Animal health and agriculture

Our scientists and vets are leading research to improve the health and welfare of livestock, pets and wild animals.

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Researchers inspect the health of a dog

Animal scientists are interested in how animals’ bodies' work, their welfare and their behaviour.  Animal science also explores connections between humans, animals and our shared environments.  

 

What we do

Studying the relationships between animal health, human health and the environment is called ‘One Health’  and it is an approach that guides much of our research. 

Our work is focused on three main themes:   

  • learning more about animal genetics and how this affects their health
  • finding ways to detect and prevent infectious diseases, particularly those that can pass between animals and humans
  • researching ways to improve animal production and welfare, and how to make farming practices more sustainable.    

 

Where we do it

Agricultural and veterinary research at the University of Edinburgh is carried out at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies campus at Easter Bush, which has the highest concentration of animal scientists in Europe and is home to the world-leading Roslin Institute.

Our researchers collaborate with many other research centres across the University, including through the cross-disciplinary Global Academy for Agriculture and Food Security.

We also collaborate locally with the Moredun Research Institute and agriculture experts at Scotland’s Rural College, and have partnerships with leading institutions across the world including the International Livestock Research Institute based in Kenya and Ethiopia. 

 

Impact

Breeding planet friendly cattle

Cracking the cattle conundrum

How smartphones are fighting rabies

 

Study 

Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery

MVetSci in Conservation Medicine

MSc in Global Food Security and Nutrition

MSc in International Animal Health

MSc in One Health 

 

Explore

The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies 

The Roslin Institute 

The Centre for Infectious Diseases

 

Support our work