they detect the volatile organic compounds (VOC) of an explosive, they scratch and are immediately given a food reward. These “HERORats” can search an area the size of a tennis court in thirty minutes; by contrast a human deminer with a metal detector can take up to four days to cover the same area. The rats work in conjunction with technical survey dogs who search larger areas of difficult terrain with high levels of vegetation.

A HeroRAT detecting landmines by sniffing out the VOCs given off by explosives.

Impressed by their work, I found myself reaching out to APOPO to see how I could help and very soon was involved. It started with overseeing research projects with my students and has since developed into taking up a position on their US board. I have seen at first hand some of their work across the world:

In February, I visited an active mine field outside of Siem Reap, where APOPO is working to de-mine between a series of temples, part of a UNESCO Heritage site. Then, in June, I travelled to Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), in Morgoro, Tanzania where APOPO breeds and trains their rats. The trip included a visit to the tuberculosis (TB) lab where the rats are detecting TB in samples from local clinics, as well as to the cargo area of the Dar es Salaam airport, where the rats inspect packages for trafficked wildlife parts (no photos were allowed but it was amazing to see the rats detect tiny amounts of giraffe pelt in a massive, heavily packaged box).

Whitney with Cindy Fast, the head of training for the rats.

My journey from the One Health MSc programme to APOPO was not one I would have ever predicted.  While technology may surpass animal scent detection capabilities at some point, I am excited to be part of an organisation that is constantly finding new ways that dogs and rats can synergistically work with people to combat some of the larger societal challenges we face, including both disease and weapons.

Visiting Siem Rep with my daughter and her friend, where I discovered that taking teenagers into an active mine field is not recommended but does give instant cool mom status.

A falcon vet spreads their wings and studies One Health

In this blog post from Dr Christiana Hebel, who graduated from the One Health MSc programme in 2023, we are treated to a perspective from the Middle East. Christiana shares her motivations for pursuing her studies and insights into the project  that she developed for her dissertation. As a falcon vet, she chose to study the potential for bacteriophages to be developed as a possible way of addressing the antimicrobial resistance challenges that falcon medicine faces.

A falcon vet broadens their horizons

15 years after graduation from vet school, I felt the need to broaden my professional horizons, while navigating life in the Middle East, with its mix of nationalities and varied cultural and educational backgrounds.

This realisation marked the start of my Master’s journey in One Health, a programme that fitted perfectly into the challenges falcon medicine is facing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This experience profoundly underscored just how interconnected our world is, even within highly specialised fields.

My Master’s research explored the evolving challenges within falcon medicine. Falconry, a tradition deeply woven into Emirati culture, has seen significant changes due to advancements in captive breeding and a change from hunting to falcon racing, resulting in a surge of imported falcons. This large influx, while celebrating the sport and the culture, introduces novel and complex challenges for veterinarians.

Christiana with a patient
The stress of captivity

My thesis investigated the critical issue of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in falcon medicine. Stress, often exacerbated by intensive housing systems, can compromise falcons’ immune systems, significantly increasing their susceptibility to infections, particularly from opportunistic pathogens like Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The widespread, often unregulated, availability of over-the-counter antibiotics, as well as a general lack of awareness regarding the impact of AMR, made me start to investigate bacteriophages – viruses that specifically target and kill bacteria- as a potential alternative to antibiotics in falcons.

The intense use of antibiotics in animals contributes to the development and spread of drug-resistant bacteria, posing a serious threat to both animal and human health. This growing concern ignited my interest in exploring innovative solutions. Understanding their potential to combat resistant infections in falcons, and potentially other animals, became a key area of focus within my broader One Health research.

Undertaking an online Master’s degree while managing a demanding full-time job was undeniably challenging. It was frequently overwhelming, requiring considerable sacrifices of personal time and other activities. Nevertheless, the opportunity to combine my clinical experience with research, and to connect with colleagues around the world, was truly fascinating. Despite many hurdles, I enjoyed studying the core essence of One Health — a profound recognition that human, animal, and environmental health are deeply linked.

Christiana in the lab

The insights I gained during my three-year Master’s in One Health, combined with the experience of global collaboration with my colleagues, have deepened not only my understanding of emerging infectious diseases but also the critical impact of husbandry on animal well-being, and the urgent need for antimicrobial stewardship and alternative therapies like bacteriophages.

This Master’s journey was an insightful and inspiring experience that I believe will profoundly shape my approach as a veterinarian. I wholeheartedly recommend it to others.

Reporting from a UNA Europa funded One Health Approach to AMR workshop

In this post, two graduates from the One Health MSc programme share their experiences of participating in a UNA Europa course on One Health approaches to antimicrobial resistance and the subsequent in-person workshop held in Madrid, in June 2025. The workshop was hosted by the Department of Pharmaceutics and Food Technology, at the Universidad Complutense Madrid (UCM); participation of our students was fully funded through the UNA Europa grant that the One Health programme team helped to secure.

This post is written by Dr Christiana Hebel, who graduated from the programme in 2023, and Maresa Neuerer, who completed the Postgraduate Diploma in 2025, in parallel with her own PhD studies on AMR. You can read more about Christiana and her work and research in a separate blog post.

For more information on the UNA Europa Course and to view recordings of the sessions that staff and students from the One Health MSc programme contributed to, please click on the following links for sessions on (i) One Health and AMR (ii) AMR and Ecosystem Health and biodiversity and (iii) Systems change and AMR.

