Q1. Tell us about you, your family and where you live?

 I’m Polly Compston, and I live in a village just outside Cambridge, UK, with my cat Olive and my dog Fennel. I love exploring the countryside around my home, which offers a peaceful contrast to the picturesque city of Cambridge and the culture available in London, just an hour away. This balance between nature and city life is something that is important to me.

Q2. What is your favourite food?

At the moment it’s a lot of Thai and Mexican food. I’m a vegetarian and love to cook, it’s an opportunity for creativity. There’s something incredibly satisfying about preparing food from scratch and sharing it with others.

Q3. Do you have any favourite music?

 My taste in music is pretty eclectic. I enjoy everything from R&B and rap to country, indie, and whatever’s in the charts: at the moment it’s a bit of Charli xcx, Raye and Zach Bryan.

 Q4. What is your favourite sport?

 My favourite sport to watch is gymnastics—I’m always in awe of the grace and precision it takes. For my own fitness, I enjoy cross-training and weightlifting, which help me stay active without feeling too intense. Earlier this year, I took on my first 50km trail run  –  simply finishing it was a big achievement for me!

 Q5. Tell up in a paragraph what your current veterinary position is.

I currently hold a position at the European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (EuFMD), which sits within the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). In this role, I serve as the technical lead for initiatives aimed at enhancing the global control of foot-and-mouth disease and similar transboundary animal diseases.  My expertise focuses on the socioeconomics of animal health and production, and I have a special interest in understanding how animal healthcare systems function, and therefore how veterinary care can be strengthened. within international livestock disease control programs.

Q6. What influenced you to become a veterinarian?

I always wanted to work with animals and grew up with cats, dogs and horses. As I moved through school I started to enjoy science subjects and realised I could build a career within the veterinary profession combining these two things.

Q7. What do you enjoy most about being a veterinarian?

The people. It is such a fabulous group of professionals to be part of, and you also have the opportunity to engage with  so many different communities. I also love that it is endlessly interesting and rewarding – I feel very lucky to be able to be involved in such a wide range of different types of work, which all have an ultimate aim of a better world for animal and people.

Q8. What are some of the main challenges for you and your national veterinary association?

 At the moment, the British Veterinary Association (BVA) is focused on several key challenges and opportunities. One significant area of engagement is collaborating with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, the regulatory body for veterinary professionals in the UK, advocating for updates to the Veterinary Surgeons Act to reflect the evolving needs of the profession.

Additionally, there is an ongoing government review examining consumer experiences and business practices in the provision of veterinary services for household pets. This review could lead to important regulatory changes affecting the industry.

Another pressing issue is the current Bluetongue outbreak in England, a notifiable disease with serious implications for the ruminant population. Addressing this situation requires coordinated efforts to safeguard animal health and mitigate the disease’s impact.