Professor Anna Meredith made OBE in New Year’s honours

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Wildlife vet Professor Anna Meredith has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours for services to animal welfare. The award reflects Professor Meredith’s career focused on zoological and conservation medicine and wildlife population health. 

She is Professor of Zoological and Conservation Medicine at the University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, where she has overseen postgraduate teaching and international collaborations. Professor Meredith was Head Veterinary Surgeon at the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland for 17 years and established the University of Edinburgh’s Exotic Animal and Wildlife Unit.

In July 2018, she took up a new role as Head of Melbourne Veterinary School in Australia, but she retains a position at the University of Edinburgh and returns regularly to the UK. Anna served as Chair of the UK Government’s Zoos Expert Committee from 2010 to 2018. She is a Fellow and Recognised Specialist in Zoological Medicine of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and a Specialist in Wildlife Population Health of the European College of Zoological Medicine. 

She is also a Fellow of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), served on ZSL’s Council, and chaired their Animal Welfare Committee.  Professor Meredith lectures internationally, has written and edited a range of veterinary textbooks and is author of almost 100 scientific publications. She received the British Small Animal Veterinary Association’s Blaine Award in 2003 for outstanding contributions to the advancement of small animal veterinary medicine or surgery.

Professor Meredith said: “I am surprised and deeply honoured to receive this honour and humbled that others felt I was worthy. I feel privileged to represent the veterinary profession and hope that I can act as a role model to inspire colleagues and future veterinarians to continue to bring about improvements in all aspects of animal welfare.

“I believe passionately that we have a duty of care for all the species with which we share this planet, and are morally obliged to safeguard their health and welfare. This approach has a beneficial impact on human health and welfare and the health of the ecosystems on which we all depend.”

Professor David Argyle, Head of the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, said: “This is a tremendous achievement and highly deserved recognition of Anna’s contribution to the profession.”