Professor Dylan Clements (BSc BVSc PhD DSAS(Orth) DipECVS SFHEA FRCVS)

Professor of Small Animal Orthopaedics, Academic Head of Companion Animal Science, Deputy Head of School

Biography

Background

Dylan is a Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and EBVS® European Specialist in Small Animal Surgery and holds a Personal Chair of Small Animal Orthopaedics at the University of Edinburgh. Dylan is interested in all aspects of clinical veterinary orthopaedics, including fracture repair and joint replacement surgery, and contributes regularly to research into musculoskeletal conditions affecting dogs and cats. Dylan leads the ground breaking Dogslife study (www.dogslife.ac.uk) which is shaping our understanding of the environmental and genetic causes of disease in dogs.

Dylan graduated from the University of Liverpool in 1997, having also gained an intercalated degree at the University of Edinburgh in 1995. Dylan worked at the PDSA in Liverpool before completing a surgical training post at the University of Glasgow, and a PhD for studies into the molecular genetics of canine osteoarthritis at the university of Liverpool. Dylan returned to the University of Edinburgh in 2007. Dylan was the Head of Small Animal Surgery from 2019-2022, awarded a Personal Chair  in 2020, and became the Academic Head of Companion Animal Sciences in 2022. Dylan was the Interim Head of School between May 2023 and August 2023, and the Interim Academic Head of Equine Science between October 2023 and January 2024.

 

Qualifications

  • 1995 Bachelor of Science, University of Edinburgh
  • 1997 Bachelor of Veterinary Science University of Liverpool
  • 2007 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Liverpool

Professional Qualifications

  • 2020 Personal Chair of Small Animal Orthopaedics
  • 2019 Edinburgh Teaching Award, Level 3 (SFHEA)
  • 2016 Edinburgh Teaching Award, Level 2 (FHEA)
  • 2004 Diploma in Small Animal Surgery (Orthopaedics) (DSAS(Orth))
  • 2004 Diploma of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons (Small Animal) (DipECVS)
  • 2001 Certificate in Small Animal Surgery (CertSAS)

Responsibilities & affiliations

  • Member of the Senior Leadership Team (2023 - present)
  • Member of the Senior Executive Team (2023 - present)
  • Member of the Campus Research Group (2022 - present)
  • Member of the Easter Bush Science Management Group (2022 - present)
  • Member of the R(D)SVS Career Support Committee (2015 - 2019)
  • Member of the Veterinary Clinical Research Committee (2016 - present)
  • Member of the Veterinary Ethical Review Committee (2017 – present)
  • Member of the University Responsible Metrics Group (2018 – present)
  • Member of the Hospital for Small Animals Senior Management Group (2019 – present)
  • Member of Research Computing Strategy Group (2019 – present)
  • Chair of Clinical Scholar Progress Committee (2007 – present)  - 2-3 postgraduate students per annum
  • Thesis Committee Chair for 5 PhD students (2015 – present)
  • Thesis Committee Expert for 2 PhD students (2015 - present)

Clinical Expertise and Specialisation

  • Orthopaedic Surgery
  • Clinical Research
  • Undergraduate and Postgraduate Teaching

Undergraduate teaching

Modules:

  • Integrated Clinical course: Cat and Dog Course (BVM&S / 3rd Year) / Musculoskeletal / Joint diseases (8 lectures PA, 2007 – present)
  • Integrated Clinical course : Cat and Dog Course (BVM&S / 3rd Year) / Musculoskeletal / Joint diseases (6 practical’s (12 hours) per annum, 2007 – present)
  • Clinical Foundation Course (BVM&S / 3rd Year) (1 lecture per annum, 2007 – 2017)
  • Clinical Foundation Course (BVM&S / 3rd Year) (2 practical’s (4 hours), 2007 – present)
  • Small Animal Orthopaedics (Final year rotation, selective, 18-26 weeks per annum, 2007 - present)
  • Animal Body 1 (BVM&S / 1st Year) (1 lecture per annum, 2014 - present)
  • Orthopaedic Surgery Lecture Course (BVSc / 3rd year, University of Glasgow) (8 Lectures, 2016)

Postgraduate teaching

Modules:

  • Non-surgical orthopaedics (MVetSci) (2 units and assessment of online module, 10 hours per module, per annum, 2019 – on)
  • Chronic pain and advanced analgesic principles (MVetSci, 2 online lectures, per annum, 2018 - on)
  • Biosciences (MSc) (1 lecture per annum, 2017 – 2021)
  • Internal examiner for Certificate of Advanced Veterinary Practice (Small Animal Surgery, 2010 – present).