UNA Europa Workshop in Madrid: A Rewarding Experience

Between 11-12 June 2025, we had the opportunity to attend the UNA Europa workshop ”Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) by 360 One Health Approach”, organised by Assistant Professor Ana I. Fraguas Sanchez and Dolores Serrano of the Complutense University’s Department of Pharmaceutics and Food Technology in Madrid, Spain, together with Elena González from the Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy, and Botany.

La Facultad de Farmacia de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)

The workshop brought together postgraduate students and early-career researchers from the four collaborating institutions in Spain, Finland, Germany, and the UK to explore emerging technologies and strategies in the field of AMR. As students from the One Health Master’s programme at the University of Edinburgh, we found ourselves in a room full of pharmacists, a slightly unfamiliar landscape for us which turned out to be an enriching experience. The workshop not only introduced us to state-of-the-art research in biopharmaceuticals but also made us reflect on how different disciplines can approach the same problem from different angles.

The workshop started off with a fascinating three-hour visit to Normon Laboratories, a major pharmaceutical manufacturer of generic medicines for the human market. This provided a unique opportunity to see the inner workings of a modern pharmaceutical production facility from, and was possibly the highlight of the trip. For those of us who had never set foot in a pharmaceutical factory before, seeing the scale, precision, and regulation involved was a fascinating experience that gave us a new appreciation for the complexity behind something as seemingly simple as a tablet.

Back at Complutense University, we were welcomed with a series of talks on “Biopharmaceuticals as new antimicrobials,” “Emerging Platforms in Antimicrobial Resistance Research,” and “Innovative Strategies in Drug Development.” These presentations were a great introduction to the workshop and laid the foundation on how innovation can help combat AMR.

The second day continued with a session on “Innovative Strategies in Drug Development II,” including a practical workshop on 3D printing technology for capsule production. This was an inspiring demonstration of how modern technology and new tools may reshape and individualise healthcare. We also had the chance to visit to the Pharmacy Museum at UCM, offering a historical perspective on the field of pharmacology. The workshop concluded with a wrap-up session. many discussions, and valuable networking opportunities.

Some of the workshop participants during the visit to the Pharmacy Museum at UCM

While the workshop provided space for interdisciplinary conversation, it became clear that the concept of One Health was not widely known among the participants. This presented a valuable opportunity for us to weave One Health into our discussions. We found that participants were open and curious and we were able to encourage them to consider interdisciplinary approaches beyond their usual fields. Attending this workshop reminded us of the importance of building bridges across disciplines. No single field holds all the answers and learning how to connect and collaborate across disciplines might be just as important as developing the next breakthrough drug. We’re grateful to our programme and professor for the opportunity to attend, and to all the workshop organisers and participants for creating this space. It was also a bonus to connect with each other in person.

 

A complete group picture from the workshop in Madrid.

 

My journey into Conservation Medicine

In this wonderful blog post from Lottie Gaunt,we are treated to a rich example of how someone working in companion animal practice can explore opportunities in conservation medicine close to home, literally on our local rivers and the ecosystems they support. Lottie graduated from the MVetSci programme in 2024 and was awarded the Dick Vet Medal for her outstanding dissertation project, which you can read about below.

My journey into Conservation Medicine

Whilst I enjoy small animal veterinary work, I had an underlying restlessness that I wanted to be part of something ‘bigger’, that I wanted to explore other options that encompass not just animals, but the natural environment in which they live and the factors that influence this connection. However, I didn’t really have any idea how to redirect myself down this path; I had always been a vet, and didn’t really know any other career form. It was then that I discovered the Conservation Medicine programme at Edinburgh: I was drawn to the broad and interesting topic range. I was also at a point in my life where taking a break from work and pay wasn’t an option, so the practical fact that I could still work and make a living, whilst pursuing and developing this interest through intermittent study was very appealing.

I found I really loved the course, it was interesting, it was immersive, you had supportive and very knowledgeable lecturers and there was a range of teaching materials and projects from videos, to presentations, to word documents, which kept things vibrant and stimulating. During my studies, the biodiversity crisis and the impact that the destruction of wild natural habitats was having on both a national and global scale really affected me, both with the shock of the true extent of this disaster and a passion that this was something I wanted to investigate further.

This passion seeped into my dissertation year and I wanted to find a project that could have a practical tangible positive impact on the natural spaces and wildlife within my local area. With help from my supervisor, we identified a small section of wilderness in an otherwise very managed arable local landscape that appeared essential as a blue-green corridor for wildlife movement. I spent my dissertation year striving to find out as much about this area as possible, from its history to the wildlife it contains.

The meanderings of the Boghall Burn.
A frosty morning beside the Boghall Burn

 

The aim was to ascertain if it could be improved for biodiversity, and whether a local protective status such as a Local Nature Reserve would be beneficial, to protect it in the future.

This project set me on an exciting and sometimes overwhelming journey, where I expanded my skill set considerably covering both online and onsite work, including site analysis, historical archive searches, interviews and subsequent qualitative analysis of those interviews. I also had the chance to work with Scottish Badgers and survey a badger sett on site, which was a fabulous experience. Elaine, who I worked with, was amazingly patient as I had never surveyed a sett before, and I loved being outside tracking footprints and examining the earth for evidence of badger hairs or soil disturbance.

