Dr Neil Anderson

Lecturer

Biography

Background

I am a lecturer at the University of Edinburgh where I am the Programme Director of the Conservation Medicine MVetSci and One Health MSc programmes. I qualified as a veterinarian in 1996 and gained extensive experience in first-opinion clinical practice. I obtained a PhD in wildlife epidemiology from the Centre for Tropical Veterinary Medicine and have field experience working with free-ranging wildlife populations in southern Africa and the UK. My broad research interests include wildlife disease epidemiology, conservation and disease transmission across the wildlife/livestock/human interface. I have specialist expertise in the ecology of African trypanosomiasis in wildlife populations and have published in international peer-reviewed journals.

Teaching

MVetSci Conservation Medicine

An introduction to Conservation Medicine          

Eco-system health and species conservation      

Applied Epidemiology and Surveillance for Conservation Medicine

Veterinary techniques and interventions for Conservation Medicine      

Wildlife disease management

Interventions in Wild Animal Health

MSc One Health

An introduction to One Health

Ecosystem Health

CPD

Wildlife Disease Management in Species Conservation Programmes

Qualifications

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Edinburgh An Investigation into the Ecology of Trypanosomiasis in Wildlife of the Luangwa Valley, Zambia Bachelor of Veterinary Science, University of Bristol

Professional Qualifications

Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, MRCVS

Responsibilities & affiliations

PG teaching staff

Research summary

My research interests are currently focussed on the epidemiology and ecology of trypanosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa and the health of wild raptor populations in Scotland.

Current research interests

Conservation Medicine may be described as the practical application of One Health to the conservation of biodiversity. In broad terms, my research interests centre on how Conservation Medicine may be applied to provide sustainable disease control and health interventions. I have a particular interest in trypanosomiasis in wildlife in sub-Saharan Africa. Recent projects include the Dynamic Drivers of Disease in Africa Consortium research project investigating the role of biodiversity in the regulation of infectious disease transmission. Using trypanosomiasis as a case study we investigated the impact of land cover change on disease transmission. I am applying GIS and geospatial modelling techniques to further understand the spatial dynamics of transmission of trypanosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa. I am co-supervising a PhD project studying raptor health as an indicator of ecosystem health and the development of novel surveillance tools for conservation. I provide veterinary and scientific support for conservation projects including the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project. I would like to further the application of Conservation Medicine and One Health principles in support of wildlife research and conservation projects.

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