MSD aquaculture specialist wins prestigious Peter Jones Award
MILTON KEYNES, U.K., Feb. 8, 2023 – MSD Animal Health UK Limited, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (NYSE:MRK), is pleased to announce that the British Trout Association (BTA) has given Dr Chris Gould, Associate Director – Global Aquaculture Technical Service, Cold Water Biopharma, the Peter Jones Award, which honours individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to UK fish farming.
Chris said: “I’m humbled and delighted to receive the Peter Jones Award from the BTA. I spent a significant proportion of my aquaculture career within the trout farming industry, and whilst my focus is now predominantly on salmon, the world of trout was my first love! The trout industry is full of great people whom it has been a pleasure to work and keep in touch with over the years.”
Chris has dedicated his whole career to fish health and welfare. He has a Marine and Fishery Science MSc from the University of Aberdeen. This was followed by a PhD on Proliferative Kidney Disease (PKD) in trout, which included practical work on trout farms in the south of England.
He then joined Aquaculture Vaccines Ltd (AVL) in 1995 where he continued to assist trout farmers in mitigating the impacts of PKD and played a key role in developing vaccines and on-farm vaccination strategies for managing Enteric Redmouth Disease (ERM), before moving on to managing sales of trout vaccines and technical support across Europe. When AVL was acquired by Schering-Plough Animal Health in 2002, Chris became part of the global aquaculture team, continuing to lead technical support for the trout business while also assuming responsibility for the salmon sector. By the time MSD bought Schering-Plough in 2011 his time was largely dedicated to salmon.
Chris has since enjoyed a successful career at MSD Animal Health focused on salmon health and welfare within the wider global aquaculture team. His achievement is a positive reflection of MSD’s commitment to producing market leading solutions for fish health and welfare, and its development of talent within the company to enable that.
Kasha Cox, Executive Director – Global Aquaculture at MSD Animal Health, said: “Chris is a highly deserving recipient of the prestigious Peter Jones Award. He’s an integral part of the MSD Animal Health global aquaculture team, whose vast knowledge of fish health and dedication to supporting clients around the globe has made a real difference to the aquaculture industry. We’re all really proud of him!”
Peter Jones was a key figure in the early development of the fish farming industry in the UK who helped ensure it became an officially recognised section of UK agriculture. Each year the BTA gives the award set up in his honour to individuals who have made a similarly positive impact on UK fish farming.
Chris was officially handed the award as part of a regional meeting of the BTA on Tuesday 7th February 2023.
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About MSD Animal Health
At MSD, known as Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA in the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than a century, we’ve been at the forefront of research, bringing forward medicines, vaccines and innovative health solutions for the world’s most challenging diseases. MSD Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA, is the global animal health business of MSD. Through its commitment to The Science of Healthier Animals®, MSD Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners and governments one of the widest ranges of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services as well as an extensive suite of connected technology that includes identification, traceability and monitoring products. MSD Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals and the people who care for them. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. MSD Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets. For more information, visit www.msd-animal-health.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Media Contact:
Ploy Radford
+44 7890 916752
ploy.radford@msd.com
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