Meet Rosie Herrington, Clinical Research Training Fellow at the University of Edinburgh and International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)

Hi Rosie, Please briefly describe your current role and professional interests?

I have recently started as a UKRI/MRC funded Clinical Research Training Fellow across the University of Edinburgh, Jameel Observatory and ILRI. This means I'll be working on my project “Refugee camps and livestock: child malnutrition and health implications in Dadaab Refugee Camp, Kenya.”; undertaking an ECVPH residency in population medicine; and hopefully fitting in some teaching/clinics alongside this. When I graduated I undertook an internship at the FAO in Rome in their Office of Emergencies and Resilience (OER) and Animal Health (NSAH) department. I then went on to work in clinical practice in New Zealand, Canada and the UK working in mixed practice but with a focus on dairy/livestock. While travelling with my clinical work I undertook an MSc in International Humanitarian Affairs by distance and maintained a consultancy with the FAO working on a project training veterinary para-professionals (VPPs) in herd health and business. I have a special interest in livestock's role in humanitarian settings. In my research I'm keen to maximise participatory and qualitative methodology as I recognise from my previous experience/study that understanding context and championing local knowledge is imperative when working in complex settings. Being a vet working in the 'One Health' space I'm especially interested in nutritional outcomes and zoonotic disease burdens, including consideration of the impact of gender on these. In addition I enjoy learning about the legal, socio-economic and cultural backgrounds that underpin complex humanitarian emergencies involving livestock.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I've only just started but currently I'm beginning my activities while based in Edinburgh. In my day I'm balancing preparing for my study by reading the relevant literature with activities which contribute to my residency such as trainings in study design, joining journal clubs etc. Soon I hope to also incorporate some more teaching and clinics so I am not just in the office! As part of my role I can spend up to 11 months in Kenya over the next 3 years. I plan to go to the ILRI headquarters for a couple of months later this year (2025) to meet with stakeholders, begin my qualitative study and continue my training. Next year I'll spend around 5 months between Nairobi / Dadaab undertaking my field work.

What is your favourite part of the job?

Having the freedom and headspace to just learn! Having previously worked in practice/the UN you are nearly always needing to work towards completing a task. It's taken some adjusting to a new mindset here, but it is really nice to spend time just learning. The fellowship, PhD and residency are all training opportunities and so it's great to be able to take up any relevant opportunities that come my way. I'm also enjoying working at the University's Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Security (GAAFS) and the Jameel Observatory (JO). Both of these groups have a minority of veterinarians and instead bring together people from multiple areas of expertise including ecologists, social scientists, data analysts, agriculture experts, epidemiologists etc. It feels like a great space to undertake a project which will require considering many different angles to fully investigate.

What is the most challenging part of your job?

So far, adjusting to working at a desk as opposed to out in the field (though that will change when I do my fieldwork). Also, having a giant 3-year project ahead of me instead of a schedule of clinical cases each day is an adjustment. Looking into the future, I suspect managing the projects logistics will be very challenging but I'm looking forward to learning the project management and organisational skills that will hopefully come with this.

Do you have any tips for achieving a good work-life balance?

I do a lot outside of my work and fully acknowledge this wouldn't work for everyone. I think volunteering is a great way to meet new people, help the community and also give yourself a focus which isn't related to your employment. I also like to try to make the most of my lunch-time. If I'm contracted to take an hours lunch, I'll try my best to take this. This could be 30 minutes eating and then 30 minutes going for a walk, meeting a friend, or going to the gym.

I think trying to make your work-hours enjoyable makes a big difference.

How do veterinary professionals currently help to drive sustainability?

I'll approach this question in terms of my field of interest! Livestock are an integral part to many people's sustainable livelihoods, especially in low-resource settings. People have for centuries been self-dependent and resilient with their livestock as the crux.

Relying on short-term humanitarian aid interventions is not sustainable when situations become protracted, as we are increasingly seeing in the face of climate change and extended conflicts.

I believe that optimising livestock health in those communities could maintain people's independence and hopefully contribute to more sustainable livelihoods. Veterinarians are currently contributing to this for example at ILRI, Tufts, Vétérinaires Sans Frontières etc. This can be achieved in multiple ways, beyond just thinking about veterinary treatment, but I won't detail here as I could write forever!

What are your top tips for veterinary professionals wishing to take the first steps to drive sustainability in their roles?

Reach out to others. I've lost count of the number of people I've never met who I've sent an email to asking to chat about their experiences.

It might seem daunting or strange to just drop into someone you don't knows emails - but people are normally quite flattered to be asked and are very willing to help less experienced colleagues as they were likely helped by someone when they were in your position!

If you could wave a magic wand and make one improvement to drive the sustainability impact of the veterinary profession, what would it be?

Increase multi-year, flexible funding which aims to support community resilience via their livestock. This should be well-informed by putting the beneficiaries expertise and wants at the centre of the work during the planning, implementations and review stages.