Scottish professor to receive WSAVA Scientific Achievement Award
Dr Kenneth Simpson, a Professor of Small Animal Medicine at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in the USA, is to receive the 2022 WSAVA Award for Scientific Achievement in recognition of his outstanding contribution, particularly in the areas of internal medicine and veterinary gastroenterology.
The Award, given annually to an individual judged to have made a significant contribution to the field of small animal medicine, will be presented during this year’s WSAVA World Congress, which takes place from 29-31 October in Lima, Peru, with Dr Simpson presenting a WSAVA Award Lecture during the Congress.
Commenting on receiving the Award, he said: “When I was growing up in Scotland, my uncle Gordon — an exceptional veterinarian and farmer — waited patiently while I learned to recognise sick from healthy sheep, and instilled in me the intimate connection between the environment, husbandry and health. His belief that I would make a good vet set me on a journey as rich as anyone could wish for. To those who have mentored me as a clinician and a scientist, and worked with me in the hospital and laboratory, I thank you for your inspiration, encouragement and camaraderie.”
Dr Simpson graduated from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh University in 1984, and gained a PhD in gastroenterology at the University of Leicester in 1988. He undertook an internship at the University of Pennsylvania and a residency in small animal medicine at the Ohio State University, before returning to the UK as a lecturer at the Royal Veterinary College in London. In 1995, he joined the Faculty of Small Animal Internal Medicine at Cornell University and is a Diplomate of the American and European Colleges of Veterinary Internal Medicine and is a past-president of the comparative gastroenterology society.
Co-chair of the WSAVA Scientific Committee, Dr Frédéric Gaschen said: “As a successful veterinary clinician-scientist, Dr Simpson has addressed many important fundamental and clinical questions related to canine and feline gastroenterology. He has also contributed significantly to the advancement of knowledge in human gastroenterology. His achievements are impressive and his publications record spans practice-relevant clinical studies to focused basic research investigations. In many ways, Dr Simpson has demonstrated that he is an exceptional member of our community.”
