Simon is a veterinarian with specialist skills in national and international animal disease control. He has contributed to the work of governments and industries in a number of countries in Australasia, southeast Asia, Europe and South America. In Ireland, he is based at University College Dublin, as Director of the UCD Centre for Veterinary Epidemiology and Risk Analysis. This Centre provides information to support decision-making on animal disease control in Ireland, by both government and industry. His involvement with AHI is important as Simon feels that “prior to the formation of Animal Health Ireland, there was no leadership or coordination of non-regulatory animal health issues in Ireland. As a consequence, Ireland has slipped behind a number of competitor countries in dealing with issues such as BVD, mastitis and calf health. AHI is a special organisation, bringing together all the key stakeholders, enabling Irish farmers and the broader rural industry to shape its own future in this area. I am extremely happy to contribute to AHI, given the importance of its work”.

Dr David Graham is the current CEO of Animal Health Ireland.  He qualified from UCD as a Veterinary Surgeon in 1988, and after working as a house surgeon at the Veterinary School in Dublin he moved back to Northern Ireland where he spent several years in mixed large animal practice. In 1992 David joined the Stormont laboratories of the Veterinary Sciences Division of the Science Service (now the Agrifood and Biosciences Institute) of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development where he has worked in several branches. During his time there he gained extensive experience in the diagnosis and control of a wide range of viral and bacterial diseases, including bovine viral diarrhoea (BVDV), infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), Johne's disease and leptospirosis. He received his PhD in 1998 on improved methods for diagnosing bovine respiratory disease from Queen’s University Belfast.  In 2007 he established, and subsequently led, a cattle health scheme offering monitoring, eradication and accreditation programmes for BVD, IBR, Johnes and leptospirosis. David joined AHI in October 2010 and held the position of Deputy CEO prior to his appointment as CEO in September 2017.  In 2016 he was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in recognition of his meritorious contribution to knowledge. Contact David by email here.

Lawrence Gavey graduated from University of Queensland in 1989 and has a degree in veterinary science.  Over the last 30 years, Lawrence has worked as a veterinary practitioner in equine, mixed practice and government.  This diverse experience has benefited him in his career to date. More specifically over the past 20 years, Lawrence has participated in, or led, government programmes to manage established diseases of livestock and animal welfare in several Australian state government veterinary services ranging from the temperate south of Victoria and South Australia to the sub-tropical north of Queensland.  These diseases included Johne’s disease, brucellosis, enzootic bovine leucosis, avian and equine influenza, Hendra virus, bluetongue, mucosal disease, and weed toxicities. Lawrence developed a special interest in Johne's disease from helping industries and governments to understand and manage its technical and social complexities, especially on-farm management to either prevent spread or to minimise the herd impacts of infection.  His extensive experience with Johne’s disease was gained in the dairy, beef, sheep and goat industries.  As programme leader of Johne's disease with the South Australian and Queensland governments, he has fostered industry leadership, promoted farmer understanding, and developed innovative solutions to complex trading and technical issues. Lawrence has presented at international and national conferences and is recognised globally for integrating Johne's disease considerations of strategic planning, practical management, veterinary diagnostics, trade, and industry.  

George is originally from Co. Laois. He is currently working with Teagasc as a Dairy Specialist based at Oak Park in Carlow. He graduated from UCD with a B. Agr. Sc. (1^st Hons) in 1990, and completed two Masters Degrees in Facilitation Skills and Reproductive Physiology at UCD. He joined Teagasc in 1993 and liaises between research and the extension services.  His Masters Degrees complement his specialisms in Teagasc where he focuses on dairy cow reproduction and facilitation skills training.

Elizabeth qualified from UCD as a Veterinary Surgeon in 1996, and spent a year in mixed practice. She then undertook a residency programme in Animal Husbandry and Production at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ballsbridge, before taking up a position of Assistant Lecturer in 2000 and completing a PhD in bovine reproduction in 2002. She then took up a clinical lectureship at the Royal Veterinary College, London, in Obstetrics before completing a European Diploma in the European College of Animal Reproduction in 2003. She undertook a postgraduate certificate in Academic Practice from King's College, London, in 2004. Elizabeth returned to Ireland to take up a position in the Department of Agriculture in 2006, where she undertook research examining herd health on Irish farms, based in the Centre for Veterinary Epidemiology and Risk Analysis. Currently she is based in the ERAD division with a remit for ruminant diseases.