Badger hair
Badger footprint
Badger Sett

I also had the opportunity to join a workshop at the VetEd23, in July 2023, focussing on how Vet Schools can rise to the 30×30 Biodiversity Challenge. This ultimately lead to me becoming a small part of a discussion group on how veterinary schools can engage with the nature and biodiversity crisis which culminated in a subsequent publication-‘By Leaves We Live: Entanglements with the 30 x 30 Biodiversity Challenge on Veterinary Campuses’’, which was a privilege to be a part of. The work I put into my dissertation was awarded an MSc by distinction and was further recognised when I was presented with the William Dick Medal at my graduation ceremony; this came as both a shock and a very great honour.

The dissertation really highlighted for me the importance of the human, wildlife and nature connection, and how everything is interconnected. It revealed how important wild areas are, especially within otherwise highly cultivated environments, and how easily an area once known as an important wildlife hub can be forgotten, abandoned and disregarded. Ultimately, through my studies and research I came to appreciate the urgent need to preserve and protect the wilderness and wildlife we have, which are so critical to the future of our world. And whilst I am not sure which route I will take now the dissertation is finished, I am certain that I want to be involved in positive steps going forward as we battle the biodiversity crisis. I hope that, in the future, we, as humans, are more empathetic and understanding of whole system needs and have found the balance with nature that is so lacking today.

Learning One Health with the pastoralist communities of East Africa

In this exciting blog, Micol Fascendini, who graduated from the One Health MSc in 2022, shares her passion for learning One Health with the pastoralist communities of East Africa.

 

Learning One Health with the pastoralist communities of East Africa

‘One Health is like the three stones of the cooking fireplace:

without one of the stones, the whole structure crumbles and becomes useless’

Guyo Hama, teacher at North Horr Primary School

Pastoralist Communities in Filtu (Kenya)

When, in January 2018, I started my MSc in One Health, I had no idea to what extent One Health would come to grow deeply into me, gradually evolving from a simple subject-of-study into a true passion; a personal passion, not just a professional one. I joined the course with the goal of learning something new and expanding my skills as public health expert. Today, even after seven years have passed since my first lecture on Ecosystem Health – when I quickly realised that I knew very little about health, despite my several years of experience – I feel like I am still learning every day.

I first heard about One Health from a colleague, at the beginning of 2015. We were looking for innovative approaches to increase the accessibility to health services in pastoralist communities in the Somali Region of Ethiopia, where we had been struggling to increase health coverage for years. Working as a multidisciplinary team of experts in anthropological, veterinary, environmental and medical sciences, along with cultural mediators, we engaged with pastoralist communities to understand their needs, perceptions and behaviours towards the health of humans and animals in relation to the socio-ecological context. The operational research paved the way to pilot a project to testing the One Health Unit, a community-driven service delivery model for the provision of integrated human, animal and rangeland health services in pastoralist communities of East Africa.

I still remember the struggle to understand each other those days. Yet, the difficulty was not only understanding the pastoralist communities but also unravelling languages and goals of other team members. We were speaking, without really understanding and appreciating each other’s expertise, experiences, and purpose in the framework of the same research.

Listening to pastoralist in North Horr (Kenya)

Ten years have passed since that very first experience. In that time, I have worked as One Health consultant with non-governmental organisations, international agencies, research institutions, and governments. I have collaborated with professionals and experts from the health, agriculture and livestock, biodiversity and conservation sectors. I have had the opportunity to appreciate the challenges of operationalising One Health in different settings, from the arid rangelands of northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia to the backyard poultry farms in Cambodia, the wildlife farms in Viet Nam, and the rain forests of Brunei Darussalam. My journey through One Health has just begun but I am already truly convinced that the key to effective One Health implementation is listening.

My experience with pastoralist communities taught me to give time and space to listening, with an open heart, with an open mind and without judgement. The local elders have shared stories and perspectives that helped design more suitable and responsive solutions for their communities. I was mesmerised by their stories on how to observe the clouds and check the animal intestines for signs of rains or how to recognise the plants that make goats and camels sick. With my ears and eyes widely open, I absorbed their words and expressions and learned to remain curious of what surrounds me.

Community Gathering in North Horr (Kenya)

Listening with open heart and open mind has enabled me to connect with others, create opportunity for sharing views, perceptions and needs, and build bridges towards better health for humans, animals and the environment. Curiosity has made me eager to continue learning, expanding my network and crossing my boundaries to take an active role in the growing global One Health community.

Communing with the camels in Filtu (Ethiopia)

 

References and Further Reading

Mor, S.M., Fascendini, M., Imbach, S., Ayehu, M. and Belay, K. on behalf of the HEAL Consortium (2024). Community-designed One Health units as a model for integrated service delivery pastoralist areas of Africa. CABI One Health Cases. doi:10.1079/onehealthcases.2024.0004

Salza A. (2018) Don’t ask, don’t tell: One-Health seeking behaviours among pastoralists in a semi-arid land. Nairobi, Kenya. Available at: https://www.oh4heal.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/OHNH-anthropology-research_CCM-2018.pdf (Accessed: 18 May 2025)

Villanucci, A. (2016) Enhance the health status of the nomadic pastoralists in Filtu Woreda, Liben Zone, Somali Region, Ethiopia. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Available at: https://www.oh4heal.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/OH-operational-research-CCM.pdf (Accessed: 18 May 2025)

The Gorilla Doctor Bridging Health and Nature

In this blog post by Dr Nelson Bukamba, we learn of his remarkable journey into, through and beyond the Conservation Medicine programme and how he is emerging as an inspiring leader in the field of conservation medicine.

