Vanessa Barrs | |
---|---|
Born | North Carolina, United States |
Nationality | Australian |
Education | University of Sydney |
Awards | Fellow of the Australia and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Veterinary science |
Institutions | University of Sydney |
Vanessa Rosemary Duke Barrs is an Australian veterinary researcher in feline infectious diseases. [1] Barrs established clinical research and specialist veterinary services at the Valentine Charlton Cat Centre within the University of Sydney where she is also Professor of Feline Medicine and Infectious Diseases. [2] Barrs discovered Aspergillus felis , an environmental fungus that causes invasive, intractable disease in cats, dogs and humans. [3] [4] [5] She is currently the BOCHK Chair Professor of Veterinary Medicine at City University of Hong Kong's Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences. [6]
She was born in North Carolina while her father, Henry Deacon Barrs, was a visiting CSIRO researcher at Duke University.[ citation needed ] Barrs is the youngest of three children. She grew up in Griffith, New South Wales.[ citation needed ]
Barrs studied veterinary science at the University of Sydney, graduating in 1990. While pursuing clinical specialisation, she attained a Master of Veterinary Clinical Studies from the University of Sydney in 1997 and was admitted as a Member of the Australia and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists in 1996 and made a Fellowship in 2000. [7]
Barrs has received awards including an Endeavour Research Fellowship in 2011 [8] and the Australian Small Animal Veterinary Association's Distinguished Scientist Award in 2009. [1] [9] Her teaching awards include the Australian Veterinary Association's Excellence in Teaching Award 2008. [1]
She is a scientific editor for the Veterinary Journal (Elsevier), [10] sits on the board of directors of the Australasian Society of Feline Medicine [11] and, until 2018, was the president of the International Society of Companion Animal Infectious Diseases.