John is originally from a farming background in Co. Roscommon, where he now has his own veterinary practise. He qualified as a Veterinary Surgeon in 1997 from UCD and in 2001 he qualified with a MSc in Risk Management from DIT. Initially after graduation he worked in dairy practice in Kerry, before setting up his own practice in Elphin Co. Roscommon in 1998. He has a particular interest in preventative medicine on cattle and sheep farms. John believes “that AHI is a very positive initiative in the Irish livestock industry, as improvements in animal health will lead to increased marketability of Irish produce and improve overall profitability on Irish farms”.

Dr Sam Strain is Programme Manager for Animal Health and Welfare Northern Ireland. Sam has responsibility for the Johne’s Disease control programmes across the island of Ireland. Sam qualified as a Veterinary Surgeon from the University of Glasgow in 1992, following which he worked in mixed general practice in Scotland before completing his PhD in veterinary immunology at Glasgow University. He subsequently worked in mixed general practice in Northern Ireland before joining the Veterinary Sciences Division of AFBI, where he was Head of the Salmonella and Brucella culture National References Laboratories as well as Head of the bovine TB culture and TB immunology groups. While working in AFBI, he was principal investigator within a number of international research consortia which included study of the early pathogenesis of TB and Johne’s Disease, the evaluation of novel vaccine and diagnostic targets for bovine mycobacterial diseases and the effect of parasite co-infection on mycobacterial immune responses and disease outcomes.

Aideen is originally from a dairy and suckler farm in Kilkenny. She qualified as a veterinary surgeon from UCD in 2009. She worked for a number of years in bovine, equine and small animal practice in Co Meath. While there she developed a keen interest in herd health and bovine infectious diseases prompting a desire to engage in further study. Aideen completed a PhD in Teagasc Moorepark on the diagnosis and control of Johne’s disease in Irish Dairy farms. One of her key areas of interest is investigating the impact TB testing has on Johne’s disease ELISA tests. She joined DAFM in 2017. She currently works as a research officer in Kilkenny Regional Veterinary laboratory.

Bryan qualified in Veterinary Medicine in 1985 at University College Dublin. He is currently a Statutory Lecturer in Veterinary Microbiology at UCD. In 1991 he completed his PhD thesis on “"Chlamydial Infection of Sheep" at the Department of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Science, Queen's University of Belfast. He was also awarded a Diploma in Statistics in 1987 from University of Dublin, Trinity College. In 1985 he worked as a veterinary assistant in a large animal practice in Co. Offaly and then became a House surgeon in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, UCD in 1986. From October 1986 to October 1991 he was an Assistant lecturer in the Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Parasitology, UCD and a Lecturer in the same department between 1991 – 1997. Since 1997 he has been a Statutory lecturer in Veterinary Microbiology. Bryan was the head of the Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Parasitology between October 2002 - 2004. He has completed two sabbaticals – the first between1987 and1988 in Veterinary Sciences Division, Stormont, Belfast, Northern Ireland and the second in 2005 at the Queensland University of Technology, of Brisbane, Australia. Bryan’s research interests are Johne’s disease, Chlamydophila abortus infection of sheep, Toxoplasma gondii abortion in ewes, and Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in animals.

Ciaran is originally from Co Cavan and is currently based in Kells, Meath. He is both a Farmer and a Vet in a mixed practise. He graduated from UCD in 1992 with a MVB. Since 1994 he has worked in mixed practise with a specialist interest in Johnes Disease and Mastitis. Prior to 1994, he was based in UCD as a House Surgeon. Ciaran is pleased to be involved with AHI to contribute with “a view from wellington boots” from a Veterinary Practitioner who has been involved with dealing with disease on the ground for almost two decades.

Conor is originally from a dairy farm in Dromore, Co. Tyrone and qualified as a veterinary surgeon from UCD School of Veterinary Medicine in 2011. He worked in mixed practice in Strabane, Co. Tyrone, before returning to UCD in 2013 to begin a PhD programme on Johne’s Disease (JD) in Irish dairy herds as part of the ICONMAP project. Since then he has published several peer-reviewed scientific papers on JD including the application of HACCP principles to control as well as the effect of the disease on milk production. He is currently involved in studies investigating national prevalence and risk factors for the disease, as well as the application of sociology to enhance JD interventions at herd level. Conor has completed a 3 year veterinary specialist training programme for the European College of Bovine Health Management with a primary focus on dairy herd health and production management. His interests include infectious diseases of cattle, calf health and the application of quantitative epidemiology and sociology to farm investigations and interventions. He was recently appointed as Lecturer in Bovine Health Management at the School of Veterinary Medicine, UCD.

Margaret is from a mixed farming background from Wexford / Wicklow.

