John Donlon

John Donlon, a veterinary surgeon from East Clare, specialises in cattle health and welfare, with a focus on calves.

Joh Donlon is a 2026 Nuffield Ireland Scholar. After earning his veterinary degree from UCD in 2018, he completed a production animal internship at the Royal Veterinary College and later a PhD at UCD on housing and calf pneumonia.

John worked with Teagasc to improve animal health in the dairy calf-to-beef sector and is a member of the Progressive Veterinary Network, co-authoring a landmark paper on veterinary workforce retention. In May 2025, he joined Atlantic Technological University (ATU) as a Lecturer, contributing to the launch of Ireland’s new veterinary school.

Nuffield study topic: “Stopping the brain drain: retaining young veterinary professionals in rural Irish communities.”