My path through the Conservation Medicine programme

Choosing this path of professional development through the Conservation Medicine programme at the University of Edinburgh has been a pivotal milestone for me as a wildlife veterinarian. This beautiful journey started off at the very beginning of my employment with Gorilla Doctors, a team of dedicated Rwandan, Ugandan and Congolese veterinarians working passionately to protect the health of endangered eastern gorillas across the range states of Rwanda, Uganda and DR Congo.

Dr. Nelson preparing for wildlife non-invasive sampling.

My field work with Gorilla Doctors deepened my commitment to the health and conservation of eastern gorillas and the ecosystems they inhabit. This has been informed by the development of an interdisciplinary One Health approach that is a core pillar of Gorilla Doctors’ mission and the practice of conservation medicine.

Building on the One Health approach of Gorilla doctors, my studies have deepened my understanding of the intricate relationships between animal health, environmental sustainability, and public health and expanded my perspective on the global health and conservation challenges we face. The conservation medicine programme was a transformative experience in my life, one that has shaped my aspirations, skills, and vision for the future of wildlife medical practice. In this blog post, I share a few insights into my journey.

The Beginning of the Journey

My desire to study conservation medicine can be traced back to my lifelong passion for wildlife and ecosystem health and it was only natural to find myself applying for the MVetSci in Conservation Medicine. At the beginning of my postgraduate studies, I transitioned in my career from working with one species of great apes (chimpanzees) to another species of great apes, the mountain gorillas under the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project (MGVP), a.k.a Gorilla Doctors. This was one of the defining moments of my career, the realisation of one of my life aspirations. Having worked in different conservation areas, I had witnessed first-hand the complex interplay between human activities, emerging diseases, and wildlife conservation. Given such complex interactions, I knew there was an urgent need for a more collaborative approach, involving all conservation players and that I needed to explore ways of bridging veterinary science, ecology, and public health. And it was this realisation that I carried as I moved deeper into the programme.

Silver Back Magara (Posho Gorilla Family), Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda

From the outset, the programme offered me an opportunity to think beyond conventional veterinary medicine. Overall, I was served a beautiful dish of holistic approaches to conservation incorporating aspects of wildlife disease ecology, epidemiology and One Health principles. The taught courses emphasised pressing global issues such as emerging infectious diseases, zoonotic disease transmission, habitat destruction, and climate change impacts on biodiversity – issues that I have myself witnessed impacting the survival of different wildlife species.

Challenges and Growth

Of course, balancing studying and work at the same time was a demanding challenge. Starting graduate school is both exciting and overwhelming; the expectations are high and the learning environment is often more independent compared to undergraduate training.

The interdisciplinary nature of conservation medicine challenges students to develop their critical thinking, research competencies and ability to make original contributions. My postgraduate training helped me to develop competencies beyond my initial veterinary training. I was able to integrate knowledge from diverse disciplines, critically analyse data, and propose solutions to complex conservation issues.

At the end of my studies, this all fed into a beautiful research study for my dissertation year, one that encompassed wildlife disease ecology, cross-host transmission, zoonotics and public health elements.  One of the most valuable components of the programme was the emphasis on real-world case studies and multidisciplinary collaboration. Given that Gorilla Doctors was spearheading a research project through the EpiCenter for Emerging Infectious Disease Intelligence, a consortium of research partners focused on advancing an understanding of viral emergence from wildlife in forests and rapidly urbanising environments, it made sense to align my research with this work and to contribute directly to a disease response planning programme. For my dissertation, I therefore found myself investigating the possibilities of cross host transmission dynamics of parasites among mountain gorillas and domestic animals from front-line communities surrounding the protected area of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda.

Noninvasive sampling of Adult L’hoestii monkey using a salimetric swab as part of wildlife disease surveillance

My research project was deeply rewarding and personally transformative and I was delighted when it was recognised by the award of the Dissertation Prize for best thesis. The experience reaffirmed my passion for research and conservation policy, steering me toward a future where I could contribute meaningfully to global conservation efforts, particularly in Africa.

Beyond the Programme

Graduating from the Conservation Medicine programme marked the beginning of an exciting new phase in my career as a wildlife veterinarian. Equipped with a deeper understanding of the challenges facing wildlife and ecosystems , I now embrace collaborative in situ efforts to addressing conservation challenges through a One Health approach.

My goal is to ensure that scientific discoveries are translated into significant conservation efforts by bridging the gap between research and policy. I also envision a future of a new generation of leaders committed to preserving the biodiversity of our planet, and I am excited to be part of the journey in fostering a new generation of such leaders across several conservation fronts.

My journey so far has reinforced my belief in the power of interdisciplinary collaboration and the necessity of a holistic approach to conservation. I have come to acknowledge the gift of “Not Knowing” which I have come to appreciate as “True Knowledge”. I have come to witness the limitations of the bias of living with knowing as I encounter my silent patients in the wild.  My practice today embraces the paradoxical humility of “Not knowing”, enabling me to attend with an open mind and heart to the more-than-human world I care so deeply about. As I continue to navigate the dynamic field of conservation medicine, I am grateful for the invaluable lessons and experiences that have shaped my path and strengthened my dedication to the conservation of mountain gorillas and their fragile habitats.