She is a 1976 graduate of UCD Veterinary School, and having submitted a thesis entitled ‘The Tuberculin test and its role in the strategic management and eradication of tuberculosis in cattle’ was conferred with a PhD from the Veterinary Faculty in Utrecht (Netherlands) in 2011. She worked in general practise for four years prior to joining the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in 1980. Having been with the Department in a number of roles all over the country prior to retirement was based in Agriculture House, Dublin, as a Senior Superintending Veterinary Inspector. As well as being the Senior Veterinary Manager for the bovine TB Eradication programme, ruminant animal identification and traceability and a number of other ruminant diseases she has also worked on general animal health and welfare issues including BSE, and has a particular interest in Johne’s disease.

She sees AHI as an “independent entity supported by farmers, industry and government to provide the best possible advice grounded in science in a world where vested interests will try to sell you anything”.

Peter is originally from Dublin but is now lives in Mayo. He is currently based in Agriculture House with the Department of Agriculture. He qualified as a vet from UCD in 1974. He obtained an MS from University of Tennessee and was Board certified in ABVP (Food Animal Practice). After graduation he worked for seven years in academia in University of Bristol, Cornell University and University of Tennessee. He was also employed in dairy practice in Vermont, USA for three years and in a mixed practice in County Mayo for a further ten years. Peter joined the Department of Agriculture in 1994, he was initially based in the Sligo and Castlebar local offices. Since 2004 he has been based in Agriculture House with a responsibility for Johnes Disease and veterinary training and since 2010 fish health. Special research interests include Johnes Disease. Peter has attended and made oral or poster presentations at the last four International Association Paratuberculosis Conferences and last three World Association of Buiatrics Conferences.

Kevin’s qualifications include an MVB and a PhD. He is currently employed at the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory of Dept. of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

Siobhan Corry is originally from a dairy farm in Omagh, Co. Tyrone and graduated from University College Dublin in 2005 and recently received an MSC in Veterinary Epidemiology and Public Health from the University of London.  She worked for a few years in mixed practice in Ireland and England before joining AFBI in 2013 as a Veterinary Research Officer in the Disease Surveillance and Investigation Branch at the Veterinary Sciences Division. Siobhan is based in Omagh Regional Veterinary Laboratory where her role includes diagnostic post mortems on farm animals (mainly cattle and sheep) and statutory work. She also works on AFBI’s Cattle Health Scheme which is a voluntary scheme to award herd certification of disease status for Johne’s, BVD, Leptospirosis, IBR and Neospora.

Cosme Sánchez-Miguel qualified as a veterinary surgeon in 1988 from the Universidad Complutense  of Madrid. In 1989, Cosme began working in a three-person mixed animal veterinary practice in Co. Cavan where he worked for eleven years until 2002. During that period, Cosme took a gap year to study a taught Master in Veterinary Pathology at the Royal Veterinary College in London and obtained a MSc. (Path) degree in 2000. In 2002 Cosme joined the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and was appointed as Veterinary Research Officer in the Cork Regional Veterinary Laboratory.  He has been working in the Cork RVL for almost 16 years providing a diagnostic pathology service (post-mortem and histological examinations) to private veterinary practitioners and also provides advice to PVPs and farmers. In addition, Cosme is involved in disease surveillance and identification, monitoring and reporting of zoonotic, notifiable and exotic diseases. He is also engaged in training staff for F&M disease preparedness, pathology training of veterinary undergraduates during their placements in the RVL and research.

Lindsey Drummond is originally from a beef and sheep farm in Co. Fermanagh. She qualified as a veterinary surgeon in 2004 from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh. Since then she has predominantly worked in mixed practice. While there she developed a keen interest in herd health, infectious diseases and preventative medicine.  She also spent time working as a Programme Manager for Animal Health and Welfare Northern Ireland with responsibility for the Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) Eradication Programme, and as a veterinary adviser for a veterinary pharmaceutical company. Lindsey joined AFBI in 2018 as a Veterinary Research Officer in the Disease Surveillance and Investigation Branch at the Veterinary Sciences Division.  She currently manages the Diagnostic Bacteriology Laboratory and also co-ordinates AFBI’s Cattle Health Scheme.  This is a voluntary scheme to award herd certification of disease status for Johne’s disease, BVD, Leptospirosis, IBR and Neospora.

Niamh Field is originally from Co. Kildare.  Niamh qualified as a veterinary surgeon from UCD in 2015 and spent four years working in large animal practice in the UK and Ireland, where she developed a keen interest in herd health. She particularly enjoyed working with farmers to effectively manage infectious disease in their herds. Niamh joined Teagasc Moorepark as a research officer for herd health in 2019, where she is involved in infectious disease research, as well as other aspects of herd health.