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Sarah Cleaveland

OBE FRS FRSE
Professor Sarah Cleaveland OBE FRS (cropped).jpg
Cleaveland in 2016
Born 1960/1961 (age 64–65)
Malaysia
Alma mater
(PhD)
Awards Leeuwenhoek Lecture (2018)
Frink Medal (2016)
Scientific career
Fields
Institutions University of Glasgow
Thesis The epidemiology of rabies and canine distemper in the Serengeti, Tanzania (1996)
Doctoral students Anna Louise Meredith

Sarah Cleaveland is a top expert in animal health. She is a veterinary surgeon and a professor at the University of Glasgow. She studies how animal diseases spread, especially those that can also affect humans.

Becoming a Vet Expert

Sarah Cleaveland studied at two famous universities. She earned her first degree, a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine (VetMB), in 1988. This degree allowed her to become a vet.

After that, she continued her studies. In 1996, she earned her PhD. A PhD is a very high degree that shows you are an expert in a specific area. Her research focused on diseases like canine distemper and rabies. She studied these diseases in the Serengeti area of Tanzania.

Working to Stop Diseases

After finishing her studies, Professor Cleaveland worked at the University of Edinburgh. Later, in 2008, she moved to the University of Glasgow. There, she became a professor.

A big part of her work is about zoonotic diseases. These are illnesses that can spread from animals to humans. She has done a lot of research in northern Tanzania.

Fighting Rabies in Africa

One of her most important projects is fighting rabies. Rabies is a very dangerous disease. It can affect both animals and people. Professor Cleaveland helped start programs to vaccinate dogs against rabies in the Serengeti.

  • These programs have saved many human lives.
  • They have also protected wild animals, like the endangered African wild dog.

Her work shows how important it is to keep animals healthy. This also helps keep people healthy.

Awards and Special Honours

Professor Cleaveland has received many awards for her important work. These awards show how much her efforts are valued.

  • In 2008, she won the British Veterinary Association Trevor Blackburn Award. She was the first woman to receive this award. It was given to her for her work on animal and human diseases in Africa.
  • She helped start the Alliance for Rabies Control. This group works to stop human deaths from rabies and reduce the disease in animals.
  • She was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2012.
  • In 2015, she became a member of the National Academy of Medicine in the USA.
  • In 2016, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honour for scientists in the UK.

Recognized for Her Service

In 2014, Professor Cleaveland was given a special honour by the Queen of England. She was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This was for her great work in studying how animal diseases spread.

In 2018, the Royal Society gave her the Leeuwenhoek Lecture award. This was for her amazing work in trying to get rid of rabies around the world. In 2020, she also received the George Macdonald Medal.

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