Richard Lea is a Professor in Reproductive Biology at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science. He received his PhD from Sheffield Hallam University (1988) in Immunological Aspects of Implantation in the Horse after which he pursued his early post-doctoral studies at McMaster University, Canada on immunological mechanisms that underlie recurrent first trimester miscarriage. Further postdoctoral placements at the University of Edinburgh, enabled Richard to extend his work into endocrine and immune influences on human uterine cells after which he joined the Rowett Research Institute, Aberdeen, to focus on nutritional and environmental influences on foetal development. Richard joined Nottingham vet school as a Foundation Associate Professor in 2006.
Richard’s long-standing research interests focus on the effects of chemicals in the environment on mammalian fertility and reproductive health. To address this global problem his environmental work focusses on (1) pregnant sheep exposed to mixtures of chemicals representative of human ‘real-life’ exposure, (2) temporal trends in male fertility using the dog as a sentinel species for the human and (3) effects of environmental chemicals on human and dog reproductive function in both the male and female. Richard is the Chair of the School of Veterinary Medicine Ethical Review Committee and regularly reviews scientific work (grants, fellowships) for Research Charities and the European Commission. His mission is to heighten public and governmental awareness of the urgent need for worldwide strategies to improve and protect global reproductive health.
Outside of work he enjoys travelling, hiking, scuba diving, music and having a pint or two in the local or nearest pub!