Dr. Bukamba Nelson a reflective practitioner of conservation medicine
Dogs in front-line communities receive veterinary health care

From smallies to sea birds: My Conservation Medicine journey of discovery

In this blog post, Fiona Greco, who graduated from the Conservation Medicine programme in 2019, captures the essence of her transformation from a small animal vet to a professional working with some of the “big” conservation challenges we face. Fiona tells of her disillusionment with practice, her decision to study on the programme and how this has led her to pursue doctoral studies on how Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza is affecting the internationally important sea bird colonies our island nation is blessed with.

From small animals to birds via fish…

On reflection, I had a fairly linear journey for an animal-obsessed child into veterinary medicine, and I never really considered that I would do anything other than small animal clinical practice. Finding myself five years post-graduation and neither comfortable nor fulfilled in that role was bewildering. While increasingly struggling with anxiety in day-to-day practice, I developed an interest in the topics of One Health and population medicine. These are not overly prominent in the everyday role of a small animal clinician but somehow they spoke to me.

It felt huge admitting that clinical practice wasn’t the best fit for me, but having always been passionate about learning I started actively looking for opportunities to develop in a different direction. The MVetSci Conservation Medicine degree stood out as an ideal opportunity to explore health on a bigger scale, and to rediscover that childhood passion for wildlife and the environment.

Within a few weeks of the Masters programme, I knew I had made the right decision. The strangest things stick in your mind, but there was a moment early in the course when reading about Nipah virus, wildlife and agriculture that I thought yes, this is what I’m interested in! Those introductory modules really sparked my interest in the infectious diseases of wildlife, particularly in the interplay between wildlife, environmental change and anthropogenic causes.

The programme itself is diverse and well-paced, allowing me to further explore epidemiology and wildlife disease intervention, and highlighting contemporary conservation challenges. Alongside infectious disease, I also gained a particular interest in translocation as a conservation method and this led me to conduct a literature review on disease risk analysis in the translocation of fish for my final year dissertation. The Conservation Medicine programme team were excellent in encouraging my interests, and I graduated knowing that I wanted to continue in my exploration of disease challenges in wildlife.

Further study beckoned

Soon after graduation I applied, and was accepted for, a PhD project advertised via the Edinburgh Earth, Environment and Ecology Doctoral Training Partnership (E4 DTP) in conjunction with the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH). This project aimed to assess the impact of environmental change on host responses to infection and disease, focusing on European shag seabirds on the Isle of May National Nature Reserve (NNR), which lies in the Firth of Forth, close to Edinburgh. This incredible island plays home to important breeding sea bird populations. The Isle of May Long-Term Study (IMLOTS) forms part of UKCEH’s network of long-term monitoring sites for detecting effects of environmental change, particularly climate change.

The European Shag (Gulosus aristotelis) is one of six intensively studied species breeding on the Isle of May off the Fife Coast.

The Isle of May is a magical place to conduct fieldwork

Now in my last six months, it’s difficult to summarise this incredibly diverse, demanding and extraordinary PhD. I’ve spent an incredible three months a year for the last three years living amongst a diverse wealth of seabirds on the Isle of May, returning to the lab or office for the interim nine months. Initially focused on the links between migration and nematode burden, my direction of research was significantly influenced by the emergence of High pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) virus in UK seabird species part way through my PhD. Sharing a home with such characterful individuals while AIV devastated seabird populations across the UK and Europe stirred both an emotional and academic response, and I have spent the remainder of my project dedicated to research on this subject.

Admittedly, the PhD experience has been a significant learning curve, not only in unfamiliar aspects of statistical analysis and modelling but in setting my own pace and research goals in the face of continually evolving disease challenges. A background in clinical practice certainly has its advantages though, not only in the practical aspects of handling or sampling, but particularly in terms of resilience, flexibility, and communication. Despite the challenges, it has also been hugely rewarding, learning from an incredible team of researchers and field staff and practically applying skills in a true wildlife disease context.

Any initial apprehension at leaving clinical practice has diminished with the knowledge that I can truly utilise hard won veterinary skills within disease ecology, and apply these to any future role within Conservation Medicine and disease investigation. The Conservation Medicine course gave me the confidence to step outside of my pre-conceived idea of a veterinary career, and I would fully recommend it to anyone wishing to explore health challenges in our increasingly altered environment.

Fiona conducting field work for her PhD

Puffins and guillemots are two of the other species studied on the Isle of May

Further Information

To read more about the Research Group that Fiona is working with please visit the Behavioural Ecology in Animal Populations webpage. You can also read the latest publication to arise from Fiona’s research in the following 2025 paper in Scientific Reports.

 

 

Being a conservation vet in challenging times

In this wonderful blog post from one of our current students, on the MVetSci programme in Conservation Medicine, we learn a little about what it is like working on the front-lines of rhino poaching. Jennifer shares with us what has led her to become a conservation vet and why she cares so much about making a trauma-informed contribution to nature conservation. As she does so, she helps us to understand the extent to which Conservation Medicine is becoming an interdisciplinary field and, in this instance, how it is learning from the field of Collective Trauma Studies. Jennifer has chosen to focus her research for her dissertation on the need for trauma awareness in rhino poaching and why trauma awareness is essential if we are to sustain ourselves in the interdependent work of conserving nature and healing ourselves. We hope you enjoy reading about the horizons her studies and work are helping her explore.

