
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.