Dr Rob Kelly

Lecturer in Farm Animal Health and Production

Biography

Background

My career focus is to improve animal health and associated livelihoods through research informed education. With a background in veterinary clinical practice, education and research; I have focused on assessing the impact of endemic infectious diseases to develop pragmatic interventions to improve animal health and production.

As a clinician, I graduated as a Veterinary Surgeon with an MSc in Veterinary Parasitology. I have practiced in mixed and farm animal practice in the UK, Latin America, North and sub-Saharan Africa. Attaining RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Production Animal Practice status, I am interested in investigating how simple diagnostic tools can influence population medicine decision-making to control endemic infectious diseases.

As a researcher, I completed a part-time PhD at the Roslin Institute investigating the epidemiology of zoonotic and parasitic disease of cattle in Cameroon. Subsequently collaborating on projects investigating the impact of livestock infectious diseases including the influence of parasitic co-infections on disease or diagnostic outcomes. I am keen to continue to collaborate on related topics.

As an educator, I use blended learning approaches to improve capability of veterinary professionals. With a Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy from my time in academia, I have also worked with Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and as Head of Clinical Education for a corporate veterinary group. Setting up evidence-led postgraduate veterinary surgeon, nurse and paraprofessional curricula internationally.

In future I wish to specialise in veterinary parasitology to further investigate the influence of parasitic co-infections on health outcomes and assess the efficacy of decison making tools to control endemic livestock infectious diseases. 

Qualifications

Qualifications

  • BVSc: Bachelor of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool. 2003. 
  • MSc: Master of Science, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine: Veterinary Parasitology. 2006. 
  • PhD: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies. Thesis title: The Epidemiology of bovine tuberculosis and liver fluke co-infection in Cameroon, Central Africa. 2011. 
  • PGCert: Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice , University of Glasgow. 2014. 

Professional Qualifications

  • MRCVS: Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. 2009. 
  • RCVS AP in PAP: RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Production Animal Practice. 2016.
  • SFHEA: Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. 2016. 

Responsibilities & affiliations

School:

  • UG and PG teaching staff, including school learning and teaching committee. 2016-present. 
  • Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee (Vet School Council lead). 2026-present.   
  • BVM&S Farm animal teaching, including clinical rotation lead. 2019-23. 
  • Veterinary Ethical Review Committee (member). 2018-2020. 
  • Clinical and Education Career Development Committee (co-chair). 2016-2020.

Clinical services:

  • Dairy Herd Health and Productivity Service. 2026-present. 
  • Farm Animal Practice and Hospital. 2016-present.
  • Supporting clinical services across species in veterinary parasitology. 2016-present. 

Undergraduate teaching

BVM&S in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery

  • Graduate Entry and Year 1: Animal Body 2 (Parasitology and co-course lead). 2024-26. 
  • Year 3: Professional and clinical skills 3. 2016-present.
  • Year 4: Farm Animal subjects, professional and clinical skills 4. 2016-present. 
  • Year 5: Final year core and selective clinical rotations (Farm animal course lead 2026-23) 2016-present. 
  • All Years: Professional development, student research component and professional tutor. 2016-present. 

BSc in Agricultural Sciences

  • Year 1-3: Microbe-animal interactions. 2017-23. 

Postgraduate teaching

  • MVetSci in Advanced Clinical Practice: Farm animal course coordinator. 2016-23. 
  • MSc in Global Food Security and Nutrition: Exam board chair. 2018-23. 
  • Edinburgh Teaching Award: EdTA mentor (AFHEA, FHEA and SFHEA). 2016-present. 

Open to PhD supervision enquiries?