 

Being a conservation vet in challenging times

(Jen Lawrence)

“I tell you this

to break your heart,

by which I mean only

that it break open and never close again

to the rest of the world”

(From the poem Lead by Mary Oliver)

A landscape of possibility - a sandy path running forward to a distant horizon in the African bush.

Figure 1: A landscape of possibility

I write to share my heartfelt journey of living and working as a conservation vet in South Africa and how this is continuing to shape the person I am. I am nearing the end of my dissertation year on the Masters in Conservation Medicine programme. Through what follows, I share with you how I am continuing to widen my circle of caring and deepen my connection to myself and Mother Earth. I hope that in sharing this, you may consider how we might all allow our hearts to break open to this world.

It is no secret that the world we humans have constructed and know is unravelling at an overwhelming pace. We only have to look outside and see how we have transformed landscapes and ecologies, leaving a wake of destruction and painful loss. Wild spaces are diminishing, and wild beings are more unwittingly entangled and lost in the complexities of how we are shaping this world. Turning away is easier than facing the suffering and so we continue to sleepwalk through life. This only prolongs the pain and constricts our ability to truly feel love and joy at being alive. As a conservation vet working on the front-lines of wildlife conservation and rhino poaching in South Africa, I acknowledge my grief and personal suffering as I continue to witness the loss of our natural spaces and species. Whenever I find myself facing suffering head on, my awareness of how necessary it is to break our hearts open deepens. It is at times like this that I truly remember who I am, and who we are in the intricate web of life.

Figure 2: The author tending to a traumatised orphan rhino

How my personal journey is breaking my heart open

I am relatively new to the conservation space. In 2021 I moved back home after several years in the UK working in small animal clinics, and started my conservation journey in 2022. In 2023, I took up a full-time position with African Wildlife Vets which has put me in the heart of the African bush. In this time, I have come to understand what it means to be passionate, heartbroken, inspired, humbled, grateful and in awe. When I started out, I already felt that my purpose was rooted in my connection to Mother earth, and that I am only one small thread weaving through the complexities and challenges that we face. Little did I know what an impact this space would have on me. Living with nature as I do now has given me more space to connect and delight in the wonders of life; it has also brought me closer to the pain and suffering of beings who were here long before us. Standing with the shattered body of yet another rhino whose life was ruptured by the brutality of greed, I bear witness to the collective heart break of those present. Watching how another wild dog limps along, with a wire snare cutting deeper into her body, terrified, confused and in pain … and how she is held collectively by her pack, courageously trying to keep her alive. Feeling the sigh of relief when another black rhino, who has unknowingly wandered into unwelcome human populated territory is spotted and brought back home. Seeing the confusion and fear on the face of an orphan rhino as we try and bring him to safety and witnessing the dedication and commitment of those looking after him.

Figure 3: Recognising our interconnectedness

Threading through these stories is a depth of suffering and some may say a sense of hopelessness at what continues to unfold. This is the stark reality of the challenges we face. There is another element that I want to invite into this space; it is easy to get so wrapped up and spiral into despair and there are times where I catch myself doing exactly that. Allowing myself the space to mindfully move through the pain, I reflect on what I am being taught by nature herself each time I am gifted an opportunity to work with her. Early on I made a commitment to not only serve her, I also wanted to learn from her. Robin Wall Kimmerer describes how knowledge and learning happen through a respectful and reciprocal interaction with all forms of life on earth, not only human (Wall Kimmerer, 2021). Her words have encouraged me to step beyond the confines of my mind and to patiently observe and absorb the mysteries of nature and how they relate to my own life. I have come to appreciate that I am part of a deeply connected community and that we are just as complex and vibrant as the landscapes and beings with whom we work. I have learnt what humility truly means, being outwitted, and outsmarted on several occasions by hyena and wild dogs. I have witnessed how deep the connection runs between a mother and her young. I have witnessed the arrival of the next generation of young antelope and shared in their joy and delight as they playfully danced together in the day’s fading light. The construct of certainty begins to dissolve, leaving space to welcome in the slow, flowing pace of nature.

Figure 4: Pausing to appreciate the marvelous beauty of nature

This slow, flowing pace continues to be swept up by a sense of urgency of what we face on a continuous basis – the rapid decline of biodiversity and the urgent need to protect it. This comes at an emotional and physical cost to passionate and dedicated conservationists who have been facing this suffering for much longer than I have. Hearts continue to break; tough outer armour is wrapped around more tightly protecting an inner tenderness that has been fragmented by bearing witness to the suffering and loss. I have come to know this heart break personally and by listening to colleagues reflecting on their experiences. This led me to focus my Masters dissertation on the need for trauma awareness for those working on the frontline of rhino poaching. As my project has progressed, I have come to understand from first-hand experience how necessary it is to become more trauma informed and aware. Ignoring the fracturing of our emotional landscapes leaves us lost and more afraid than ever. In an interview with Emergence Magazine, Joanna Macy describes how despair is a form of profound caring, and when we tend to it and acknowledge it, we can transform it and turn towards action (Emergence Magazine, 2018). Without facing the heart break, we will not be able to break our hearts open to live in a more compassionate and tender communion with all of life.

References:

Emergence Magazine. (2018). Widening Circles– with Joanna Macy. [online] Available at: https://emergencemagazine.org/interview/widening-circles/ [Accessed 6 Feb. 2024].

Oliver, M. (2017). Devotions: The selected poems of Mary Oliver. New York: Penguin Press, p146.

