Page 5 - act-annual-review-2022-2023

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Page 5 - act-annual-review-2022-2023
P. 5

A YEAR IN REVIEW


            FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE RVC ANIMAL CARE TRUST





            It is only when your own body starts              As a clinical scientist, I have felt particularly fulfilled   Real progress is made by each generation of
            to fail that you appreciate how much              by the way in which we can investigate the whole   veterinary clinicians and scientists passing on our
            we take for granted about the way                 picture in many of our patients, from behaviour,   knowledge to the next, like a baton in a relay race.
            our brains co-ordinate our individual             through a range of diagnostic imaging techniques   This year we have welcomed your further support
            movements and activities, and how                 to, in some cases, tissue sampling and analysis.   for students, towards our widening participation
            unconsciously we complete complex                 However, given the complexity of its structure, and   initiatives, and towards students facing periods
            manoeuvres. As a clinician, I have                the essential nature of all brain tissue, sampling   of hardship in these challenging times. The rest
            watched young horses walking across               of abnormal areas is not very practical. Therefore,   of the ACT Team and I have been inspired by
            their paddocks, wobbling precariously,            with epilepsy, the RVC Animal Care Trust (ACT)    their stories, and I hope that through our new
            sometimes falling and struggling to               has been able to support, with your help, important   publications we are sharing these stories and their
            stand, due to pressure on their spinal            long-term research focussing on the clinical      gratitude with all of you. Please contact us if you
            cords. I have grieved with owners as              abnormality itself, characterising the nature of   feel there are any aspects of our work about which
            their canine companions have slowly               fits and response to therapy, including the way   you would like to hear more.
            lost strength on their hindlimbs,                 dietary modifications can significantly decrease the   As Chair of the Management Committee, I am
            eventually losing their ability to                frequency of fits.                                grateful for our small team that has steered us
            stand unaided, due to degenerating                Diagnostic imaging is the way we look inside the   with your generous support to a successful year
            spinal nerves.
                                                              body. It clearly is central to our investigation of   in 2023 and look forward to further important
            So, it gives me great pleasure to thank all       many diseases, once they become established,      developments in veterinary diagnosis and
            our friends for their generosity in supporting    and essential for confirming and eliminating many   treatment, and veterinary education, in 2024.
            our companion animal brain bank, through          brain abnormalities. It used to be said that painting
            permission to harvest brain material from         the Forth Bridge was a continual process. As soon
            sadly dead companions, as well as funding to      as you got to the end, you had to go back to the
            support the processing. This will provide an      other end and start again. I feel equipping our
            established, fully clinically defined resource    services with a full range of diagnostic imaging
            for many projects, looking at microscopic         systems is a similar endeavour. So, this year we
            and molecular changes associated with             have upgraded the CT scanner in the equine        Professor Stephen May
            the different conditions where the brain          hospital and funded a new image intensifier in    Chairman of the RVC Animal Care Trust
            loses control.                                    the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals.




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