Polly Compston

After graduating from Edinburgh vet school, Polly Compston worked as a vet in mixed practice. She completed a residency in clinical research at Rossdales Equine Hospital while simultaneously completing a distance-learning MSc in veterinary epidemiology and public health. Following this, she worked in the research team for Brooke, producing an evidence base for animal welfare interventions in Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. She went on to complete a PhD studying the economic and social factors that influence how foot-and-mouth disease is controlled in Kenya at local and national levels.

Currently, her role is as a technical specialist at the European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (EuFMD), where she is responsible for supporting international efforts for improved livestock disease control. She also sits on BVA’s Policy Committee and World Horse Welfare’s International Committee. She has a special interest in understanding how animal healthcare systems function and how veterinary care can be strengthened.