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Dr Andrew Higgins

BVetMed MSc PhD FRSB FRCVS
Andrew Higgins
  • Location: Suffolk
  • Year of Fellowship: 2020
  • Route to Fellowship: Meritorious Contributions to the Profession

Areas of special interest

  • Animal welfare
  • Anti-Doping and Medication
  • Elephant and camel health and welfare

Areas of support

  • International issues
  • Professional mentoring
  • Public engagement

Professional positions

  • Honorary Editor-in-Chief, The Veterinary Journal
  • Senior Vice-Chair, Southern Thailand Elephant Foundation
  • Honorary Scientific Advisor, Phang Nga Elephant Park
  • Honorary Life Member, Dogs Trust, SPANA and IVSA, and Honorary Member of the Royal Kennel Club.

Awards

  • University of London Laurel (1971)
  • Ciba-Geigy International Prize for Research in Animal Health (1985)
  • Equine Veterinary Journal Open Award and medal (1986)
  • Centenary Prize, Central Veterinary Society, (1986)
  • George Fleming Prize, British Veterinary Journal (1987)
  • President’s Award, VMA (1997).

Biography

Andrew Higgins is Honorary Editor-in-Chief of The Veterinary Journal, and was Editor from 1991-2016.

He graduated from RVC in 1973 and gained his PhD under Professor Peter Lees in 1986 with whom he jointly won the Ciba-Geigy International Prize for Research in Animal Health, 1985.

After serving in the RAVC and a period working in Oman, he completed his MSc at the CTVM, University of Edinburgh (1977) after which he was appointed Veterinary Advisor Middle East for The Wellcome Foundation.

In 1986 he joined the Animal Health Trust, Newmarket, and from 1988-1999 was Scientific Director and CEO.

He has served on many national and international regulatory committees, and for 20 years was Honorary Scientific Advisor to the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), and to World Horse Welfare. He served on the Disciplinary and UKAS committees of the Greyhound Board of Great Britain and in 2009 chaired the Board's Independent Anti-Doping and Medication Control Review.
He was appointed to the Government 's Advisory Committee on Quarantine and Quarantine Risk Management Group (The Kennedy Committee on Rabies; 1997-99).

He has been a Trustee of many animal charities and is currently Senior Vice-Chair of the Southern Thailand Elephant Foundation.

He was elected FRSB in 2012.

He has published widely and is joint editor of The Equine Manual, editor of The Camel in Health and in Disease and author of the autobiographical book With the SAS and Other Animals.

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