Professor Renate Weller

After working as a veterinarian in practice, Professor Renate Weller started her academic career at the RVC in 2005 where she has since progressed from Lecturer to Professor. She splits her time between clinics and research but most importantly, Renate is a teacher in both roles. Renate has led many innovations which have been disseminated at university, national and international levels, leading to implementation not only in the veterinary field but also in medical education. Renate is a 'boundary transgressor' who bridges the gaps between clinicians and researchers, clinical and basic science, academia and practice, further and higher education. She is especially proud of her role in establishing continuous professional education for allied professionals. She strongly believes in the right for education for all and invests a large amount of time in public engagement and widening participation activities. Impact of work Renate has created and developed the world's largest resource for equine diagnostic imaging learning and was the first to apply rapid prototyping technology of anatomy and iPhone apps to diagnostic imaging teaching. She has developed the 'Students as Creators' theme, championing the active involvement of students in educational research. She has shown the benefits of this theme in terms of publication output, generic and specific skills development and positive attitude change. Renate is a passionate educator and researcher and these are just some examples of Renates innovative approach to teaching. Another 'Renate invention' is a now well-established medically themed 'RVC bake-off' for students and staff called 'Sweet Anatomy' which has been adopted by other veterinary and medical schools worldwide. Plans for the future As the Director of the newly created Graduate Diploma in Equine Locomotor Research for farriers, Renate is already planning to expand this paradigm-shifting initiative to all allied professionals. This will provide mature learners with access to higher education and equip them with the skills and knowledge to enhance scientific evidence in their field. She cares strongly about the psychological wellbeing of her students and is currently leading several new initiatives internally and externally, including, on behalf of the British Equine Veterinary Association, a mentorship programme for young equine vets.