Kathy is a laboratory animal anaesthetist and holds the positions of Director of the Comparative Biology Centre and Named Veterinary Surgeon at Newcastle University, UK. Having graduated in 1999 from the Royal Veterinary College and spent 5 years in mixed general practice, she moved to the University of Oxford in 2004 to work with laboratory animals; realising that one of the greatest contributions vets with an interest in anaesthesia can make to animal welfare is with laboratory animals. Since then she has completed RCVS Certificates in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia, and Laboratory Animal Science whilst supporting scientists to refine their anaesthetic regimens and techniques. Her research interest is in anaesthetic neurotoxicity and investigating how anaesthesia acts as a confound for neuroscience experiments. She has worked in New York and Atlanta both as a Wellcome Research Training Fellow for her PhD and latterly as Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Neuroscience, before returning to the UK to pursue an alternative residency with the ECVAA.

I started my career as a clinical veterinarian and became involved in medical research at the Clinical Research Centre, London, while acting as their laboratory animal veterinarian. After completing a PhD in physiology, I moved to Newcastle, where I was able to develop my major interests in the science underpinning animal welfare.

Roles and Responsibilities: I stepped down as Director of the university research animal facilities in 2017, and now have time to focus on developing e-learning resources, and delivery of training on a range of topics related to animal welfare. I am also continuing to contribute to the work of the Pain and Animal Welfare Science group.

Research Interests: Welfare of animals used in biomedical research, and in particular issues associated with pain and distress. Comparative aspects of pain assessment and alleviation. Animal anaesthesia and the neurophysiogical effects of anaesthesia.

Current Work: Our research group aims to develop improved methods of analgesia and anaesthesia for use in animals. We are also interested in comparative aspects of pain and analgesia. We also disseminate this information by developing training materials for research workers.

Future Research: We aim to develop the comparative aspects of our research in pain assessment and alleviation. In particular, we are aiming to develop means of assessing the affective component of pain. We also aim to develop more humane methods of euthanasia of laboratory animals.

Graduated from Cambridge University in 1976 and worked in general practice before moving to the Cambridge University Veterinary School where she obtained the RCVS DVA. Became chief of anaesthesia at the Animal Health Trust in 1983 and gained her PhD (Cambridge University) in 1987 for her thesis in equine anaesthesia. In 1994 she became University Lecturer and subsequently Reader at the Cambridge University Veterinary School where she was responsible for the clinical anaesthetic service, teaching undergraduates and post graduates and for research in anaesthesia.
She became a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Anaesthesia in 1995 and was founding President of the College. She has been awarded the UK Equestrian Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award, the BSAVA Simon Award, the ECVAA Morpheus award, and in 2016 became an honorary member of BEVA. Became FRCVS in 2017 for meritorious contribution to learning.
Since 2002 she has worked as an independent consultant in anaesthesia, with work ranging from clinical anaesthesia and teaching to drug registration, as well as research, particularly in analgesia. She has published numerous papers on anaesthesia and analgesia in many species, particularly horses and cats.
Since its inception in 2008 she has been a director of Topcat Metrology Ltd, developing and supplying bespoke nociceptive threshold testing systems for a wide range of animal species.
She was a member of the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs (2002-2010) and has continued to be an advocate for the veterinary profession in matters concerning drug legislation. Her most recent activity putting her head above the parapet is to join a growing group showing the profession that overtreatment of animals “just because we can” is often not in their best interests.

Delphine graduated from Maisons-Alfort (Paris) vet school in 1998. After a few years spent working as an equine vet, where she discovered her interest for veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia, she returned to vet school in Nantes where she ran the Anaesthesia department for 11 years. During this time, she gained a masters degree and a PhD in cardiovascular pharmacology, with a particular interest in autonomic nervous system pharmacology. She also completed an alternative residency gaining the European board certification in anaesthesia and analgesia, which led her to visit and train in a lot of different universities all over the world, including the University of Bristol. She left France to return to the University of Bristol in 2012, where she worked as a teaching fellow in veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia for 5 years and where, amongst other things, she anaesthetised quite a lot of pigs ! She is now working as an anaesthesia clinician in a small animal and exotics referral center in Bristol.

