Published: 29 Jun 2021 | Last Updated: 29 Jun 2021 16:27:36

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has announced the appointment of Dr Emma Snary, Head of Epidemiological Sciences at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), as an Honorary Professor.

This further strengthens the RVC’s existing relationship held with the APHA and will bolster the collaborative efforts on important issues relating to animal and human health.

The RVC has worked closely with the APHA for more than 20 years, most recently through the RVC’s Veterinary Epidemiology Economics and Public Health (VEEPH) group, a collaboration that resulted in the joint designation of APHA and RVC as an OIE Collaborating Centre for Risk Analysis and Modelling in 2019. The centre promotes and facilitates the use of risk analysis and modelling to inform the development of policies aimed at controlling disease, improving animal welfare and protecting public health.

As part of the OIE Collaborating Centre, the RVC and APHA work together to provide relevant expertise and training to other OIE Collaborating Centres, OIE Reference laboratories and organisations within the European Region. As part of these efforts, a survey was conducted in May 2020 to determine the skills gaps and needs across countries in the European region and inform plans for future training provision and events.

Both institutes have extensive international networks and global responsibilities acting as reference centres for international organisations such as the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). The RVC and APHA regularly contribute to capacity building, research and policy advice either directly to national governments, or through international organisations.

Dr Emma Snary, Head of Epidemiological Sciences at APHA and Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the RVC, said:

“Together the APHA and RVC provide all-round expertise in the provision of research, surveillance, education and outbreak response in the area of animal health and veterinary public health.  Given both institutions’ track record of successful high-impact collaboration in the application of risk analysis and modelling it is incredibly exciting to see the relationship between the RVC and the APHA strengthened further. I am therefore very proud to be appointed as an honorary Professor at the RVC.”

Professor Javier Guitian, Consultant Epidemiologist at APHA and Professor of Veterinary Public Health at the RVC, said:

“The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has shown how important it is that public health officials, policymakers and scientists work closely together to achieve better public health outcomes for everyone. This relationship between the RVC and APHA – two global leaders in our shared field of animal health – will allow us to further progress this aspect of the RVC’s work, while also opening opportunities for our students to better understand and experience the policy development process.”

The continued partnership will allow staff at both the RVC and the APHA to share experiences and establish expertise in the application of epidemiological sciences. Additionally, it gives RVC students the chance to gain real life experience in how epidemiological science is used in the development of evidence-based policy.

Notes to Editors