Dr Jess Lawson

Research Fellow

Department: Pathobiology & Population Sciences

Jessica is a veterinary surgeon and post-doctoral research fellow. Her research aims to uncover how genetic variation influences non-infectious pregnancy loss in horses, and to identify clinical predictors of umbilical cord torsion and mid- to late-term pregnancy failure.

Jessica obtained her veterinary degree from the Royal Veterinary College in 2013 and spent much of her clinical career working in Thoroughbred breeding practice in the USA. Jessica returned to the RVC to undertake a PhD investigating the incidence, causes and diagnostic features of abortion attributed to an umbilical cord torsion in Thoroughbreds. Following completion of her Doctorate in 2022, Jessica has stayed on at the college as a Research Fellow and is continuing her work exploring umbilical cord torsion, and causes of Thoroughbred abortion more widely, using epidemiological and genetic methodologies. This work is generously funded by the Alborada Trust with collaborations with Rossdales Laboratories, the Equine Pregnancy Laboratory at Cornell University and veterinarians in both the UK and Kentucky.

Lawson, J.M.*, Salem, S.E.*, Miller, D.*, Kahler, A., van den Boer, W.J, Shilton, C.A., Sever, T., et al. 2024. Naturally occurring horse model of miscarriage reveals temporal relationship between chromosomal aberration type and point of lethality. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 121, no. 33: e2405636121. * Joint first author.

Lawson, J.M., Verheyen, K., Smith, K.C., Bryan, J.S., Foote, A.K. and de Mestre, A.M., 2024. The equine umbilical cord in clinically healthy pregnancies. Equine Veterinary Journal, 56(4), pp.742-750.

Lawson, J.M.,* Shilton, C.A.*, Lindsay-McGee, V., Psifidi, A., Wathes, D.C., Raudsepp, T. and de Mestre, A.M., 2024. Does inbreeding contribute to pregnancy loss in Thoroughbred horses?. Equine Veterinary Journal, 56(4), pp.711-718. *Joint first author.

Roach, J.M., Arango-Sabogal, J.C., Smith, K.C., Foote, A.K., Verheyen, K.L. and de Mestre, A.M., 2022. Multivariable analysis to determine risk factors associated with abortion in mares. Reproduction and Fertility, 3(4), pp.301-312.

Roach, J.M., Foote, A.K., Smith, K.C., Verheyen, K.L. and de Mestre, A.M., 2021. Incidence and causes of pregnancy loss after Day 70 of gestation in Thoroughbreds. Equine Veterinary Journal, 53(5), pp.996-1003.

  • Investigation of clinical predictors of equine umbilical cord torsion and abortion

    Researchers at the RVC are leading a collaboration with colleagues at Cornell University, Rossdales Laboratories and Hagyard Equine Medical Institute to unravel the reason the umbilical cord twists excessively in mid-pregnancy and new ways to be able to detect the twisting prior to the pregnancy being aborted. Epidemiological modelling is being utilised to carry out evidence-based refinement of the current diagnostic criteria for UCT, allowing for more reliable comparison of distinct populations within the UK and overseas.

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