Professor recognised with BVA Advancement of Veterinary Science Award

Now in its second year, the BVA Awards celebrate the professionalism, dedication and achievements of vets and vet teams across the UK and was followed by a reception, sponsored by Lloyd & Whyte.

BVA Advancement of Veterinary Science Award

Professor Andrew Cunningham BVMS PhD FRCVS

This year the BVA Advancement of Veterinary Science Award (Dalrymple-Champneys Cup and Medal) is awarded to Professor Andrew Cunningham in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the advancement of veterinary medicine and the field of wildlife veterinary science.  

Graduating in 1987 from Glasgow Veterinary School, Professor Cunningham is currently Deputy Director of Science at ZSL, where he has worked in various roles since 1988. He has led several national and international, multi-disciplinary wildlife disease research projects investigating the emergence, spread, impact and mitigation of disease threats to wildlife conservation, understanding the role of anthropogenic environmental change on wildlife disease emergence. His work on zoonotic disease emergence from wildlife has helped to identify factors which lead to zoonotic spill-over. He co-led the investigation of vulture declines in South Asia and he led the international research team that discovered the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis as a cause of amphibian declines, for which he was awarded a medal by the CSIRO in Australia. His large body of original, high-quality research has had major impacts across conservation biology, veterinary science and public health, informing and influencing the policies of governments, intergovernmental organisations and NGOs.

Professor Cunningham, who previously won a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award for his work on zoonotic viruses in African bats and who gained Fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons for meritorious contributions to learning, said: “I am both stunned and absolutely thrilled to be awarded the 2025 Dalrymple-Champneys Cup and Medal. Being recognised by my peers for doing a good job is all I have wanted, and it doesn’t get better than this. It makes a change from being told as a student that working on wildlife would bring the profession into disrepute. Thank you, BVA, for giving me this award. This recognition of my work on wildlife disease and One Health means far more to me than I can express in words. There is such a huge need for more veterinarians to lead wildlife health research for the benefit of conservation and humanity. I hope winning this award will encourage others to develop a career in this field.”

BVA President Dr Rob Williams said: “Professor Cunningham’s outstanding quality and volume of publications and extensive work has made a significant impact on veterinary medicine, in the UK and globally. We were particularly impressed by his strong global influence and contributions to One Health research, noting that he has played a significant role in disease detection and conservation beyond zoos, influencing wildlife protection globally. As a leading scientist in his field, this is a much-deserved award, congratulations.”

The awards presented on the day were:

• BVA Young Vet of the Year 2025, supported by Zoetis
• BVA Wellbeing Awards 2025, supported by ManyPets
• BVA Outstanding Service Award (Chiron Award) 
• BVA Advancement of Veterinary Science Award (Dalrymple-Champneys Cup and Medal)
• BVA Animal Health and Welfare Overseas Award (J.Trevor Blackburn Award)

British Veterinary Association President Dr Rob Williams said: “It’s been a difficult time for the veterinary profession, and vets have been feeling the pressure from all sides. Whether working in a small animal practice, as a farm or mixed vet, in a non-clinical role or as a government vet, vets are highly skilled professions who play an invaluable role in society. The BVA Awards is a chance to shine a light on those exceptional vets who really go the extra mile to care for their patients, support the wellbeing of colleagues or make a lasting contribution to the veterinary community. A big congratulations to all of our winners for 2025, you should be incredibly proud of all your achievements.”