Mark graduated from the University of Liverpool in 1997 and then spent 2 years working in mixed practice. He returned to the University of Liverpool to complete a Residency in Equine Anaesthesia and Cardiology between 1999-2002 and was then appointed Lecturer in Veterinary Anaesthesia in 2002. He holds the RCVS Certificate in Veterinary Anaesthesia is a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Anaesthetists. Mark was also awarded a PhD for his thesis ‘Complement and Endotoxin in Equine Colic’ in 2009.
Mark is an advisor to the Association of Racecourse Veterinary Surgeons and is involved in the teaching of ‘Safer Horse Rescues’ to regional groups of veterinary surgeons and fire-services. He runs a small farm and has 3 horses.

Eddie graduated (BVSc [hons]) from the University of Liverpool 1981, and then stayed three years in the Department of Anaesthesia, The Royal Liverpool Hospital, with Ron Jones, during which time he was awarded the Cert VA (RCVS) in 1983 and the DVA in 1988.
This was followed by a post in the University of Virginia, Maryland, USA for 5 years as assistant professor in Veterinary Anesthesiology. Eddie has been head of anaesthesia in R(D)SVS (Edinburgh) since 1990 and became a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Anaesthesia in 1996.
He was European Editor of Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia (1999-2005), and is a member of the Royal College of Anaesthetists, the Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law Veterinary Association, BEVA and the Veterinary History Society.
Eddie was President (2003-2006) of the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists. Eddie received a personal Chair in 2007.

Prof. Dimitris Raptopoulos graduated from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (FVMT), Greece, and from 1972 until 2011 he was active in teaching, research, and clinical practice. He completed his Doctoral Thesis at the FVMT, and a 2-year training in anaesthesiology at the School of Veterinary Studies in Bristol, UK, after which, in 1978, he obtained the Diploma in Veterinary Anaesthesia (DVA) of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. He spent another 18 months in Bristol and 6 months in Gainesville, Florida, USA, as Research Fellow and Visiting Assistant Professor, respectively. From 2003 to 2007 he was Dean, and for a number of years Head of the Companion Animal Clinic, and Head of the Department of Clinical Sciences of the FVMT. His research focused primarily on gastro-oesophageal reflux during anaesthesia, and preoperative fasting in dogs. In 1995 he was appointed Invited Specialist and Founding Diplomate of the ECVAA, and served as Secretary, President, Past-President and Chairman of the Credentials & Education Committees. In March 2014 he was granted Honorary Membership of the College. He also served as President of the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists (AVA), and has been President of the Council of the World Congress of Veterinary Anaesthesiology since 2006. In January 2013 he joined the European Board of Veterinary Specialisation as its Chief Executive Officer and can be reached via the EBVS.

Tony Pickering is an expat Geordie Anaesthetist with a research focus on Pain and Autonomic control. His undergraduate Medical training in Birmingham was interrupted by the Award of a Wellcome Prize PhD studentship in the lab of Steve Logan which spawned his interest in sympathetic neurophysiology. After graduating in Medicine he trained in Anaesthesia in London and Bristol before establishing his research lab in the School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience at Bristol while funded as a Wellcome Trust Clinical research fellow. His group studies the brainstem and spinal cord circuits that modulate pain perception and bodily homeostatic control. Much of the current work is on neuromodulation with a focus on Noradrenaline and its long range influences on pain perception. He leads the academic foundation program in Severn and the INSPIRE program for Medical and Dental students. He continues to practice as a consultant Anaesthetist and Pain clinician. The goal of his research activity is to identify new targets and methods for therapeutic intervention.

Kate graduated from the University of Cambridge and after time in general practice returned to Cambridge vet school to undertake a Horserace Betting Levy Board Residency, gaining her CertVA, DVA and Dipl ECVAA. Following this she worked for 10 years as a self-employed consultant in referral practices, pharmaceutical companies, academia, zoos and biomedical research establishments providing anaesthesia services. In 2009 she joined Nottingham University and currently holds the position as Professor of Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia and the Clinical Director role at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science. Her role combines teaching undergraduates and postgraduates across the curriculum in physiology, pharmacology, anaesthesia and analgesia in domestic, farmed, wild captive and laboratory animals. Her research areas are in pain and analgesia, anaesthesia, safety culture. Her PhD studies focus on diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNIC) in a rodent model of chronic pain. She holds departmental, faculty and university management roles. She is past President of AVA, and just finishing her term as Senior Vice President of AVA. Kate is also anaesthesia consultant on the ape health project – a pan European project investigating great ape health and disease. Outside of work her time is devoted to her two children, and she enjoys gardening, cycling and skiing.

