Nexxus Scotland

Reid, Stuart

Dean, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow

Professor Stuart Reid's impressive career has seen him come full circle from a University of Glasgow graduate, where his father was also a veterinary alumnus, to Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine with an array of prominent positions in between.

Prof Reid specialises in epidemiology - the study of transmission and control of disease in populations - in both human and veterinary medicine, and is based at the University's Garscube Campus in Bearsden, Glasgow.

A Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh with experience in both the public and private sector, Prof Reid is a member of  the Scottish Science Advisory Committee which advises the Scottish Executive on scientific issues. He has worked in Africa and the USA, is a Visiting Professor at the Universities of Sydney, and is President of the European College of Veterinary Public Health and a member of the UK Veterinary Products Committee.

Professor Reid's work spans both human and animal disease; as he says: "Whilst making cats and dogs better is an important part of our business, we conduct our research in terms of comparative medicine, which embraces issues in animals and humans and the diseases that they share."

For the past five years, he has led the Glasgow component of a study into E. coli O157 which has uncovered some interesting trends. Prof Reid says the bacteria, which caused an epidemic in Lanarkshire in 1996, is not just spread through the food chain, as most people assume, but also, and more commonly, through the environment. A key part of Prof Reid's research has been to quantify the other variables which can allow E. coli to spread.

"As with a lot of our research programmes, we're trying to establish how organisms which cause disease - like campylobacter and cryptosporidiosis - cross from animals into humans so we can understand better the links between the species."

"We share a common environment, whether that's going to a beach or camping in a field, so it's crucial that we're clear on the different variables which play their part in the movement of micro-organisms and allow them to establish and cause disease."

Prof Reid's expertise goes beyond public health though. He has also been involved in significant animal welfare projects which have led to marked improvements in quality of life for villagers in Africa.

One of these projects saw him working with small communities in The Gambia in partnership with the Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust; a visit which was the subject of a BBC2 documentary in 2005.

Donkeys are a valuable asset in The Gambia, where they can earn a family a healthy income. However, there has not been a culture of caring for them and donkeys frequently die or become diseased through lack of awareness of animal welfare.

Through Prof Reid's work, young adults are caring for their donkeys better. This has helped the villagers to increase their productivity; in some cases an increase of 500 per cent.

Prof Reid said: "There is now competition to have the best donkey in the village, which means the animals are being treated better, and can work more efficiently, so the income to the family increases."

By 2007, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine hopes to have completed work on a state-of-the-art small animal hospital, which will complement the £12M recently invested in two major projects: the Institute of Comparative Medicine, a high-tech research centre, and the Weipers Centre for Equine Welfare, a hub of excellence for horse health.

The Faculty has a wide scientific capability, with dedicated divisions for infection and immunity, pathological sciences, cell sciences, animal production and public health, companion animal sciences and molecular parasitology.

"This is such an exciting place to be at the moment," says Prof Reid. "The next generation of vets are being exposed to cutting-edge science, so we're going to continue to produce the experts in veterinary medicine fit to address the challenges here or internationally."

"The commitment of our excellent staff, combined with these new facilities, will cement our position as a true centre of excellence for veterinary medicine - we owe it to our students, our clients but, most importantly, the animals committed to our care, whether in Scotland or Africa.  Our mission impacts on lives - humans and animals."

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