Dr Rob Kelly
Lecturer in Veterinary Parasitology

Contact details
- Email: robert.kelly@roslin.ed.ac.uk
- Web: Research profile
Address
- Street
-
The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute
William Dick Building (Rm 2.11)
Easter Bush Campus
Midlothian
EH25 9RG - City
- Post code
- EH25 9RG
Background
Through collaboration, the focus of my work is to improve animal health and associated livelihoods through research informed education.
As a clinician, I graduated as a Veterinary Surgeon with an MSc in Veterinary Parasitology from the University of Liverpool. Since 2009, 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 infectious diseases particularly in resource limited settings.
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 cooperate veterinary group. Setting up evidence-led postgraduate veterinary surgeon, paraprofessional and nurse curricula internationally.
To combine these interests, I'm presently working as Lecturer in Veterinary Parasitology at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh.
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. 2016-onwards.
- Co-chair Clinical and Education Career Development Committee. 2016-2020.
- Veterinary Ethical Review Committee. 2018-2020.
- BVM&S Farm animal teaching, including clinical rotation, lead. 2019-23.
Clinical services:
- Farm Animal Practice and Hospital. 2016-23.
Undergraduate teaching
BVM&S in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery
- Graduate Entry and Year 1: Animal Body 1 (Parasitology and co-course lead). 2024-onwards.
- Year 3: Professional and clinical skills 3. 2016-23.
- Year 4: Farm Animal subjects, professional and clinical skills 4. 2016-23.
- Year 5: Final year core and selective clinical rotations (Farm animal course lead) 2016-23.
- All Years: Professional development and personal tutor. 2016-onwards.
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-onwards.
Open to PhD supervision enquiries?
Yes
Current PhD students supervised
BVM&S SRC projects (R(D)SVS):
- Oliva Barton: Gastrointestinal nematode dymanics in ewes and lambs grazing biodynamic and monoculture pastures. 2024-26 (primary supervisor)
- Aruni Meedeniya: Comparing prevalence of gastrointestinal nematodes and liver fluke parasites in captive and wild elephants in Sri Lankan National Parks. 2024-26 (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)
- 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)
- 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).
- 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. 2023-24.
- 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? 2022-23.
- 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:
- 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 parasitic, and other 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 educational tools to control disease in animal and one health contexts.
- 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.