A Research Journey Takes Flight

Feline Expertise: Research and Clinical Collaboration

• Deep Dive into Feline Degenerative Joint Disease: This prestigious Zoetis Feline Scholarship provided the foundation for a part-time research MSc focused on feline degenerative joint disease. Working alongside Dr. Emily Blackwell, Dr. Jo Murrell, and Professor Sorrel Langley-Hobbs, I actively contributed to the Bristol Cat Study. Balancing these pursuits allowed me to not only delve deeper into research but also maintain invaluable clinical experience through my role at the Feline Centre. During this time, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Professor Severine Tasker and Dr. Natalie Finch, further enriching my understanding of feline health.

• Strengthening Feline Health Communication:  My dedication extended beyond research. Contributing to the publication of "Feline Update" fostered a deeper understanding of feline health and communication, allowing me to better translate research findings for practical application. This commitment to academic and extracurricular excellence was recognized with the Bristol PLUS Award.

Fostering Research Collaboration and Sharing Knowledge

• Industry Partnership and Mentorship:  The enriching experience wasn't limited to my own research.  Dr. Louise Longstaff at Zoetis provided invaluable guidance as I learned more about the industry. Furthermore, I had the opportunity to mentor a student veterinary surgeon on the INSPIRE Summer Studentship and a student veterinary nurse during her undergraduate dissertation project with the Bristol Cat Study, fostering my leadership and teaching skills.

• Impactful Publications and Presentations: My dedication to research and knowledge sharing yielded impactful publications. I co-authored two review articles for "Feline Update" with Dr. Tasker and Dr. Maunder on feline blood types and transfusions, and another review article with Dr. Finch on chronic kidney disease in cats and dogs.

• Dissemination Through Presentations:  Further expanding knowledge dissemination, I prepared a video on feline blood sample collection for the Feline Update. Additionally, Zoetis invited me to share my expertise on feline medication intricacies and the complexities of diagnosing and treating feline degenerative joint disease at the London Vet Show in 2018 and 2019 as part of the Zoetis Learning Academy. Moreover, I had a poster accepted for publication at the prestigious International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM) Congress 2020, titled "Activity Monitoring and Quality of Life Assessment of Cats with Degenerative Joint Disease."

• Groundbreaking Research and Recognition:  My MSc thesis, "Risk factors, activity monitoring, and quality of life assessment in cats with early degenerative joint disease," was published in 2020, marking a significant achievement in my career.  My research truly gained traction with two publications in JFMS, the leading feline journal:  "Do owner-reported changes in mobility reflect measures of activity, pain, and degenerative joint disease in cats?" (2023) and "Associations between early neutering, obesity, outdoor access, trauma and feline degenerative joint disease" (2021).  The latter publication became one of the most-read, cited, and downloaded publications of the year, solidifying the impact of my research. Currently, a further paper exploring the use of accelerometers to detect early degenerative joint disease in cats is being refined following the initial poster presentation in ISFM 2020.

• Contributing to Scholarship Development:  It's important to note that I also collaborated with the entire Zoetis Feline Scholarship team, the Bristol Cats Study team, and the clinical team at the Feline Centre to provide valuable feedback on the role of the scholar. As the first iteration combining clinical duties with a research MSc, my input has been instrumental in shaping the scholarship into its current form, which now offers a combined PhD pathway.