Life in the labs

摘要

Micheal, you have recently been appointed as Head of the Regional Laboratories countrywide. What hasbeen your career path to this point?It has meandered a little to be honest! I got a teaching post in UCD when I graduated, where I spent a few happy years inflicting parasitology on third-years. However, the call of the west was strong, and I hadn't got the "practice bug' out of my system,so I left to spend five years in practice in Mayo - my home county, and also my wife Karen's. A research officer post came up in Sligo RVL which appealed to me, as it was a laboratory post in the west with close ties with veterinary practice and farming. I really enjoyed working there as part of a close-knit team, with daily contact with farmers, their animals and their vets. One great strength of the Regional Veterinary Laboratories is its close daily collaborative relationship with farms and veterinary practice.