Lucy Giles
Job Title:
Regional Advisor - South of England
Biography
Upon qualifying from Glasgow in 2017, I won the Large Animal Research award. This was a result of my publishing a paper with UoG on ruminant neurological disease (https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.104326 ), and gave me Moredun Foundation membership for a year post graduation. The prize was my first introduction to the work Moredun does, and I’ve been interested and involved ever since.
Since 2020 I’ve been employed as a full time farm vet with Castle Vets, Launceston, having first interned in South Africa, then worked in mixed practice in Stafford for two years. During my time in Stafford, I started the practice flock club. This inspired me to completed a PGCert in Veterinary Education with the Royal Vet College, London, as I’d realised how much I enjoy client education, so wanted to get better at it.
Once at Castle Vets, I began my post graduate Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice with the University of Liverpool, prioritising the sheep module content. I have recently been awarded my CertAVP and PGCert (Vet Professional Studies) and am due to sit my sheep synoptic exam in July 2025.
In 2022, I applied for government Innovate grant funding for one of our farmers (Smith, Trefrank Farm), to investigate worm tolerance in his 1,000-head Romney flock. This Innnovate Edge Pilot project was accepted and ran until 2023, in collaboration with the Moredun Institute and CIEL,. This allowed me to work alongside Fiona Kenyon and Adam Hayward from Moredun, and gave me the opportunity to visit your site. All of this instilled me with even more respect for the Moredun’s contributions to the UK sheep industry.
Due to my teaching degree, I am employed at Castle Vets on the basis that one or two days a week I organise and run our clubs, courses, in house CPD and farmer meetings. I’ve really enjoyed the (to my knowledge unique!) mix of clinical and educational work this has allowed me over the past five years.
Outside of work, I am an active member of the vet group SWISH (South west initiative for sheep health) and the Sheep Vet Society. In November 2024, I organised as well as presented on Haemonchus contortus at a ‘Talking Sheep’ sheep vet society event, which 34 vets from Devon and Cornwall attended.