Yes

Current PhD students supervised

BVM&S SRC projects (R(D)SVS):

  • Molly Sullivan: Do cattle grazing on herbal ley consume enough chicory for it to benefit from its anthelmintic effects? 2025-28 (primary supervisor).
  • Orlagh Tennyson: Investigation of anthelmintic use and awareness of anthelmintic resistance in Northern Ireland 2025-28. (primary supervisor).
  • Andy Guevara: Epidemiology of New World Screw worm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) in El Salvador livestock. 2025-28 (primary supervisor). 
  • Emilee Wyman: Drivers for use of antiparasitics in Canadian small animal veterinary clinics. 2025-28 (primary supervisor). 
  • Alisa Sazonenko: Epidemiology of Dirofilaria immitus diagnoses in domestic dogs in Ukrainian veterinary clinics. 2025-28 (primary supervisor).  
  • Sam Gauld: Performance of bovine tuberculosis diagnostics in the UK in the face of vaccination. 2024-27 (primary supervisor).
  • Allison Brooking: Variation of endoparasite species and burden in Alaskan Foxes. 2024-27 (primary supervisor). 
  • Oliva Barton: Gastrointestinal nematode dymanics in ewes and lambs grazing biodynamic and monoculture pastures. 2024-27 (primary supervisor). 
  • Aruni Meedeniya: Comparing prevalence of gastrointestinal nematodes and liver fluke parasites in captive and wild elephants in Sri Lankan National Parks. 2024-27 (primary supervisor)
  • James Beards: Understanding dog owners' motivations behind how they choose and implement preventative antiparasitic treatments. 2024-26 (primary supervisor)
  • Sophie Thompson: Controlling nematode infections in UK grazing livestock populations with nematophagous fungi. 2023-26 (primary supervisor)
  • Thenusha Yogathasan: Knowledge, awareness and practices of Sri Lankan small holder farmers of forage and medicinal plants fed to goats. 2024-25 (primary supervisor)
  • Sime Muirne: An investigation into lamb mortality on the Isle of Skye, UK. 2022-24 (co-supervisor). 
  • Abigail Galantowicz: Survey of current knowledge and use of antibiotics in smallholder dairy farms in North America. 2022-24.  (primary supervisor).
  • Kenna Doeden: Assessment of livestock educational tools in supporting Malawian smallholder dairy farmers and animal health care workers. 2021-24 (co-supervisor).
  • Eilidh Galbraith: Gastrointestinal parasites and anthelmintic resistance present in grazing animals kept in Scottish zoological collections. 2021-23. (co-supervisor).
  • Euan Woodside: Equivalence Trial Testing for Progesterone Levels using a pen-side monoclonal antibody test and a standard ELISA method using Bovine Milk Samples. 2021-23. (co-supervisor).
  • Emily Horbury: An evaluation into the anthelmintic protocols currently used by UK lowland sheep farmers in the control of gastrointestinal nematodes in their flocks, and the degree of influence veterinarians have on anthelmintic selection by these farmers. 2021-22. (co-supervisor).
  • Claudia Talbot: The epidemiology of cyathostomin species in a naturally infected population of Scottish horses between 2015-16. 2019-21. (co-supervisor).
  • Camille Glazer: Epidemiology of gastrointestinal helminths in canine populations in Blantyre, Malawi. 2019-21. (co-supervisor).
  • Julia Dahm: Transmission of fleas in small holder livestock communities in Malawi. 2018-2021. (co-supervisor).
  • Emily Freeman: Influence of viral and bacterial co-infections on bTB prevalence in African cattle. 2018-22. (primary supervisor).
  • Kristine Schultze: Variation in the major histocompatibility complex of Scottish cattle breeds. 2018-21. (co-supervisor). 
  • Ailsa McMillan: Investigation of the link between the grazing locations of cattle and sheep, locations of snails and the incidence of liver fluke infection in cattle and sheep. 2017. (co-supervisor). 
  • Jennie Hunt: Zoonotic diseases in pastoral and dairy cattle in Cameroon. 2016-18. (co-supervisor).  
  • Tessa Cornell: Bovine trypanosome infections in the Vina Division, Cameroon. 2014-16. (co-supervisor). 
  • Jean-Marc Bagninbom (external): Epidemiology of Rift Valley Fever in cattle in Cameroon. 2013-16. (co-supervisor). 