Surgical Residents:

Primary supervised

  • Karen Perry (2007 – 2010, Dip ECVS 2011)
  • John Ryan (2010 – 2013, Dip ECVS 2015)
  • Elena Addison (2014 – 2017, Dip ECVS 2018)
  • Floryne Buishand (2019 – 2021, Dip ECVS 2021)
  • Catherine Davidson (2018 – present)
  • Henry Todd (2023 - present)

Secondary supervised

  • Toby Gemmill (2004, Dip ECVS 2005)
  • Steven Clarke, (2004, Dip ECVS 2006)
  • Michael Farrell (2004, Dip ECVS 2007)
  • Tony Ryan (2007, Dip ECVS 2010)
  • Mark Goldhammer (2007 – 2008, Dip ECVS 2011)
  • Ana Marques (2007 – 2008, Dip ECVS 2014)
  • Sam Woods (2008 – 2011, Dip ECVS 2014)
  • Henrique Silva (2009 – 2012, Dip ECVS 2023)
  • John Ryan (2010 - 2013, Dip ECVS 2015)
  • Smita Das (2011 – 2014, Dip ECVS 2015)
  • Matteo Cantatore (2012 – 2015, Dip ECVS 2016)
  • Nuria Fernandez (2013 – 2016, Dip ECVS 2017)
  • Lissie Henderson (2015 – 2018, Dip ECVS 2020)
  • Jessica McCarthy (2016 – 2019, Dip ECVS 2020)
  • Joanna McCagherty (2017 – 2019, Dip ECVS 2021)
  • Ian Faux (2019 – 2023, DipECVS 2024)
  • Sofia Garcia-Pertierra Garcia (2019, DipECVS 2024)
  • Jamie-Leigh Thompson (2019 - present)
  • Owen Glenn (2022 - present)
  • Christos Dorlis (2022 - present)

Open to PhD supervision enquiries?

Yes

Current PhD students supervised

  •  Georgia-Mae Wells (PhD Student, Oct 2022 on)

Past PhD students supervised

  • Charlotte Woolley (PhD Student, 2016-2022)
  • Carys Pugh (PhD Student, 2011-2015)
  • Craig Johnson (PhD student, 2012-2016)
  • Brendan Duggan (2nd supervisor, PhD student, 2012-2016)
  • Tom Marchant (2nd supervisor, PhD student, 2014-2018)
  • Ekele Ikpegbu (3rd Supervisor, PhD student, 2014-2018)

Master Students

  • Neil Burton (MRes, 2020)

Research summary

  • Veterinary clinical orthopaedics
  • Veterinary surgical education
  • The epidemiology of health aging in dog populations
  • The genetic basis and functional aspects of osteoarthritis.

Current research interests

Research Groups: The epidemiology, economics and risk assessment group (Prof Mark Bronsvoort) The VitDAL laboratory led by Prof Richard Mellanby The Schoenebeck lab led by Dr Jeff Schoenebeck Institute of Population Health (University of Manchester, Prof Bill Ollier, Dr Lorna Kennedy)

Knowledge exchange

Collaborative research and other projects:

  • Collaborative research project with University of Cambridge, to identify a mutation in the POMC gene as the cause of obesity through increase appetite. We provided 420 DNA samples for the project, and recruited additional phenotypic information on each case.
  • Dogslife is collaborating with the Golden Retreiver Lifetime Study

 

Consultancy services and commissioned research:

