Cambridge Festival at the Vet School
Cambridge Festival - March 2026
Vet School Open Day - part of the West Cambridge Open Day - Saturday 21 March 2026
We’re excited to announce that the Department of Veterinary Medicine will once again open its doors to the public as part of the Cambridge Festival 2026 on Saturday 21 March.
This year’s Open Day will be packed with family-friendly, hands-on science activities designed to inspire curiosity and showcase the amazing work happening across our Department.
Activities include...
Become a DNA Detective!
Step into the shoes of a scientist to crack the genetic code and help save the Tasmanian Devil! Decode DNA sequences, create your own DIY gene bracelet, and compare it with a reference genome to hunt for mysterious mutations. Best of all, you can take your creation home to show off your new laboratory skills.
Bat Viruses Adventure
Find our hidden bats, unlock their secret viruses, and match them to the correct virus codes. What virus is your bat carrying?
Tasmanian Devils Field Adventure
A mysterious disease is spreading among Tasmanian Devils, and we need your help to crack the case! Become part of our expert team, learn how to trap animals safely, diagnose illness, and uncover the disease to help save them.
Become a Microbiome Explorer
Solve the DNA puzzle and discover new microbes in this interactive science challenge.
..And it wouldn't be an open day at the Vet School with out Meeting a Vet – Ask Us Anything!
Visitors can chat with our vets about their pets or any animal they’re curious about.
Also - Aspiring vets and vet nurses welcome!
Future potential vets are invited to come and meet our veterinary students and get a real insight into life at the Queen's Veterinary School Hospital and what it’s like to study Veterinary Medicine.
Important Information to visitors:
No tickets needed
Visitors will need to sign in on arrival
Entry is first come, first served if we reach maximum capacity
If we are busy, visitors may be asked to wait or return later
We look forward to welcoming families, future vets, and curious minds for another fun and inspiring day of veterinary science at the Cambridge Festival 2026!
Open Day Activities: Vet School Talks in - Lecture Theatre 1
1:00pm – “Sleeping Giants: How Vets Keep Zoo Animals Safe”
Talk by Malina Filipas DVM MSc AFHEA DipECVAA MRCVS
Have you ever wondered how a giraffe takes a nap, how a tiger gets a check‑up, or what it’s like to stand next to a camel during a medical procedure?
Join Malina, a real-life zoo and wildlife anaesthetist, as she takes you behind the scenes of some of the world’s most amazing animals!
You’ll discover:
- How to safely anaesthetise a giraffe with a neck taller than your classroom
- What happens when a tiger needs medicine or an X‑ray
- How camels go to the dentist
- How a playful sea lion is carefully anaesthetised so vets can treat a sore eye
- The cool tools vets use from stethoscopes to tranquilliser darts
- And how YOU could become a wildlife vet one day!
Get ready for jaw-dropping photos, surprising animal facts, and real stories from the wild world of zoo anaesthesia.
No tickets needed - Come early to grab your seat!
2pm - “The Wonderful World of Animal Eyes”
A talk by Dr David Williams MA VetMD PhD EdD DECAWBM(AW) CertVOphthal CertWEL FHEA FRSB FRCVS
A fun, lively talk aimed at a family friendly audience by our wonderful ophthalmologist, Dr David Williams. Learn all about how animals see the world, with fascinating facts and funny eye stories from across the animal kingdom.
Tuesday 24 March 2026 - 7.30pm - The Animal Heartbeat Live at Cambridge Festival 2026
Get your tickets here
As part of Cambridge Festival 2026, The Department of Veterinary Medicine is proud to host The Animal Heartbeat podcast. Returning for another live event, exploring how human and veterinary medicine can learn from each other through the study of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).
This live panel discussion brings together experts from human and veterinary cardiology to look at how HCM is diagnosed and managed in both fields. The conversation will cover topics such as imaging, genetics, how the disease progresses over time, and the real-world challenges of managing inherited heart disease in patients and animal companions.
Tickets are free and limited - so get yours today - here
The Animal Heartbeat Live Podcast 2026 panel includes:
- Prof Juan Pablo Kaski
Professor of Paediatric Inherited Cardiovascular Medicine at University College London Institute of Cardiovascular Science
- Prof David Connolly
Professor of Veterinary Cardiology at The Royal Veterinary College
- Professor Mary N. Sheppard, MD, FRCPath, FRCPI
Head of Department of Cardiovascular Pathology, City St George’s University of London
President, Pathology Section, Royal Society of Medicine
- Professor Juan Pablo Kaski, MD(Res), FESC, FRCP
Professor of Paediatric Inherited Cardiovascular Medicine, UCL Institute of Cardiovascular Science
Head and Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist, Great Ormond Street Hospital
Director, Centre for Inherited Cardiovascular Diseases
- Professor David Connolly, BSc, BVetMed, PhD, CertVC, CertSAM, DipECVIM (Cardiology), MRCVS
Professor of Cardiology, Royal Veterinary College
Of course the discussion will be hosted by the hugely talented Animal Heartbeat Podcasters and Veterinary Cardiologists Dr Jose Novo Matos (Department of Veterinary Medicine, Cambridge) and Dr Kieran Borgeat (University of Bristol).
