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APHA vet wins prestigious award
Susanna receiving her award at The House of Lords.

Dr Susannah Williamson honoured for role in pig disease surveillance

APHA vet Dr Susanna Williamson has won the David Black Award 2016 for her huge contribution to the pig industry.

The David Black Award, awarded by AHDB Pork, is the highest award within the pig industry. Recognising an individual’s valuable and sustained contribution, the award is named after the East Anglian pig producer who introduced it.

The judges’ citation said: “Susanna has devoted her time, energy and considerable talent in service to pig producers and she contributes greatly to keeping this country safe from the threats of existing and emerging disease.”

Dr Williamson is President of the Pig Veterinary Society and leads APHA’s Pig Expert Group. In 2000, she joined APHA Bury St Edmunds shortly before the outbreak of swine fever which led to the slaughter of almost 75,000 pigs.

Since the outbreak, Dr Williamson been involved in the diagnosis and investigation of many disease outbreaks in pigs, together with projects on bacterial and viral diseases.  

The esteemed vet also leads scanning surveillance activities at APHA in relation to pigs, to detect, investigate and tackle new and emerging disease threats and better understand existing porcine diseases.

Receiving her award at an industry breakfast, Dr Williamson said: “I didn’t even know I had been nominated and that would have surprised me, let alone finding out that I would receive the award.

“I appreciate the honour but really owe this award to my colleagues. I can only fulfil my role in pig disease surveillance and investigation through working as part of a team, within APHA and also with colleagues in the pig industry and pig veterinary community.”

“Successful disease surveillance is about working in partnership, and also requires access to a wide range of veterinary, scientific and technical expertise. This is especially important as the industry strives to address disease issues and minimise antimicrobial use.”

Image (C) APHA

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Applications open for MMI research grants

News Story 1
 RCVS' Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched round two of its veterinary mental health research grants.

Researchers have until 11.59pm on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 to apply for a grant for research which reflects MMI's 2025 focus areas.

Only one Impact Grant was awarded last year, and so this year there are two Discovery Grants and one Impact Grants available. Each Discovery Grant is worth £5,000 and the Impact Grant is worth £15,000.

For more information or to apply, email researchgrants@rcvs.org.uk to contact the MMI team.

 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BBC Radio 4 documentary addresses corporate fees

BBC Radio 4's File on 4 Investigates has released a documentary exploring how corporate-owned veterinary practices may be inflating bills to increase profit.

Released on 15 April, 'What's Happening To Your Vet Bills?' revealed the policies which many corporate groups have in place to increase their profits. This included targets and upgrades which veterinary teams are tasked with meeting on a regular basis.

It also features Anrich Vets, an independently-owned practice based in Wigan. Following the case of Staffordshire terrier Benjy, who is diagnosed with a tumour, the documentary shares how the team were able to offer contextualised care and advice to make the procedure as affordable as possible for his owners.

The documentary can be heard on demand on BBC iPlayer.