About me
Endangered species research
Disease risk analysis
Conservation Translocations
Rewilding
I have worked in the field of zoo, wildlife and conservation medicine for 20 years.
I first entered the field of zoo medicine in 2003 as a volunteer veterinarian at Perth Zoo for one day per week and in 2004 I was successful in my application for the John Howell clinical residency in zoo and wildlife medicine at Perth Zoo in conjunction with a PhD at Murdoch University. Over this time, I gained substantial experience in zoo and wildlife medicine which included clinical diagnostics, preventative health, quarantine import and export examinations, post-mortem investigations, remote and captive anaesthesia and medical, surgical and nutritional management of Perth Zoo animals and wildlife admissions. In July 2008 I relocated to England and initially worked as a locum in various small animal surgeries and emergency centers with a high surgical caseload. I then worked at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands in their exotics and zoological medicine division as a clinician. Returning to England I was employed as a Veterinary Officer for the Species Recovery Programme at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL – London Zoo). This position involved Disease Risk Analysis (DRA) and wild animal health surveillance for Natural England’s Species Recovery Programme. Pre and post release health surveillance for 13 species recovery programmes including avian, reptilian, mammalian and invertebrate species was undertaken, with a strong emphasis on quarantine and biosecurity to prevent the importation of exotic disease. At the same time, I completed my Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice in Zoological Medicine through the University of Edinburgh and was involved in clinical management of the London Zoo animals.
In November 2011 we returned to Perth and I have subsequently been employed as a part-time clinical veterinarian at Perth Zoo. In 2013 I was granted de facto diplomat status in Wildlife Population Health by the European College of Zoological medicine (ECZM), a European specialist qualification. There are 80 diplomats of this specialty worldwide. I sit on the education committee for the ECZM and actively participate in discussion forums to approve residents and residency training programs in all sub-specialties of the ECZM for example, avian, small mammal, zoological medicine and wildlife population health. I currently work as a clinical veterinarian at Perth Zoo in conjunction with a Senior lectureship position at Murdoch University in Wildlife and Conservation Medicine. I have multiple wonderful undergraduate and post graduate students studying diverse wildlife species and greatly enjoy contributing to the conservation of endangered species both within Australia and internationally.