Dr Gwenllian Rees
Nominated for Innovation, science and technology award
Dr. Gwen Rees is Lecturer in Veterinary Science at Aberystwyth University and Veterinary Development Manager for Menter a Busnes. Graduating as vet in 2009, Dr Rees worked in Wales and New Zealand before completing her PhD at the University of Bristol.
Gwen leads the Veterinary Prescribing Champions Network for Arwain DGC - a collaborative initiative bringing together academics, vets and the animal health industry in Wales to help tackle antimicrobial resistance. This national network now represents over 90% of vet practices treating farm animals in Wales and has spearheaded the innovative development of a voluntary national Code of Prescribing Conduct for vet practices, along with clinical guidelines for key diseases in cattle and sheep and implementing antimicrobial stewardship initiatives.
Dr Rees’s role in developing the Veterinary Prescribing Champions Network has been recognised by The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons’ Impact Award 2021 and the UK Antibiotic Guardian Award for Prescribing and Stewardship 2023. The success of Arwain DGC in Wales has inspired a UK-wide initiative and has led to international interest in the work including from Australia, New Zealand and across Europe. Gwen is President of British Veterinary Association’s Welsh Branch and a Trustee of the Animal Welfare Foundation.