Dr Susan Sommerlad graduated as a Bachelor of Veterinary Science, from The University of Liverpool. After completing an intern year at the Small Animal Hospital, University of Liverpool, UK, and spending time in small animal practice in UK, she became a Lecturer in Small Animal Surgery and Medicine at the School of Veterinary Science, The University of Nairobi, Kenya. After moving to Australia, and working in small animal practice, Dr Sommerlad joined the School of Veterinary Science at The University of Queensland in 1990, as a Clinical Resident and Surgical Registrar, and then as a Lecturer in Small Animal Surgery until 2009. During this time she developed a keen interest in small animal soft tissue surgery, particularly of the ear nose and throat and also in surgical correction of portosystemic shunts and vascular surgery in the dog and cat. She founded an audiological testing service for congenital and acquired deafness in the dog and cat. She obtained a membership by examination of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists, in Small Animal Surgery. In 2013 Dr Sommerlad completed a PhD in Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland entitled " The Treatment of Acquired Conductive Deafness and Management of Congenital Hereditary Sensorineural Deafness in the Dog". She is now an Adjunct Research Fellow in the School of Veterinary Science, providing clinical audiological facilities combined with the promotion of further research into the genetic nature of Congenital Hereditary Sensorineural Deafness in the dog and the surgical treatment of Conductive Deafness in the dog.