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Surrey vet school sweeps the board at Innovation Awards
"I am delighted that the work of Kamalan and Sharmini has been recognised in this way" - Professor Chris Proudman, University of Surrey.

Awards celebrate inspirational innovation across various sectors in Guildford

The University of Surrey’s School of Veterinary Medicine has swept the board the Guildford Innovation Awards 2019.

Drs Kamalan Jeevaratnam and Vadim Aleexenko scooped the ‘Innovation in Healthcare’ award for their research project ‘Computational approaches for risk predictions of cardiac rhythm abnormalities in the equine athlete’.

Funded by the Petplan Charitable Trust, the project uses computational algorithms to analyse electrocardiograms obtained from horses. Researchers say this pioneering technique could be integrated into digital ECG recording devices in veterinary practice and has the potential for use in human medicine for the detection of rhythm abnormalities in at-risk patients.


Dr Sharmini Julita Paramasivam won ‘Most Outstanding Innovation’ for her novel ‘Animal Neighbours Project’, which uses research and awareness to prevent conflict between humans and animals living in close proximity. Dr Paramasivam’s project works both locally and internationally to examine the interactions between humans and animals and provides vital insight into the threat of zoonotic diseases.


“I am delighted that the work of Kamalan and Sharmini has been recognised in this way,” said Professor Chris Proudman, head of the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Surrey. “Innovation is at the heart of everything we do here at Surrey, from our novel teaching model to tackling the rise of antimicrobial resistance and zoonotic diseases - we are making strides in improving animal health which will have significant benefit to human health.”

The Guildford Innovation Awards celebrate inspirational innovation across various sectors in the region, building on the theme of supporting Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects.

Chris Burchell, local economy manager at Guildford Borough Council, added: "The Innovation Awards celebrate the best and brightest that our borough has to offer. Congratulations to this year's winners and all who entered. I look forward to following the inspirational future developments in all of these fields and the positive impact they’ll have in our borough and beyond."

Image (C) University of Surrey.

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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.