Anoo was appointed to the role of Consultant in Neonatal Medicine in 2003 and as Clinical Director in 2015. He completed a Doctor of Medicine thesis from University of Nottingham on Topical Amethocaine Gel in 2001 and has 14 peer reviewed publications to date. He worked with the Association of Paediatric anaesthetists to author the neonatal pain part of their Good Practice in Postoperative and Procedural Pain Management 2012 and subsequently to develop an e learning package. He taught on the MSc Pain course in the University of Leicester from 2003-2010. Anoo introduced a pain assessment tool for babies on NICU in 2008 and is currently working with the nursing and multi disciplinary teams to review how to review and update that.

He works closely with The Grand Appeal and the Cots for Tots Appeal to ensure that the needs of neonatal parents and their vulnerable babies are met to the best of our abilities. In addition, Anoo is the chair of the Board of Trustees for Frankwater to advocate that marginalised communities in India and Nepal have access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation. Anoo enjoys open water swimming, cycling, Tae Kwon Do and Tai Chi.

Hannah is a Clinical Lecturer in Anaesthesia and Paediatric Anaesthetist in Bristol. She trained in Truro and East London before coming to Bristol in 2011 to work as a Research Fellow on a RCT on neonatal intensive care and obtained her PhD in 2015. Her research now focuses on improving anaesthesia during early brain development. In her spare time she enjoys open water swimming.

Richard did his undergraduate training at Bristol University and then specialised in Paediatrics gaining his MRCP in child health. His clinical training was undertaken in the South West of England, Great Ormond Street, London and the Starship hospital in Auckland, New Zealand. It was during this time that he decided to specialise in Paediatric Nephrology. In 2001 he was awarded a PhD fellowship funded by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Wellchild to study the molecular biology of the podocyte. After this he was appointed as a consultant in Paediatric Nephrology at the Royal Hospital for Children in Bristol.
In 2006 he was awarded an MRC Clinican Scientist fellowship enabling him to work in the world leading glomerular laboratory in Toronto, Canada with Professor Susan Quaggin to extend his studies.
In 2013 he secured a prestigious MRC Senior Clinical Fellowship to develop his laboratory and research interests further, whilst continuing to have a clinical commitment in Paediatric Nephrology. In 2011 Richard was promoted to Reader and then in 2014 to Professor of Renal Medicine.
From 2011-2014 Richard was the head of research for the School of Clinical Sciences and co-lead for developing and delivering undergraduate paediatric teaching in the University. He has been the chair of the national clinical study group for paediatric nephrology and the lead for research for the British Association of Paediatric Nephrology (2012-2016). Richard is an active member of several scientific grant committees including the MRC Populations Systems Medicine board, Kidney Research UK board, MRC Stratified Medicine board, MRC College Newton fund and MRC Genome Editing Mice for Medicine (GEMM) panel. He reviews for multiple scientific journals and is the Associate Editor for Nephron Experimental Nephrology. In 2017 Richard was part of the scientific organising committee for the American Society of Nephrology and the Scientific Chair of the 50th Anniversary meeting of the European Society of Paediatric Nephrology.

Born in London, John graduated from University of Liverpool in 1991. He was then at the Bristol Veterinary School for 10 years where he completed his postgraduate surgery training and a PhD in canine osteoarthritis at Bristol Medical School, becoming a recognised specialist of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2001. At the age of 33, he was appointed Professor of Small Animal Surgery at University of Liverpool where he led the development of the new Small Animal Teaching Hospital at Leahurst.
John has published more than 85 peer-reviewed papers and several textbook chapters. He is co-founder of ‘Veterinary Tissue Bank’, Europe’s only tissue transplant provider and ‘Fusion Implants’, a University of Liverpool spin-out company manufacturing veterinary orthopaedic implants using ‘3-D printing in metal’ technology. John was President of the European Society of Veterinary Orthopaedics (ESVOT) 2014-2016.
In 2013, John joined the Executive of CVS Vets, one of the UK’s largest corporate veterinary groups, to develop the company’s specialist services across the UK.