Wall Kimmerer, R. (2021). Gathering moss: A natural and cultural history of mosses. London: Penguin Books, p82.

 

On the trail of cats and stars

Guest post by Beatriz Alves.

“One day, you will write a book”, my dad often told me. I can still hear him say that every time I write. I can hear it now, as I sit here, my cat on my lap, writing this blog. Some things are just born with you, they are a part of you, even if you don’t recognise them. I don’t write that often (not nearly as often as I should to fulfil my dad’s prophecy), but, when I do, I feel like I really have to do it. When I applied for the MVetSci Conservation Medicine, it felt just like that, like I really had to do it. When I started the course, I had not realised how much of it was already a part of me, how much I would identify with the values and concepts of conservation medicine and one health. As a child born and raised in the second biggest city in Portugal, I always had this nagging feeling that I didn’t quite belong there… One of the earliest memories I have from my childhood, is asking my parents to wake me up in the middle of a night when a meteor shower was going to take place. They did as I asked. I was so excited, all wrapped up in my blanket, standing in the middle of the street, looking up… But, as it turns out, it is also one of my most disappointing memories, as I did not see one single shooting star. Because you just can’t really see the night sky in the centre of a big, bright, smoggy city…

I lived there for many years, I went to school and became a veterinary surgeon in that very same city. Unfortunately, vet school did not teach me about all the different paths a vet can take, being very focused on clinical practice, particularly small animal practice.

And so, feeling like I didn’t have much of a choice at the time, I became a small animal vet. But very shortly after starting my first job at a local practice, I realised that, once again, I did not quite belong there… It is not a nice feeling to have, especially when it has, in one way or another, been following you your whole life. However, it is an extremely useful feeling to have, because, if you trust it, it makes you move, it makes you change. And it can lead you to places you did not expect to go to, it can lead you to the right places (even if you don’t realise that at the time). Less than a year after I started working, I decided to quit my job, without really having a plan in mind. Would I try a different practice (maybe the problem was that one…)? Would I do a PhD (I actually wrote a proposal for a small animal clinical research project, which, thankfully, never went very far from my laptop…)? Or would I just try something different? I searched and explored and, eventually, something came up that triggered a little spark in me… A volunteer program had just opened, to join the ethology team at the recently developed Iberian Lynx Breeding for Release Centre (CNRLI), in southern Portugal (Lynxexsitu). What happens when you add a lifelong love of cats (of all shapes and sizes), a will and a need to try something new and the prospect of a two-month period in beautiful sunny Algarve’s countryside? Well, you consider all the pros and cons (always make a list of these, particularly highlighting the fact that you won’t be making any money) and, on that very same day, you send your application. I was accepted and I went to CNRLI with the plan of staying for two months. However, the volunteering turned into an internship, the internship into a job, and I ended up staying for two and a half years.

Iberian lynx check-up at CNRLI.

Being involved in a wild felid conservation project was an extraordinary experience, and it made me realise so much of what I already felt but didn’t quite know. This was what I really wanted to do. But I knew nothing about it… Vet school does not prepare you for this type of work. So I decided to move to the UK, where working conditions were better, to go back into small animal practice and look for an opportunity (a post-graduation course or a masters) that would allow me to learn more about how to be a conservationist as a vet.

Three years later, I enrolled in the MVetSci Conservation Medicine programme. The comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach of conservation medicine fascinated me from day one and is now intrinsically a part of my life and the way I see and interact with the world around me. During the course, I had the opportunity to meet incredible people, from all over the world (the highlight having been the three week IWAH – Interventions in Wild Animal Health course, at Sariska Tiger Reserve, in India. Despite so many cultural and personal differences, it was extremely inspiring to realise how we had all been brought together by identical goals and values. The support we gave and received from each other going forward was crucial, particularly since our last year of the course (the dissertation year) took place during the covid pandemic.

Field day during the IWAH course, India.

Fitting my cat conservation passion, my dissertation project ended up consisting of the analysis of disease surveillance data collected by Scottish Wildcat Action, the first national conservation project for the European wildcat in Scotland. This was a wonderful opportunity and one that confirmed my appetite for working in wild felid conservation.

Walking the “Wildcat Trail”, Newtonmore, Scotland.

One thing led to another, one meeting to another meeting, one person to another person, and, once I finished my MVetSci, I was invited to apply for a PhD scholarship in Portugal to continue studying wildcats. After the terrifying process of writing a PhD research proposal (which felt completely above my credentials) and six long months of waiting, I was offered a four-year PhD scholarship.

Now in my second year, I can tell you a PhD is no walk in the park. It is a rollercoaster of excitement, disappointment, motivation, fear, adventure and anxiety. I often have to remind myself why I decided to do it in the first place. However, given the choice, I would do it all over again. It is a completely different experience from the clinical practice work I was used to. I am learning things and acquiring skills I never thought I would (some more challenging than others). I am working with professionals from multiple disciplines (biologists, ecologists, geneticists, zoologists, statisticians and actually very few vets…), thus bringing Conservation Medicine into practice. The PhD is a great opportunity to have contact with different projects and subjects, as long as you are willing to take the opportunities that are presented to you.

European wildcat detected on a camera-trap survey, during my 1st PhD year. Montesinho Natural Park, Portugal.

