Slides to accompany the keynote talk by Tas Gohir, Head of Knowledge Transfer and Impact, Royal Veterinary College. This presentation was delivered as the final keynote at the inaugural HorseTech Conference on the 18th October 2017 hosted by the Royal Veterinary College London.

1. Royal Veterinary College
University of London
Tas Gohir
Head of Knowledge Transfer and Impact
Email: tgohir@rvc.ac.uk
RVCBusinessandInternationalEngagement

2. The Royal Veterinary College
First and largest UK vet school, established in 1791
One of the world’s leading specialist veterinary institutions
Has both a veterinary and biomedical focus
Research-led with a portfolio of undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing
professional development programmes
 full-time, part-time
 conventional distance and interactive e-learning

3. World-leading hospitals
The RVC’s small and large animal hospitals treat over 20,000 patients each year.
Queen Mother Hospital for Animals (referral)
• Europe's leading small animal hospital
Beaumont Hospital (1st opinion)
Equine Referral Hospital
Farm Animal Practice
Diagnostic Laboratory

4. The College’s Research Mission
‘to undertake research of international quality in
focussed areas of global significance for animal and
human health’
• The research we undertake will inform clinical practice,
government policy and our teaching activity in areas related to
the broad disciplines of the veterinary and biological sciences
• We aim to promote the application of our research by
commercialisation wherever possible.
Two board strands of research:
• Livestock Health and Production
• Comparative Physiology and Medicine
Centre for Emerging, Endemic
and Exotic Diseases (CEEED)
Structure & Motion Lab

5. Livestock Health and Production
Microbiology
Dr Liam Good
Agricultural
Economics
Barbara
Haesler
Prof Bhavani
Shanker
(SOAS)
Immunology
Prof Dirk
Werling
Pathology
Prof Ken Smith
Genetics
Dr Denis Larkin
Special interest groups
One Health/Ecosystems Health –
flow of pathogens (e.g. HPAI;
PPR; ECF; Schisto)
Sustainable safer food
systems/food security (e.g.
Brucellosis; bovine fertility)
Host response and Vacinology
USPs:
Pigs and poultry
Wildlife medicine
Agricultural economics
Epidemiology &
Public Health
Prof Javier
Guitian
Parasitology
Prof Fiona
Tomley
Prof Joanne
Webster
Reproduction
Prof Claire
Wathes
&
Dr Ali Fouladi

6. Urgent need to develop cost-effective
vaccines to reduce reliance on
antimicrobial drugs
Intensive livestock production is highly
efficient, BUT
• Endemic diseases threaten animal welfare and
/or slow productivity
 GI and respiratory disease in particular affect pig
and poultry under intensively reared conditions
• Large-scale antibiotic use control endemic
diseases by
 targeting the bacteria
 treating secondary bacterial infections resulting
from viral disease
Antimicrobial resistance can impact on both
human and animal health
Livestock Production and Health
Developing a Centre for Vaccinology on the
Hawkshead site – with international links to
vaccine businesses
Developing a proposal for a Global
Challenges Research Fund Hub focusing
on the issues of intensification of the
poultry industry in different countries
• Vietnam, Bangladesh and Nigeria
• Looking for partners (academic, industry and
Government) in each country
Looking for opportunities to translate our
sciences to develop rapid diagnostics for
field use – reducing reliance on antibiotics
(Connecting capabilities fund bid)
Priorities Partnership opportunities

7. Comparative Physiology
And Medicine
Led by
Professor Nic Wells
Developmental
biology
Imelda
McGonnell
Cell biology
Andy Pitsillides
Connective tissue
biochemistry
Jay Dudhia
Pathology
Prof Ken Smith
Immunology
Brian
Catchpole
Veterinary patients as
models
Harriet Syme
Richard Piercy
Animal models
Dominic Wells
Richard Piercy
Special interest groups
Biomechanics (SML)
Bone biology
Tendon Biology
Muscle Biology
Cardiovascular and
Inflammation Biology
Metabolism
Immune regulation and
Cancer
USP – Veterinary Patients
as Animal Models
Genetics
Lucy Davison
Androniki
Psifidi

8. RVC Research Groups
Small Animal
activities
Queen Mother
Hospital for
Animals
Beaumont
Animals’ Hospital
RVC affiliated
Practices: First
Opinion and
Referral
(VetCompass)
Large Animal
activities
Sefton Equine
Hospital
CFAH
WRVC
LA Ambulatory
practice
Zoo Exotics
Clinical Investigation Centre:
Academic Studies
Industry Studies
External Collaborations:
Industry, Research Institutes
Use of Veterinary Patients as models Clinical
Investigation Centre

9. Opportunities in Bioelectric medicine
• Spinal cord
• Peripheral nerve
• Autonomic nerves
• Chronic electrostimulation of the recurrent laryngeal nerve for reversing
age related changes in laryngeal muscles
• Work has led to the first clinical trials of related technology in humans

10. RVC Business
The RVC provides a range of commercial services via “RVC Business” for biomedical
companies looking to access technical services, academic expertise and facilities.
• Formally established on 1st August 2014
 Contract Research (fee-for-service) – project management, protocol writing (with academic input) and access to
unique facilities at pre-clinical and clinical levels
 Services for drug development, diagnostics and medical device development
• Research Collaborations
 Partners for Grant Consortia
 PhD Studentships
• Consultancies (access to RVC expertise)
• Named Veterinary Surgeons Service (NVS)
• The LBIC Bioincubator

11. The RVC values early stage biotechs
The London Bioscience Innovation Centre
 Established with funding from UK Government in 2001
 Wholly owned by the Royal Veterinary College
 London’s first BioIncubator
 One of 20 UK BioIncubators
 Currently home to 60+ clients