Katie Beckmann
Lecturer in Wildlife Health and Conservation Medicine
Address
- Street
-
The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies
Easter Bush Campus
Midlothian - City
- Post code
- EH25 9RG
Background
I am a veterinary specialist in wildlife population health, with experience in wildlife health and conservation practice and research interests at the intersection of these fields.
Following five years in clinical (mainly equine) veterinary practice, and completion of an MSc in Wild Animal Health in 2007, I was part of the Wildlife Epidemiology group at the Institute of Zoology (IoZ), Zoological Society of London, from 2008-2014. Whilst there I performed post-mortem disease surveillance in British wildlife, conducted wildlife disease risk analyses (health risk analyses) and provided veterinary support to conservation projects for a broad range of native species. From 2012-2019, I worked at the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), Slimbridge, UK, where I latterly became the Conservation Department vet, providing veterinary oversight and scientific support to waterbird conservation translocation projects and conservation breeding programmes in the UK and overseas. I joined the R(D)SVS in November 2019 as a Lecturer in Wildlife Health and Conservation Medicine.
In 2024, I completed a part-time PhD entitled 'Wildlife Health for Conservation Translocations: Refining Risk Analysis and Decision Making through Waterbird Case Studies' in association with the Royal Veterinary College (University of London), IoZ and WWT.
Qualifications
- PhD (2024), Royal Veterinary College, University of London
- DipECZM (Wildlife Population Health) (2014, re-credentialed 2019 and 2024)
- Msc Wild Animal Health (2007), Royal Veterinary College, University of London, and the Zoological Society of London
- MRCVS (2001)
- BA (1998), VetMB (2001) and MA (2002), University of Cambridge
Responsibilities & affiliations
- Member, CMS Working Group on Wildlife Health (2025-)
- EBVS® European Veterinary Specialist in Wildlife Population Health (2014-)
- Member, IUCN/SSC Conservation Translocation Specialist Group (2014-)
Undergraduate teaching
- Co-organiser and lecturer. BVM&S final-year Conservation Medicine selective. 2021-
- Facilitator. BVM&S second-year Student Research Component Foundations course. 2023-
Postgraduate teaching
- Course organiser. Wildlife Disease Management course, part of the online Conservation Medicine MVetSci programme. 2025-
- Lecturer and tutor. Multiple weeks across various courses of the online Conservation Medicine MVetSci programme. 2020-
Current PhD students supervised
- Co-supervisor. Isabela Normando Mascarhenas. Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Brazil. 2024-
Research summary
I conduct applied research with a view to promoting both wildlife health and the conservation of species and their ecosystems. I am keen for wildlife health concerns to be better integrated in conservation planning and management. My research interests include:
- Refinement of health risk analysis (disease risk analysis) methodology for wildlife translocation projects
- Integration of wildlife health considerations in wider conservation decision making
- Health issues and disease surveillance in UK native species of conservation concern
- Advocating for wildlife health through national and international collaborations.
Affiliated research centres
Current project grants
• Principal Investigator. Infectious diseases and population persistence of red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) in Scotland. University of Edinburgh Moray Endowment Fund. 2024-2025
• Co-Investigator. ECOFLU. A University of Edinburgh project supported by NERC. 2024-
Past project grants
• Principal Investigator. A Review of Migration and Wildlife Disease Dynamics and the Health of Migratory Species, within the Context of One Health and Ecosystem Approaches to Health. The Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species. 2023
• Principal Investigator. Reducing Risks in Tanzania’s Game Meat Industry: Developing a One Health Model for Safe, Sustainable and Legal Supply. TRAFFIC, with support from GIZ and USAID. 2022-2023