Ian AshpoleClinician

Biography

Dr Ian Ashpole is a Veterinary Officer at Chester Zoo, holding the qualifications BVSc BSc (Hons) MRCVS and, since 2021, the Diploma of the European College of Zoological Medicine (Zoo Health Management). He completed an ECZM Residency in Zoo Health Management at Chester Zoo, beginning in October 2016, jointly funded by Chester Zoo and the University of Liverpool. Prior to his residency he undertook clinical work at zoos in South Africa, Singapore and Australia, and completed a one-year internship in Wildlife and Conservation Medicine at Tufts University, USA. In August 2026 he came to international press attention as the lead veterinary surgeon in what is believed to be the world-first use of electrochemotherapy — a cancer treatment developed for use in humans — to treat a snake, a reticulated python at Chester Zoo. His work has highlighted how treatments originating in human medicine can be adapted and translated to veterinary contexts.

References

1. 1.Dr Ian Ashpole – Chester Zoo staff biography — Establishes role title, qualifications (BVSc BSc (Hons) MRCVS), ECZM Residency (started October 2016), international zoo clinical experience, and MSc in Veterinary Professional Studies at University of Liverpool
2. 2.Our Council – British Veterinary Zoological Society — Confirms he became an ECZM Diplomate (Zoo Health Management) in 2021 and continues to work as Veterinary Officer at Chester Zoo
3. 3.World-first cancer treatment saves python after tumour destroys part of her jaw – Chester Zoo — Documents his role as lead vet in the world-first electrochemotherapy procedure on a snake, and his collaboration with University of Liverpool cancer specialists
4. 4.Jodie Foster the snake gets world-first cancer treatment at Chester Zoo – Blooloop — Independent press corroboration of his role title and the electrochemotherapy case, with direct quotes attributed to him
5. 5.

Expertise

Cited on

• Cancer

Stated areas of expertise

• Zoological medicine
• Zoo animal health management
• Wildlife conservation medicine
• Clinical veterinary surgery

Notable achievements

• Led what is believed to be the world-first use of electrochemotherapy in a snake, adapting the human cancer treatment to successfully treat a reticulated python at Chester Zoo (2026). Source ↗
• Became a Diplomate of the European College of Zoological Medicine (Zoo Health Management) in 2021 following completion of a Residency at Chester Zoo. Source ↗

What they’ve said

• “When the tumour came back and started destroying part of her jawbone, we knew more surgery on its own probably wasn't going to be enough. We were facing the possibility of losing her as the tumour made it more and more difficult for her to eat, so we worked with cancer specialists to see whether we could adapt electrochemotherapy for a snake.”

  Veterinary Officer at Chester Zoo · Cancer · 27 Aug 2026 · World's first cancer treatment saves python after tumour destroys part of her jaw ↗

• “When the tumour came back and started destroying part of her jawbone, we knew more surgery on its own probably wasn't going to be enough. We were facing the possibility of losing her as the tumour made it more and more difficult for her to eat, so we worked with cancer specialists to see whether we could adapt electrochemotherapy for a snake.”

  veterinary officer at Chester Zoo · Cancer · 27 Aug 2026 · Snake undergoes 'world-first' human cancer therapy ↗

Source references

1. World's first cancer treatment saves python after tumour destroys part of her jawchesterzoo.org · 27 Aug 2026
2. Snake undergoes 'world-first' human cancer therapybbc.com · 27 Aug 2026

Contact & links

• Staff pagehttps://www.chesterzoo.org/what-we-do/our-zoo/biographies/ian-ashpole/
• LinkedInhttps://uk.linkedin.com/in/ian-ashpole-92b89b38
• Websitehttps://www.chesterzoo.orgpublished here ↗

Organisational contact points only, each taken from a page the organisation publishes itself. No personal or direct contact details are held or shown.