About this Event
Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies Inaugural Lecture
Roslin Auditorium, Easter Bush campus, Edinburgh, EH25 9RG.
Wednesday, 28 October 2026
17.00 - 19.30
The College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine welcomes you to an inaugural lecture showcase event showcasing the work of:
- Professor Silke Salavati - Personal Chair of Small Animal Gastroenterology
- Professor Claudia Hartley - Personal Chair of Veterinary Ophthalmology
Professor Silke Salavati graduated from the JLU University in Giessen in Germany, where she also completed her doctoral thesis on gastric emptying in dogs. She completed her PhD at the Royal Veterinary College, assessing the effects of a synbiotic on canine chronic enteropathy. She then moved to the University of Edinburgh in 2016 as a senior lecturer, and became Head of the Small Animal Internal Medicine Service in 2023. She holds an ECVIM-CA diploma in small animal internal medicine, and the RCVS-recognised Specialist title in Small Animal Gastroenterology. She has a particular interest in gut motility, immunology, probiotics, the microbiome and faecal microbiota transplantations, and has published extensively on these topics. She lives in Edinburgh with her husband, a Border Terrier called Jäger and two cats, Maisy and Guinness.
From gut to gut: have I built my career on dog trans-poosions?
This talk will discuss Professor Salavati’s research and career journey to date. Silke’s specialisation into small animal gastroenterology was somewhat accidental. Though Silke had never wanted to be a vet one fateful day in 1996, a decision was taken and she has never looked back. Initially Silke struggled through her undergraduate degree, but after attending an introductory lecture about small animal internal medicine, she was hooked. In 2003, when another opportunity arose to pursue a doctoral degree in the general field of canine gastroenterology Silke said “Why not?”.
Throughout her career, Silke has found many supportive mentors who have helped to shape her research interests and acumen, introducing her to the world of probiotics and the microbiome. In particular during her time at the University of Edinburgh and as an independent clinician, Silke is proud to have herself acted as a mentor and a guide to others in their own research. Professor Salavati’s enthusiasm for her research into ‘the power of poo’ has lead her to establish the Canine and Feline Faecal Microbiota Transplantation Bank (FMT) at the hospital, which has been a high point of her career.
Professor Claudia Hartley graduated from the University of Bristol in 1995, after which she spent 9 years in general practice in large animal, mixed, and small animal practices. Whilst in first opinion practice she gained the certificate in veterinary ophthalmology and undertook a scholarship at the University of Cambridge. In 2004, Claudia joined the Animal Health Trust (AHT) and successfully gained the European diploma in veterinary ophthalmology in 2007. She was Head of the Ophthalmology Service at the AHT 2009-2015, worked as a senior clinician in ophthalmology at Davies Veterinary Specialist 2015-2017, followed by four years as Head of the Ophthalmology Service at the University of Bristol (2017-2021) re-establishing the department within the vet school. Claudia works with many charities worldwide, assisting with welfare and zoological ophthalmology cases. Claudia has been an active committee member/chair, published several book chapters, lectured both nationally and internationally on veterinary ophthalmology. She was awarded the BSAVA Woodrow Award for outstanding contributions in the field of small animal veterinary medicine in 2016 and Fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2018. In September 2021 Claudia joined the University of Edinburgh Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Science where she is Personal Chair of Veterinary Ophthalmology.
Through Bears' Eyes
Across Asia, bears face widespread exploitation driven by the demand for their body parts, entertainment, and the illegal wildlife trade. Thousands of bears are kept in captivity for bile extraction, while others are hunted or traded for meat, skins, claws, and traditional medicines. These practices cause severe animal welfare concerns and contribute to the decline of wild bear populations, despite national and international legal protections. Additionally, transmission of highly pathogenic diseases like tuberculosis have been shown to occur from humans to bears kept in close contact, with potential for spread within bear populations and back to humans in sanctuary settings.
For 18 years Claudia has worked with NGOs across Asia that work to rescue and rehabilitate bears from these abhorrent trades. She has studied ocular disease in bears across many countries in Asia and found a disturbing prevalence of painful and blinding diseases. Claudia will talk about some of the successes and some of the failures we have faced and what we have learned.
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17.00 - 18.30 | Inaugural lectures
18.30 - 19.30 | Drinks reception
This event is free and open to all.
Please indicate any dietary or access requirements when you register to attend.
Lectures are in-person only and will not be live-streamed. Recordings of the lectures will be available after the event.
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Photography notice
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Event venue & nearby stays
Roslin Institute Building, Roslin Auditorium, G.022, Bush Farm Road, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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