University of Birmingham Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Professor Laura Green OBE, has been recognised by the Society of Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine (SVEPM) with an Honorary Life Membership.

The Society is the leading European organisation for this discipline and has awarded honorary life memberships since 1995. The award is made in recognition of an individual’s contribution to the field of veterinary epidemiology, preventive medicine and economics.

Professor Green was acknowledged for her work internationally in research, impact and education in veterinary epidemiology, her influence in raising the profile of veterinary epidemiology in policy and funding and contributions to the Society itself.

At the University of Birmingham, Professor Green is Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Life and Environmental Sciences. She is also a Council member of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Food Standards Agency Science Advisory Council.

Her most notable research is on footrot, a complex bacterial disease of sheep that causes poor welfare and production losses. Professor Green collaborates with environmental microbiologists, mathematical modellers and clinical psychologists. She has changed understanding of the aetiology and control of footrot and has reduced the prevalence of disease by 50%, preventing 2 million sheep from becoming lame and saving the sheep industry approximately £40 million each year. 

Professor Green says: “I am delighted to receive this honorary life time membership, it is a particular honour because it is a recognition of my achievements by my own discipline.” 

For further information please contact Beck Lockwood, Press Office, University of Birmingham, tel: 0121 414 2772.