  • University of Manchester (2016 - 2017) – Pre-clinical testing of Human Embryonic Stem Cells for Cartilage Repair in an ovine model
  • University of Aarhus (2018 – present) – Pre-clinical testing of a novel method of epiphysiodesis in an ovine model
  • Research on Quantitative Sensory Tests led to industrial £227k award for refinement of biomarker tools (2009-2011)
  • Research on gene expression in OA cartilage led to a CASE Award (Zoetis) for a PhD studentship on in-vitro models of OA models (2011-2015)
  • Taught on large numbers of local, national and international CPD courses as an invited speaker (2007-present)

 

Training and continuing professional development (CPD)

I teach on approximately 2-4 professional development courses for veterinary practitioners each year. Examples include;

  • 2007                American College of Veterinary Surgeons, Chicago, USA
  • 2008                European Society of Veterinary Traumatology, Munich, GERMANY
  • 2009                AOVET Principles Course
  • 2010                AOVET Principles Course Leeds      
  • 2012                AOVET Principles Course, Leeds
  • 2014                Southern European Veterinary Congress, Barcelona SPAIN
  • 2017                AOVET Principles Course, Oxford
  • 2019                Taiwanese Conference of Veterinary Surgeons, Taipei, TAIWAN

 

Events with external (lay) audiences

  • “Dogslife Newsletter”, General Public (e-mail), 2010 – present, monthly newsletter with dog health information and interest articles, 6,000 recipients.
  • “Enhancing Understanding of Epidemiology”, Royal Highland Show, 2011 (Computer simulator to understand epidemiological concepts to general public attending show)
  • “Lets talk about health lecture series – It’s a Dogslife”, University of Edinburgh, 2018 (Lecture)
  • “Bone is Brilliant”, West Linton Primary School, 2018 (Lecture and Practical)
  • “Building Bones”, Easter Bush Outreach Centre, 2019 Led and developed Course

Current project grants

Dogs Trust (2019 - ) Harmonization of canine cohort data
Dogs Trust (2020 - ) Lifestyle risks for healthy aging in a dog population
Industry (2021 - ) Partnership Award
Charity (2022 - 2024) Improvement in breeding genetics

Past project grants

Dogs Trust (2018 - 2021) Identification of genetic and non-genetic factors associated with canine hip and elbow dysplasia
University of Aarhus (2018 - 2022) Development of a novel method of epiphysiodesis in sheep
BBSRC Studentship (2016 - 2022) Investigation into GI disease in the Dogslife Cohort (PhD Studentship)
University of Manchester (2016 - 2017) Using Human Embryonic Stem Cells for Cartilage Repair
Roslin Foundation (2014 - 2016) Dogslife Website Rebuild
Roslin Institute / BGI (2013 - 2016) The Labradome: improving the canine genome sequence
BBSRC Studentship (2012- 2016) Validation of in vitro models of early osteoarthritis (PhD Case Award with Zoetis)
Kennel Club Charitable Trust (2012 - 2014) “Dogslife”: An Epidemiological Study of Canine Health; continued funding
BBSRC Studentship (2011 - 2015) The Dogslife project (PhD Studentship)
Kennel Club Charitable Trust (2010 - 2012) “Dogslife”: An Epidemiological Study of Canine Health
BBSRC (2010 - 2013) Genome wide investigation of Hip Dysplasia in Labrador Retrievers
Industry Partner (2009 - 2011) Refinement of biomarker tools for quantitative behavioural assessment of sensory sensitivity
Petsavers Charitable Trust (2009 - 2010) Evaluation of Population Genetic Structure in UK Dogs
Petsavers Charitable Trust (2008 - 2014) Novel method of canine mobility assessment
RCVS Trust (2008 - 2012) The Transcriptomic Basis of Feline Osteoarthritis
PetPlan Charitable Trust (2008 - 2010) Development of 3d animations to enhance student learning and client understanding
The Roslin Institute (2008 - 2010) Breed risk for the development of Babesiosis and Parvovirus in South Africa
Genisis Faraday (2008 - 2009) Quantification of inbreeding in purebred dogs in the UK
BVOA (2008 - 2009) The Immunogenic basis of canine cranial cruciate disease
Petsavers Charitable Trust (2005-2007) PetPlan Charitable Trust (2005-2007)
AO (2003) AO Fellowship
Joan Joshua Memorial Prize (1996) Student project - Animal Health Trust, investigating Malassezia pachydermatidis infection of dogs

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