Rate My Professor Helen Keates

Dr. Helen Keates, BSc, DipEd, BVSc, PhD, MACVSc, served as Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Anaesthesia in the School of Veterinary Science at the University of Queensland, Gatton campus. Her career emphasized excellence in teaching and research within veterinary anaesthesia. In 2009, she received a University of Queensland citation honoring outstanding contributions to teaching. In 2012, Dr. Keates was awarded an Australian Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning for developing practice-ready veterinary graduates who master fundamental knowledge and principles of veterinary anaesthesia and apply them in novel, challenging clinical situations. The School of Veterinary Science perpetuates her teaching legacy through the annual Helen Keates Developing Teacher Award.

Dr. Keates supervised PhD theses such as 'Studies of alfaxalone in horses' and 'Occupational Stress & Compassion Fatigue: The effects on workers in the animal attendant industry.' Her research specializations include pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and clinical applications of anaesthetics in various species. Key publications comprise 'Alfaxalone compared with ketamine for induction of anaesthesia in alpacas' (Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia, 2012), 'Plasma pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of alfaxalone in alpacas' (Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia, 2012), 'Comparison of two formulations of alfaxalone for immersion anaesthesia in laboratory zebrafish (Danio rerio)' (Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia, 2022), and 'Anaesthetic practices and attitudes to patient safety in a sample of Australian and New Zealand veterinary anaesthetists' (Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia, 2024). She developed teaching resources including anaesthesia dose rates for cats and dogs (2013) and comprehensive anaesthesia notes (2015), and presented on using oral examinations to enhance clinical competence in fourth-year veterinary students.