BSc honours projects:

  • Bailey Martin-Towers: Rapid review to quantify anthelmintic resistance in endoparasites of farmed ruminants in sub-Saharan Africa. 2024-25. (primary supervisor). 
  • Saskia Groenhagen: Relationship between failure of passive transfer of immunity and nematode burden in lowland lambs. 2024-25. (co-supervisor with Moredun Research Institute).
  • Zuzanna Klikowicz: Appraisal of different data gathering tools for the evaluation of training success in the FAO EuFMD sustainable business in animal health service provision through training for veterinary paraprofessionals project. 2022-25. (co-supervisor external: University of Cambridge). 

MSc projects:

  • Kristina Kaupaite (MRes in Bovine Health and Production co-supervisor Uo Glasgow): Investigating the longterm impact of colostrum quality on calf survival, health and production outcomes in UK beef suckler herds. 2025-29. 
  • Alberto Luque-Castro (DVetMed in Small Ruminant Health and Production co-supervisor Uo Edinburgh): Significance and causal agents of ovine mastitis in UK lowland sheep flocks.  2021-2025. 
  • Paula Yaguez i Lopez-Jurado (MVetSci in Conservation Medicine project co-supervisor, Uo Edinburgh UK): Gastrointestinal endoparasites of the European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) accepted into wildlife rescue centers in NW France. 2023-25.
  • Rosie Herrington (MSc International Humanitarian Affairs project supervisor, Uo York, UK): Reflecting on livestock-related interventions in the recent drought in Ethiopia; from the ground through to policy – what’s working and what should be changed for next time? 2022-24.
  • Nelson Bukamba (MVetSci in Conservation Medicine project co-supervisor, Uo Edinburgh UK): Epidemiological survey assessing baboons, dogs and pigs as reservoirs for strongyloides species isolated from parasitic cases of mountain gorillas at the park boundaries of Bwindi impenetrable national park. 2021-23.
  • Jayne Orr (MEd co-supervisor, Uo Glasgow UK): Evaluation of calving simulator training in the veterinary undergraduate curriculum as part of a blended learning programme. 2018-2022.
  • Emily Freeman (MScR supervisor, Uo Edinburgh UK): Dynamics of gastrointestinal helminth co-infections in Kenyan livestock and wildlife. 2019-20. 
  • Lina Gonzalez (MSc Infectious Diseases and One Health project supervisor. Uo Edinburgh UK): Epidemiology of Crimean-Congo Haemorrhoagic Fever in cattle in Cameroon. 2018-19. 

PhD projects:

  • Ann Van Eetvelt (PhD supervisor with Alex Corbishley): Co-infection, metabolism and lamb survival: an investigation into the factors that underpin sustainable lamb production in UK sheep flocks. 2025-32.
  • Kitali Benda (PhD co-supervisor with Inaki Deza Cruz, Adrian Muwonge and Charles Masembe (University of Makere)): Modelling Anthelmintic Resistance in Gastrointestinal Nematodes of Goats in Uganda: Strategies for Sustainable Parasite Management. 2025-2029.
  • Bibiana Zirra Shallangwa (PhD supervisor with Mark Bronsvoort and Annie Cook (ILRI): The epidemiology of bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) in the Tanzanian small holder dairy sector. 2020-2025.
  • Francesca Shepherd (PhD co-supervisor with Spiradoula Athanasiadou, Mike Hutchings (SRUC) & Alastair Macrae): Development of strategies to replace anthelmintic use in livestock. 2018-22. 

Research summary

With a background in veterinary clinical practice, education and research; I have focused on assessing the impact of endemic infectious diseases to develop pragmatic interventions to improve animal health and production.  In future I wish to specialise in veterinary parasitology to further investigate the influence of parasitic co-infections on health outcomes and assess the efficacy of decison making tools to control endemic livestock infectious diseases. 

  • Parasite and co-infection interactions on health outcomes. 
  • Risk-based approaches for sustainable infectious disease control
    • Including diagnostic, treatment and educational intervention assessment.
  • Evaluation of blended learning in veterinary professional education programmes and workplaces. 

 

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