Alexander Trees, Baron Trees

British politician

The Right Honourable Professor

The Lord Trees

Official portrait, 2022

Chairman of the Moredun Research Institute

Incumbent

Assumed office
December 2011
Personal details
Born|  (1946-06-12) 12 June 1946 (age 79)
Alma mater| Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh
Occupation| Life peer, parasitology professor

Alexander John "Sandy" Trees, Baron Trees (born 12 June 1946) is a Professor of veterinary parasitology and a Crossbench member of the House of Lords.

## Early life

[edit]

Trees was born on 12 June 1946,[1] in Middlesbrough and spent his childhood in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire. He was educated at Brumby Junior School and then at Brigg Grammar School between 1957 and 1964.[2] In 1969, he graduated from Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh with a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVM&S) and therefore qualified as a vet.[3]

## Academic career

[edit]

Upon graduation, Trees undertook a research expedition to Kenya in 1969 to 1970. He then spent a year as a practising veterinarian in Derby, England.[1] This accumulated into completing a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) on bovine babesiosis. He joined the veterinary pharmaceuticals company Elanco in Rome, Italy.[3] He was veterinary advisor for the Middle East from 1977 to 1979, veterinary advisor for the Middle East, Turkey and Africa from 1979 to 1980, and finally Head of Animal Science in the Middle East and Africa in 1980.[1]

In 1980, he joined the University of Liverpool as a lecturer of veterinary parasitology.[3] He was Head of the Department of Veterinary Parasitology from 1992 to 2001. In 1994, he was made Professor of veterinary parasitology[1] and appointed Head of the Parasite and Vector Biology Division at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. He was Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool from 2001 to 2008. In 2011, he retired from the University.[4]

He was Vice-President of the European Veterinary Parasitology College from 2006 to 2009.[5] He was President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons from 2009 to 2010.[6] From 2011, he is a member of the Executive Committee of the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology.[4][7] He has been Chairman of the Moredun Research Institute[8] since December 2011.[9]

In March 2016 Trees was elected an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the RSE's highest class of Fellowship.[10]

## House of Lords

[edit]

On 3 July 2012, Trees was made a life peer as Baron Trees, of The Ross (a road[11] in Comrie in Perth and Kinross),[12] and was introduced in the House of Lords on 12 July 2012,[13] where he sits as a Crossbench, or independent, peer. He is only the second veterinary surgeon to become a member of the House of Lords, after Lord Soulsby of Swaffham Prior.[14]

Baron Trees made his maiden speech in the House of Lords in January 2013 on the Leveson debate.

## References

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1. ^ a b c d "The Lord Trees's". Debrett's. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
2. ^ "Former Scunthorpe and Brigg schoolboy to become Lord after distinguished academic career". This is Scunthorpe. 22 May 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2012.[permanent dead link]
3. ^ a b c "Life Peerage for Emeritus Professor". University of Liverpool. 17 May 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
4. ^ a b "Professor Lord Trees of The Ross". Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
5. ^ "Officers of the EVPC (2006–2009)" (PDF). European Veterinary Parasitology College. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
6. ^ "Past-Presidents". Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
7. ^ "Executive Committee 2011 to 2013". World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology. Archived from the original on 9 February 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
8. ^ "Moredun Research Institute". The Moredun Foundation. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
9. ^ "Moredun Foundation". Moredun Foundation. Archived from the original on 28 December 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
10. ^ "The Royal Society of Edinburgh | 2016 Elected Fellows". Archived from the original on 8 October 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
11. ^ Suburban street in west of village
12. ^ "No. 60201". The London Gazette. 6 July 2012. p. 13005.
13. ^ House of Lords Minutes of Proceedings of Thursday 12 July 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
14. ^ "Prof Sandy Trees ennobled". mrcvs.co.uk. 17 May 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2012.

## External links

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* Profile on Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons website
* University of Liverpool - Life Peerage for Emeritus Professor
* Moredun Research Institute - Professor Alexander (Sandy) Trees Archived 5 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
* Wirral News - Hoylake Professor Alexander Trees becomes second vet to be appointed to the House of Lords
* British Veterinary Association - BVA delighted at veterinary appointment to House of Lords
* Filaria-EU: Professor Alexander ("Sandy") J Trees BVM&S, PhD, MRCVS

Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom

Preceded by

The Lord O'Donnell

|  Gentlemen
Baron Trees | Followed by

The Lord Deighton

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

Academics|

* ORCID
* Scopus

People|

* UK Parliament