Moredun Scientific

Professor Peter Wells - Chairman of Moredun Scientific

Peter graduated from the Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh and then after completing a PhD in Pharmacology and Immunology at the University of Guelph, worked at the Moredun Research Institute for several years in the Department of Microbiology. For more than 28 years he was employed in the animal health industry, retiring from the position of Global Head of Research and Development with Novartis Animal Health in June 2008. In 2009, Peter received an honorary appointment as Special Professor in Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the University of Nottingham.

Professor Julie Fitzpatrick

Julie is the Scientific Director of the Moredun Research Institute and Chief Executive of the Moredun Group. Her research interests focus on farm animal health and disease and animal welfare. Julie is a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Research Committee, the Advisory Committee on Animal Feedstuffs and the BBSRC Strategy Group. In Scotland, she sits on both the Agriculture Strategy Group and the Animal Health and Welfare Strategy Group, and is a member of the Scottish Science Advisory Committee. She acts as Chairman of the BVA's Veterinary Policy Group (VPG). In 2003 she was awarded the G Norman Hall Medal for research into animal diseases by the RCVS Trust.

Professor Willie Donachie

Willie graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1978 with a BSc in Microbiology and immediately joined the staff at the Moredun Research Institute in Edinburgh, where he gained his PhD in 1984 for studies on experimental vaccines for  Mannheimia haemolytica infections in ruminants. He retired as Deputy Director of Moredun Research Institute in 2012 and is currently the Managing Director of Moredun Scientific.

Willie is a visiting Professor at the University of Glasgow and an Honorary Fellow of the Department of Veterinary Pathology, University of Edinburgh. He is the Chair of the Veterinary Advisory Committee of the Horserace Betting Levy Board and an International Member of the Molecular and Developmental Genetics Grant Selection Committee of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

David Danson

David graduated from Liverpool Veterinary School in 1969 and after a short time in general practice has spent most of his career in industry. He was Director of Global Marketing for Mallinckrodt Animal Health Inc in Chicago, Managing Director then Chairman of Biokema SA in Lausanne and between 1998 and 2005 was Group Chief Executive of UA Group plc. He served as a non-executive director of Quality Meat Scotland for 3 years where he chaired both the Audit and Remuneration Committees and was a member of the Scottish Executive’s Agriculture Strategy Group. He is currently Chairman of Safeguard Biosystems Ltd, Chairman of Forsite Diagnostics Ltd, a Non-Executive Director of Eco Animal Health Group plc and a member of the Council of the Royal Veterinary College.

Professor John Preston

John is a veterinary surgeon who spent 22 years in the pharmaceutical industry, initially in R&D and latterly as founder executive chairman of Merial. He currently chairs the committee which fosters collaboration between the University of Glasgow and Moredun Research Institute.

John MacKinnon

John graduated in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery from the Royal Veterinary College, University of London in 1972 and was awarded FRCVS in 1983 and the Certificate in Pig Medicine (CertPM) in 1988. He is currently an independent consultant in the pig industry in UK and EU with clients in UK and Europe including independent and corporate farming enterprises, the pharmaceutical industry, the feed industry and various organisations involved with the pig industry. Areas of involvement include disease control, disease eradication, production troubleshooting, assessment of data and preparation of technical reports, monitoring field safety and efficacy studies under GCP or GLP conditions, and legal work.