We extend an extremely warm welcome the highly-experienced James Elliott from his current role in the United States to add even more expertise to our talented team.

James joins, having just completed a prestigious two-year American College of Veterinary Radiology (ACVR)-approved residency at North Carolina State University (NCSU).

Sarah Mason, head of clinical and radiation oncology here at Southfields, said: “We are one of the biggest teams of oncology diplomates in Europe and, we believe, the only clinic in Europe to have two oncology Specialists also trained in radiation oncology, so Southfields can offer truly multi-modal treatment for oncological patients under one roof.

James will add even more expertise in advanced radiation techniques, as well as his extensive experience as a medical oncologist. He will join myself and our radiation oncology Specialist Jerome Benoit in delivering the radiation service.

James and I will also support Aaron Harper, our head of medical oncology, in delivering the personalised, multi-modal oncological experience to clients and patients.

Additionally, James’s training in delivering the most advanced radiation treatments, including IMRT and stereotactic radiation, will allow us to implement these treatments as soon as we have our new Truebeam linear accelerator running in 2021.”

James is equally excited to be joining the team here and is keen to utilise his experience and training to help Southfields remain at the forefront of cancer care in animals.

James said: “NCSU is one of the most established veterinary radiation centres in the world.

This allowed me to acquire skills in all aspects of modern veterinary radiation, clinical oncology and achieve high-level skills in treatment planning; particularly intensity-modulated radiation therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic body radiation therapy.

As these techniques become more widespread and the Truebeam is installed at Southfields, the face of veterinary radiation oncology will be completely changed in the UK. We will be able to provide infinitely better and ultra-high precision treatments, with fewer or no side effects and over a shorter time.

This will be more convenient for owners but, most importantly, maintain or improve quality of life for our patients.

Whilst at NCSU, I also procured a grant to undertake some bench-top research, where I investigated the role of stereotactic radiation therapy (SRT) in the development of cardiac arrhythmias. I am keen to use this knowledge to help design new protocols for clinical patients.”

James was also awarded the 2019 ACVR resident prize for his research into radiation therapy for plasma cell tumours.

“I enjoy all aspects of clinical work, particularly using my skills in both medical and radiation oncology to design custom treatment plans, with the goal of trying to improve the quality and length of life of patients, with as few adverse effects as possible. I really look forward to helping advance the field of veterinary radiation oncology in Europe.”

James graduated from Edinburgh University in 2006 and later undertook an internship and residency in oncology at the University of Liverpool.

He earned the RCVS Certificate in Small Animal Medicine, the ECVIM diploma in oncology and became an RCVS-recognised specialist in veterinary oncology.

He has published numerous peer-reviewed articles, acted as associate editor for a veterinary journal and is the co-author of the neuro-oncology chapter in the 2021 BSAVA manual of Neurology. He also served as an examiner for several years for both the RCVS and ECVIM oncology diploma.