Brenda Bonnett, Honorary Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

Brenda Bonnett is a veterinarian and epidemiologist. Between 2014 and 2021, she was CEO of the International Partnership for Dogs, a non-profit organisation for dog health and welfare. She holds a doctorate in epidemiology from the University of Guelph in Canada, where she worked as an associate professor until 2005, before leaving to work as an independent consultant with her own company. She was visiting professor at SLU from 1998 to 1999.

Brenda Bonnett’s extensive scientific publications span numerous animal species and disciplines. Her research has focused on companion animals and has included breed-specific risks of diseases and deaths in dogs, cats, and horses. Her epidemiological work has made great use of secondary data sources, most notably a large Swedish veterinary insurance database of companion animals. She has also studied human-animal interaction and communication between vets and animal owners.

Brenda Bonnett has had extensive links with SLU and 37 of her scientific articles have been co-authored by SLU researchers. During her time as visiting professor at the university, she revitalised epidemiology teaching for veterinary students, and traces of her efforts can still be seen in the faculty’s work. She has also supervised three doctoral students and made significant contributions on behalf of SLU as part of a major EU project on dogs as a model animal in the study of human diseases.