Dr Heather Bacon OBE

Heather is a veterinary surgeon with extensive experience of veterinary practice across a range of sectors including private practice, charity work and academia. Heather has worked in the UK and internationally and has a particular interest in veterinary skills training, clinical and ethical reasoning, and animal behaviour and welfare. Heather holds a postgraduate certificate in zoological medicine, is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and in 2021, was awarded an OBE for services to veterinary education and animal welfare.

Dr Dey Tarusikirwa (BVSc, MPhil)
Veterinary Clinical Lecturer/Teaching Fellow in Applied Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry

Dey is an infectious diseases epidemiologist who is currently working as a Veterinary Clinical Lecturer/Teaching Fellow in Applied Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry at the University of Central Lancashire. Before this he worked as a Research Associate at the University of Bristol as well as a Resident Veterinary Clinician and Junior Lecturer/Clinical Demonstrator at the University of Zimbabwe. His interests are in zoonotic diseases, farm animal productivity and welfare, and animal reproduction.

Dr Heather Cameron-Whytock
Senior Lecturer in Animal and Veterinary Sciences
School of Veterinary Medicine

I studied equine science (physiology) as my undergraduate degree before progressing on to study my PhD, which I in fact undertook at the University of Central Lancashire, within the Department of Sport and Health Science. My PhD focused on identifying risk factors for horse falls in the sport of equestrian eventing, using veterinary epidemiological methods, I also conducted cardiac monitoring of horses and riders during competition to assess stress/arousal and reviewed appropriate methodology for cardiac monitoring in horses. Currently, my research continues to focus on equestrian sport, specifically trying to make it safer and more welfare-friendly for horses, however, I am also involved in animal cognition and biomechanics research, with the overarching goal of improving the welfare of animals that we (humans) interact with and use for certain roles in society.

I have been a lecturer for five years now, joining UCLan in May this year. I previously taught on Equine, Animal Biology, and Zoology degrees so being at a vet school has been different, but I’ve really enjoyed learning more about veterinary-specific education whilst also having the opportunity to apply my general teaching and learning experience to ensure our taught programmes are a success!