Laura Higham (BVM&S MSc MRCVS)
Thesis title: Exploring the animal treatment-sustainability nexus: integrating animal welfare and antimicrobial stewardship into the sustainability agenda
Year of study: 4
- Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems
- FAI Farms Ltd
- Vet Sustain CIC
Contact details
- Email: laura.higham@ed.ac.uk
PhD supervisors:
Address
- Street
-
Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute, Easter Bush Campus
- City
- Midlothian
- Post code
- EH25 9RG
Background
Global Academy Primary Supervisor: Prof. Dominic Moran
Global Academy Co-Supervisor: Dr Lisa Boden
Laura is a PhD student at the Global Academy, exploring the ‘animal treatment’-sustainability nexus in terms of how animal welfare and antimicrobial stewardship can be integrated into the sustainability agenda. Aside from her PhD, Laura is a veterinary consultant at the Food Animal Initiative (FAI), working alongside food businesses to support sustainability in commercial animal-based supply chains, and is the founder and a director of the social enterprise, Vet Sustain, championing sustainability in the veterinary professions.
Qualifications
Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine & Surgery
Masters (International Animal Health)
Research summary
Laura's research interests are focused on the integration of animal treatment considerations in to the sustainability discourse, and opportunities for applying balanced solutions using multi-criteria approaches to consider and mitigate trade-offs for animal wellbeing in sustainability decision-making.
Current research interests
As part of her research exploring animal welfare and antimicrobial stewardship as facets of the sustainability agenda, Laura surveyed representatives from veterinary centres in the UK and Republic of Ireland to identify the sustainability policies and practices enacted in clinical veterinary settings; and investigated the environmental impacts of antibiotic use in terrestrial farmed species. She also used commercial data from laying hen farms to benchmark sustainability performance in terms of animal welfare, antibiotic use, environmental and productivity metrics, using the linear programming multi-criteria decision tool, Data Envelope Analysis. During the course of her PhD studies, Laura completed an Advanced Fellowship with the Edinburgh Earth Initiative, using key informant interviews and Thematic Analysis to explore the concept of regenerative agriculture and opportunities to integrate the concept into university food procurement.Past research interests
Laura is a 2008 veterinary graduate from the R(D)SVS and holds an MSc in international animal health (distinction). Her dissertation characterised and compared animal health outlets and their drug dispensing practices in the Rift Valley of Kenya.Knowledge exchange
Laura won the Edinburgh Innovations 'Launch Impact' award in 2024 for founding Vet Sustain.