Welcome to the RVC research podcast, where we are joined by Dirk Werling, Professor of Molecular Immunology about the technology which is now available to us at the RVC ‘organ on a chip’. Professor Werling shares his obvious passion for this technology and how with his lead involvement in the RVC’s new Centre for Vaccinology and Regenerative Medicine, this can help our research and help with the 4R principle of animal welfare. We hope that you enjoy listening to our conversation as much as we enjoyed recording it. To find out more about Prof Werling’s work, use the following link https://www.r ..read more

A number of diseases arise because the immune system begins to attack the body’s own cells. Here Dr Oliver Garden describes how these diseases arise and his research into the role of a particular type of immune cell, the regulatory T cell, in this phenomenon across species ..read more

The possibility of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) infection is now a concern for many patients receiving hospital treatment. However, accumulating evidence shows that MRSA can also be carried by animals and then passed on to people in contact. Here Professor Katharina Staerk and colleagues describe their research to identify novel methods of preventing MRSA infection and transmission as part of an EU consortium ..read more

Anal furunculosis is a particularly unpleasant disease of the rear end that particularly affects German Shepherd dogs. Here Dr Brian Catchpole and Prof Susan Gregory outline the traditional way the disease is identified and treated, their recent findings on how it may be caused, and how these findings inform current best treatment practices ..read more

Methods of locomotion vary greatly across the animal kingdom according to size, number of legs and evolutionary niche. However, it seems that there are a great many common themes between species. Here Dr Andrew Spence discusses the latest ideas in locomotion research, with particular reference to the dog... and the cockroach ..read more

A foetus presents an immunological, as well as a nutritional, challenge to its mother. Here Dr Mandi de Mestre describes how the equine placenta, hormonal and immune systems interact to handle these challenges and how her research is revealing the mechanisms involved ..read more

Diseases caused by parasitic worms are a common problem in humans and animals, especially in the developing world. Here Dr Rachel Lawrence describes how filarial infections occur and manage to evade the immune response of the host ..read more

Heart murmurs in young dogs are a fairly frequent finding in small animal practice, but in some cases they may reflect severe congenital abnormalities. Here, Professor Dan Brockman describes the treatments available for these dogs, with particular reference to the surgical repair of pulmonic stenosis ..read more

Dr Claire Russell discusses the molecular basis and the clinical impact of a series of inherited degenerative neurological diseases – the neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCLs) - of humans and dogs, with particular reference to her studies aimed at identifying the genetic defects implicated and ameliorating their effects ..read more

Badgers are often blamed for the persistence of tuberculosis in cattle herds in parts of the UK. Here Dr Julian Drewe describes his research on the dynamics of UK badger populations and meerkat communities in Africa and the potential importance of this for the spread of TB within and between species ..read more