From 26 to 28 March 2025, DECIDE partners took part in the 43rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine (SVEPM) in Berlin, Germany. The event is a well-established platform for sharing research and developments in veterinary epidemiology and preventive medicine, bringing together researchers, students, and professionals from across Europe.
As the DECIDE project approaches its final stages, the conference provided a timely opportunity to share some of the project’s findings and ongoing work with peers in the field. Several DECIDE partners are actively involved in the SVEPM community, including Fernanda Dorea, Luís Pedro Carmo, Carla Gomes, and Inge Santman-Berends, who are members of the Executive Committee.
DECIDE Contributions to the Programme
Partners presented research outputs from multiple work packages through posters, a talk, and a workshop:
Gerdien van Schaik presented a poster titled “Innovative tool development: Experiences from the DECIDE project,” outlining cross-sectoral tool development.
Marloes Boeters contributed a poster on “Simulating a burden beyond bills: the multifaceted burden of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infections in fattening pigs.”
Yara Slegers presented “Can we use routinely collected data to predict footpad lesion scores of broiler flocks?”
Céline Faverjon and Camille Delavenne led a workshop on “Introduction to data stewardship in veterinary epidemiology,” drawing on concepts developed as part of Work Package 1 (WP1).
Camille Delavenne also presented a poster on “Leveraging data integration to improve broiler health management: a Polish case study,” developed in collaboration with Marcin and Sjaak, and related to work in WP3.
Abbie-Louise Smith delivered a talk on “Prioritisation of youngstock management practices: Comparison of expert stakeholders’ assessment of the severity of impact on dairy calf welfare.”
Partner Impressions
DECIDE participants shared positive feedback about the event, noting the value of presenting their work and engaging in discussion:
I am very grateful that I got to attend SVEPM for a second time and to (re)connect with researchers and fellow PhD students in related fields. The workshop I participated in and several talks and discussions at my poster have already proven to be valuable in shaping the next steps of my research for the DECIDE project.
I had a wonderful time at SVEPM and I am grateful for the opportunity to present my poster and to discuss my work with other experts in the field.
As we are reaching the final stages of DECIDE, the SVEPM conference was a great opportunity to disseminate the project results through the veterinary epidemiology community. In addition, it provided an additional chance to meet DECIDE colleagues and have some in-person discussion about the project.
SVEPM was, as always, a great opportunity to get an overview of the latest developments in the field and reconnect with colleagues from all over Europe.
Summary
The DECIDE team welcomed the opportunity to share its work at SVEPM 2025 and to engage with the broader veterinary epidemiology community. The input and conversations during the event will contribute to the final steps of the project and help shape its outputs.
