Prof Elspeth Milne
Personal Chair of Veterinary Clinical Pathology

Contact details
Address
- Street
-
The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute
Easter Bush Campus
Midlothian - City
- Post code
- EH25 9RG
Background
Elspeth Milne graduated from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in 1979 and after a spell in practice undertook a PhD at Edinburgh in clinical pathology of sheep. She then spent three years as a small animal resident at the R(D)SVS before moving to equine medicine where she was a clinician from 1986 to 1996. In 1996 she joined the Scottish Agricultural College Veterinary Services in Dumfries where she became Centre Manager. She returned to the R(D)SVS in 2002 and was appointed as Head of Veterinary Pathology in 2004.
In 1997, she was awarded an FRCVS for studies on equine dysautonomia, in 2002 she became a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Clinical Pathology and in 2011 a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists. She has a Personal Chair in Veterinary Clinical Pathology, and is a Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and European recognised specialist in veterinary clinical pathology. She contributes to development of clinical pathology internationally through the European College of Veterinary Clinical Pathology, is examiner in Veterinary Clinical Pathology for the Royal College of Pathologists and is on the editorial board of the journal Veterinary Clinical Pathology.
Her main research interests are in clinical pathology including haematology, clinical biochemistry, biomarkers and cytology. She also has a long standing interest in equine pathology, particularly equine dysautonomia (grass sickness) and diseases of red squirrels.
Clinical Expertise and Specialisation
European recognised specialist in Veterinary Clinical Pathology
Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons recognised specialist in Veterinary Pathology (Clinical Pathology)
Collaborative Activity
Member of the European College of Veterinary Clinical Pathology (ECVCP) Executive Committee (2010-2016)
Secretary of the ECVCP (2014-2016)
Member of the Examination Committee, ECVCP (2007-2017)
Chair of the Cytology Examination Subcommittee, ECVCP (2007-2010 and 2012-2013)
Examiner for the Royal College of Pathologists (2012-present)
Qualifications
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Edinburgh A study of selected isoenzymes in sheep Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine & Surgery, University of Edinburgh
Professional Qualifications
Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists, FRCPath Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, FHEA Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Clinical Pathology, DipECVCP Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, FRCVS
Area of Expertise
Research expertiseveterinary clinical pathology
Responsibilities & affiliations
Head of Veterinary Pathology
Member of the School Management Group
Member of the Centre for Comparative Pathology Executive Committee
Member of the School GM Biological Safety Committee
Member of the School Bioimaging Committee
Member of the School Career support Committee
Chair of the Easter Bush Pathology Management Committee
Chair of 3 resident Progression Committees
Postgraduate teaching
Year GEP
Professional and Clinical skills GEP: haematology practical classes
Year 3
Veterinary Pathology: Clinical pathology lectures, cytology practical classes
Year 4
Professional and clinical skills 4: Cytology practical classes, haematology practical classes, clinical biochemistry practical classes
Year 5
Final year rotations: Clinical pathology case interpretation classes, practical haematology and cytology slide reading classes, haematology tutorials
Research summary
Research interests include investigation of T lymphocyte populations in dogs undergoing radiation therapy, comparative cytology and molecular signatures of inflammatory cells in secretory otitis media of brachycephalic dogs and children, immunohistochemical markers for reactive and neoplastic mesothelial cells in pericardium of dogs, rapid diagnosis of equine grass sickness by ganglion cytology, histopathology of recovered cases of grass sickness, the role of SOCS2 protein in maintenance of bone mass in an experimental colitis model in mice and studies on the pathology of the red squirrel with particular reference to squirrel pox infection.
Current research interests
Assistant supervisor of PhD student, D. Pogson (1986-89) Assistant supervisor of MPhil student, D. Collie (graduated 1990) Assistant supervisor of PhD student, A. Murray (graduated 1995) Adviser of DVM&S student, H. Sweeney (graduated in 1995) Principal supervisor of PhD student, M. Dagleish (graduated 1998) Assistant supervisor of PhD student, C. Hahn (graduated 2000) Principal supervisor, MSc student project, M. Bahrani (graduated 2007) Principal supervisor, MSc student, A. Pastorello (graduated 2008) Principal University supervisor of PhD student, C. Fiegna (graduated in 2012) Prinicipal University supervisor of PhD student, S. Guido (graduated 2018) Prinicipal University supervisor of PhD student, G. Caspe (2017-present) Anatomic pathology residents (19 residents since 2002) Clinical pathology residents (5 since 2004)-
The EDA deficient mouse has Zymbal’s gland hypoplasia and acute otitis externa
In:
Disease Models and Mechanisms
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1242/dmm.049034
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Comparison of effusion cell block and biopsy immunohistochemistry in mesothelial hyperplasia, mesothelioma and carcinoma in dogs
In:
Veterinary Clinical Pathology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/vcp.13002
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Review article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Systemic amyloidosis in a Shar Pei dog
In:
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, vol. 259, pp. 485-488
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.259.5.485
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Distribution and severity of placental lesions caused by the Chlamydia abortus 1B vaccine strain in vaccinated ewes
In:
Pathogens
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10050543
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Differential white blood cell counts in rabbits: a comparison of the Advia 2120 and a manual method
In:
Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/10406387211007877
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Osteoblast-specific deficiency of ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase or phosphodiesterase-1 engenders insulin resistance in high-fat diet fed mice
In:
Journal of Cellular Physiology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jcp.30194
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
The 1B vaccine strain of Chlamydia abortus produces placental pathology indistinguishable from a wild type infection
In:
PLoS ONE
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0242526
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Cytological and microbiological characteristics of middle ear effusions in brachycephalic dogs.
(9 pages)
In:
Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, vol. 34, pp. 1454–1463
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.15792
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Characterization of Black Pigmenturia in a Cat with Apocrine Gland Cystadenocarcinoma
In:
Journal of Comparative Pathology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcpa.2020.03.002
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Dysautonomia in 53 cats and dogs: A retrospective review of clinical data and outcome
In:
Veterinary Record
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.105258
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print)