Department of Veterinary Epidemiology and Public Health
The Department of Veterinary Epidemiology and Public Health comprises academics who have interests in the health and well-being of populations of animals and in the impact that this can have on society as a whole. This includes considering herd health, where the welfare of all animals within a farm is managed.
About us
Successful farm animal health management benefits the individual animals and the productivity of the farm as a business enterprise. An appreciation of the role of the veterinary profession in safeguarding the wider public from threats to health is also a paramount concern.
This is underpinned by the discipline of epidemiology – broadly, the study of disease and factors associated with disease occurrence in populations. Within the School, we contribute to teaching at all stages in the curriculum, with a special emphasis in the “Animals and Society” module.
We will also undertake research in relevant areas, often in collaboration with other scientists and professionals, including our veterinary partners. As a result, we will enable our students to experience and learn about this fascinating part of the world of veterinary medicine.
Meet the team
Head of Department
Dr Martha Betson
Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Parasitology & Head of Section
Department members
Dr Ruth Alafiatayo
Research Fellow in Tropical Animal Health and Innovation
Dr Carlijn Bogaardt
Research Fellow in Bioinformatics
Dr Umer Chaudhry
Research Fellow - Molecular Parasitology
Dr Francesca Marie Contadini
Lecturer in Veterinary Public Health
Professor Alasdair Cook
Head of Department of Veterinary Epidemiology and Public Health
Francisco Evangelista
Postgraduate Research Student
Dr Brian Gardner
Research Fellow in Computational Biology
Dr Giovanni Lo Iacono
Senior Lecturer in Biostatistics/Epidemiology
Dr Davide Messina
Teaching Fellow in Veterinary Public Health
Dr Joaquin Prada
Lecturer in Veterinary Epidemiology
Veterinary epidemiology and public health research
Our research interests include food chain health, interactions with animals and people, and animal health surveillance.