Laboratory Analyst Edward Leslie works for the Department of Agriculture Food and Marine. He recently took part in the safefood Training & Mobility Funding Programme, which funded his attendance at the Fifth Congress for European Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (EAVLD) in Brussels.
Edward, who works in the Sligo Regional Veterinary Laboratory, went to the three-day conference organised by EAVLD who have a mission is to improve veterinary and public health by providing a platform for communication among veterinary laboratory diagnosticians and promote the highest standards in European veterinary laboratories. “The main objective of attending was to take the knowledge and skills gained at the conference and apply it in my current role in Ireland, and subsequently to improve disease surveillance, food protection, animal/food health, and disease diagnostics in Ireland and Europe,” he explains. “Other aims of attending included; meeting and conversing with experts in animal disease diagnostics, manufacturers of animal disease diagnostic kits, and to give me a wider view on the future of disease surveillance in Europe.”
There were over 70 lectures across the three days, presented by some of the most experienced people in the field of animal disease diagnostics in Europe. “Some of the key lectures included; foot and mouth on farm testing, antimicrobial resistance, spread of the bluetongue disease in Europe, and the current outbreak in African swine fever in Europe, among others,” Edward notes.
After the conference, Edward was able to share a back to office report with both his own colleagues in the laboratory and other regional veterinary laboratories. As well as giving him the opportunity to meet people from across Europe, the conference provided Edward with information on new diagnostic tools. He explains, “It gave me a great insight into the future of animal disease diagnostics and of the severe threats emerging with new and exotic diseases that could affect Irish food safety in the future.”
Edward enjoyed the experience and says: “I would strongly recommend people to apply for the Training and Mobility Funding Programme as it has helped to enhance my skills and knowledge in disease diagnostics and to improve food safety in Ireland.
ABOUT THE SAFEFOOD TRAINING AND MOBILITY FUNDING PROGRAMME
The programme enables members to visit and spend time in another organisation to develop their knowledge/ expertise in an area related to food safety. Participants can broaden their expertise, exchange knowledge and facilitate collaboration to enhance food safety between organisations, sectors and/or disciplines. The programme is exclusive to Knowledge Network members and offers bursaries up to €1,200 or sterling equivalent per applicant. Previous successful applicants have included Environmental Health Officers, food testing laboratories staff, food industry personnel, food safety researchers, as well as those working in academia.
For information on the 2019 programme please keep an eye out on www.safefood.eu.
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