Looking back, I am grateful for all the little (or not so little) steps throughout my life that have brought me here. After many bumps along the way, I am now working with wildcats and I get to spend time in incredible places in Portugal (Montesinho Natural Park) and the Scottish Highlands (Cairngorms National Park), where I can actually see the stars…

I feel curious and excited (and, at times, a bit scared…) to see what comes next. But wherever life takes me, as long as the night sky is clear, it will be the right place. And maybe I will finally write my book…

One Health: My Journey

Natalie SampsonGuest post by Natalie Sampson.

Studying the One Health MSc has been transformational for me. The course has reinvigorated my love of learning and has served as the inspiration for taking my career in a new and unexpected direction. I hope that my story will encourage you to take the first step on your own ‘wriggly road’, wherever it may take you.

Soon after my youngest child turned 1, and with a secure job as a Veterinary Clinical Director in a growing small animal practice that I enjoyed and fitted well around family life, I found myself with a small amount of free brain space and surplus energy.

As a young vet, I had really enjoyed volunteering abroad and, recognising that disappearing off for a few weeks was no longer something I wished to do, I found myself reaching out for other opportunities closer to home. I soon found myself volunteering for Street Vet every few weeks and sitting as a Trustee for a fantastic grass roots charity providing veterinary care for street animals in India. Unfortunately for my husband, this work reawakened my passion for an area of veterinary medicine I hadn’t practised for a while, namely the links between human and animal health in a bigger picture context. Combining my interest with the experience and skills I had accumulated over time, I began to think about the possibility of a doing an MSc.

The Conservation Medicine MSc at Edinburgh had always been on my radar and, through this, I stumbled on the One Health Programme. I realised it encompassed all of the areas I am drawn to, so One Health it was, and I jumped in. Needless to say, had I thought about what I was doing I may not have applied, but with only my degree to compare against, and now at a completely different stage of life, I didn’t overthink what I was doing or consider how I was going to find the learning experience, a “blessing in disguise”. My only nod to reality was that my first aim was just to get through the 1st year and gain a certificate – baby steps!

With the pandemic still to come, I began my online MSc journey. I found lots of areas challenging, centring on moving beyond the pace and clinical world that I was familiar with and slowing down. Slowing down was extremely hard, but gradually I learnt to embrace it and in doing so, it allowed me to reflect and get to know myself again (albeit slowing down whilst cooking dinner, getting the kids to bed, answering emails etc). Nevertheless, that first term was vital in laying the groundwork for expectations at MSc level and getting my rusty studying skills back, whilst also learning how to embrace an online community– many of whom I was pleased to discover, were in a similar boat. I started this MSc simply out of curiosity but quickly I was hooked by the learning bug and by the subject.

Fast forward to Spring 2020 and the Covid-19 pandemic when, co-incidentally, I was studying emerging diseases and One Health policy… timely to say the least. Each module presented new challenges, some in stark contrast to the part of the veterinary world I was familiar with, and I realised that I was beginning to develop an image of the direction of my next career move, alongside giving me confidence that I could move outside of the career path I thought was set in stone. My wriggly road was well underway, and I was keeping an eye out for roles that piqued my interest.

I won’t list the value of each module but, with each one, my confidence grew, and I was able to appreciate the skills and strengths I already had and those that were in development. Moreover, I was learning to embrace myself and relax, skills that I found difficult to exhibit in a clinical setting.

Surprisingly reflection, self-awareness and re-learning to presence myself have been key to this part of my journey. Honing these abilities and diving deep into who I am and what I enjoy has given me back a grounding I had lost. Using intuitive and free flow imagery has helped me to visualise my reflections and explore deeper, for example my ‘me tree’ depicted below, focusing on what I find balancing and what I seek on my journey (noting of course that my artistic ability is one of the skills I need to develop).

Drawing of a tree with a treehouse and swings in it

At the start of my diploma year, a role with the Food Standards Agency caught my eye. A One Health veterinary role working in food policy and reading the job description I had some but not all of the experience. I would never have considered it but for my increased awareness of the importance of veterinary work in public health (aka One Health). I was also aware of the challenge in applying for a Civil Service role in the UK, so I took a deep breath and reached out to the recruiting manager. Following an enjoyable chat about the role and how vet skills are applied in the One Health arena I discovered that I was determined to apply. I was surprised and delighted when I not only got an interview, but was offered the position, which of course I accepted.

Halfway through my One Health MSc and I had spring boarded into a One Health Policy role!

I am now 18 months into the role and have made it my own, with the fantastic support of a transdisciplinary team, all working to protect food and feed safety and animal health and welfare. I am a firm believer in Veterinary Public Health and One Health and am determined to raise awareness of how fascinating and exciting it is to practice Veterinary Medicine in this context. My work is highly varied, covering notifiable diseases, zoonotic disease, meat hygiene, policy development, trade, future borders, microbiology, veterinary medicines, corporate management and more. Moreover, I am surrounded by phenomenal vets and non-vets with encyclopaedic knowledge who I learn from every day.

It is easy to think that I was a small animal vet in practice and suddenly and smoothly transitioned into a One Health role… but that would be to oversimplify and not do myself justice. In practice I had also developed nonclinical and human behavioural skills as I progressed through my clinical career and, I use all of those skills, alongside my veterinary and One Health knowledge every day. By giving myself space to embrace my curiosity, reflect and refocus my perspective through the One Health MSc, I have grown considerably, and I am looking forward to whatever the future may hold.