Nicola Menzies-Gow, MA, VetMB, PhD, DECEIM, CertEM(Int.med), FHEA, FRCVS, is chair of the Clinical Research Ethical Review Board and research director for the Department of Clinical Sciences and Services at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) at the University of London.

She graduated from Cambridge University in 1997. She spent nearly three years in first-opinion equine practice in Essex before undertaking a three-year Senior Clinical Training Scholarship (residency) in equine medicine at RVC. After that, Menzies-Gow completed her PhD in equine laminitis at RVC.

She became a diplomate of the European College of Equine Internal Medicine in January 2005. Additionally, she took up the position of Lecturer in Equine Medicine at RVC. Menzies-Gow is a European and RCVS specialist in equine internal medicine.

Her research focuses on insulin resistance and equine laminitis. She received the Dame Olga Uvarov Research Medal in April 2006. (This is awarded to outstanding clinical veterinary researchers in the early stages of their careers.) Menzies-Gow currently supervises two PhD students, two MVetMed students, and numerous undergraduate research projects.

She works on the following project at RVS: “Objective assessment of the quality of life of equines with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID).” The research outline reads: “Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is a common disease of older equines affecting > 25% of animals over the age of 15 years. It has various associated clinical signs that could impact quality of life (QoL), including the painful hoof condition laminitis, weight loss, and lethargy. Owners frequently mistake some of these clinical signs as being associated with aging and not important enough to seek veterinary advice. Additionally, owners face increased physical care burden (time, money, and physical exertion), along with increased emotional burden such as a changed mental state caused by the affected animal encountering challenges that require additional care.”

Menzies-Gow also works on “Researching laminitis risks in horses and ponies.” This project is “a four-year study of laminitis in ponies, measuring physical, metabolic, and management data, identifying significant factors associated with laminitis such as basal serum insulin concentration, insulin concentration in response to the OST, basal plasma adiponectin concentration, and the presence of divergent hoof growth rings on the feet, and making recommendations for treatment based on this.”

Menzies-Gow is married to a small animal veterinarian, and they have three children.

You may contact Menzies-Gow at: nmenziesgow@rvc.ac.uk.

Menzies-Gow’s Recent Research