Want to Work In Veterinary Research? Here’s What You’ll Need to Know

Veterinary research is vital for improving the way we care for animals. Furthermore, for those with the right skills, there are countless veterinary research opportunities out there. It’s a great career and one with real potential to make a difference in the world.

But how do you become an animal researcher? What does the job look like on the day-to-day? And what qualifications will you need?

What Is Veterinary Research?

A research veterinarian is a qualified vet who works in a lab setting rather than a clinical practice. Veterinary research focuses on improving animal health, welfare, and treatment through scientific study. It covers a wide range of areas from developing new medications and vaccines to studying diseases, nutrition, and behaviour.

Instead of treating animals on the day-to-day, veterinary researchers contribute to wider projects that can provide benefits on a larger scale for years to come.

It’s also worth noting that not all veterinary research careers will require you to become a qualified vet. Research projects often demand a huge range of skills from lab science to data analysis and field research. You may also approach animal research from a biology or biochemistry perspective.

How To Become an Animal Researcher

For entry-level positions such as lab assistant or animal care technician, a relevant degree is often enough to get started. Practical experience – whether through internships, placements, or volunteering – can also make a big difference when applying.

One important point to note about research is that it’s very opportunity based. Your dream project may not fall into your lap right away and instead you might have to play the cards you’re dealt until you can reach an experience level where you’re a little more free to pick and choose.

That’s why it’s pretty advantageous to train specifically as a research veterinarian. It’s a much more direct career path with a clearer progression. You start with a veterinary degree, you carry that through into a postgraduate such as a masters or PhD, and by the end you’ll have a specialist area of interest.

From there you can go on to continue research in your chosen sub-field or, if you choose to leave academia, you’ll be in an excellent position to find industry jobs.

Skills You’ll Need

As with any science-based role, analytical skills are a must. Animal research means spending a lot of time interpreting data and drawing conclusions.

On top of that you need a pretty practical mindset. Animal care has to follow ethical guidelines. Animals have to be given enough space, kept well fed, and generally looked after with care and compassion. Veterinary research is highly regulated so it’s important to always maintain the strictest ethical standards.

The Future of Veterinary Research

As science and technology continue to advance, veterinary research opportunities are always expanding. Areas such as biotechnology, genetics, and disease prevention are seeing particularly strong growth.

We’re also starting to reach a point of serious overlap between human and animal medicine, meaning research in this field can have broader applications. Modern developments like CRISPR and mRNA vaccines represent just some of the cutting edge of medical technology and they’re already completely reshaping the way we think about health and disease both in human and animal populations.

At the same time, in a post-COVID world, we’re more internationally aware than ever before about the importance of preventing the spread of disease between animals and humans. Governments are now far more serious about investing in medical technologies and animal research in efforts to prevent the likelihood of future pandemics.

Whether you’re excited about the future of medical technology or you’re simply passionate about helping people to keep their pets healthy, animal research is a huge field of study. Veterinary research careers offer countless opportunities with an incredible potential for job satisfaction.