SPEAKERS

Dr. David C. Twedt graduated from Iowa State University and entered an internship and medicine residency in gastroenterology at The Animal Medical Center in New York City.  Dr. Twedt then joined the staff of the Animal Medical Center and was also a research associate at the Liver Research Center of Albert Einstein Medical School.  Dr. Twedt is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences at Colorado State University in small animal internal medicine.  He is also currently the Associate Director of the Center for Global Education in Medicine and Surgery (GEMS) focused on endoscopic education at CSU. 

            Dr. Twedt is past President of the ACVIM and Comparative Gastroenterology Society. Publication and research interests include liver disease, gastrointestinal disease and endoscopy.  He has also been the recipient of a number of teaching and research awards.  He is also the co-editor of the textbook Current Veterinary Therapy 14 and 15 editions.

Dr. Debra Horwitz received her DVM from Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine and is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. She is a frequent lecturer in both North America and abroad on behavioral topics to veterinarians and pet owners and often featured on both television and radio and is a behavioral consultant on VIN.  Her newest Blackwell's Five-Minute Veterinary Consult Clinical Companion: Canine and Feline Behavior 2nd edition was published in January 2018.  She has authored and edited several books and book chapters including ISFM’s Feline Stress and Health (2016) and Feline Behavioral Health and Welfare (Rodan & Heath 2016). Her other books include the BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Behavioural Medicine 1st and 2nd  editions, and co-author of the Lifelearn Behavior Client Handouts. She is also the lead editor of a book for pet owners authored by diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists Decoding your Dog published in January 2014. She was president of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists 2006-2008.  In 2012 she received the Veterinarian of the Year by Ceva Animal Health and has been voted NAVC 2012 and NAVC 2014 Small Animal Speaker of the Year.

Dr. Marcellin-Little is a French-born veterinarian who graduated from the veterinary college of Toulouse in France. Dr. Marcellin-Little is a Diplomate of the American and European Colleges of Veterinary Surgeons and Charter Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation. He is a Professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of California, Davis. 

 Beyond orthopedics, Dr. Marcellin-Little has specific knowledge of animal physical therapy and rehabilitation. He is an adjunct clinical faculty member of the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga. He is actively involved in teaching and investigating this emerging field and is very interested in applying evidence-based medicine to the management of chronic orthopedic problems.

 Dr. Marcellin-Little has written approximately 120 articles – 100 of these are peer-reviewed research projects in the fields of joint replacement, circular external fixation, biomodeling, and biomanufacturing. 

Dr. Hulse graduated from Texas A&M in 1970 and completed his surgical training at Kansas State University in 1973. After becoming board-certified in 1977, Dr. Hulse worked as a staff surgeon at Louisiana State University and Oklahoma State University until 1984. For the past 30 years, he has served as a Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Texas A&M University.

Dr. Hulse is a recognized leader in veterinary orthopedics and is frequently an invited speaker at national and international veterinary conferences. He has developed techniques commonly used for treatment of bone and joint disorders in dogs and is a co-author of the industry-defining textbook, Small Animal Arthroscopy. His clinical research interests focus on minimally invasive surgery for joint disorders and for fracture treatment. Dr. Hulse has been performing surgery in the Austin area for over 10 years and is a partner at AVES.

Duana McBride graduate from the University of Sydney, Australia in 2004 with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science, where she developed an interest in Emergency and Critical Care Medicine. After several years in general practice and referral emergency practice, she endeavoured to pursue her dreams by undertaking a residency program at Murdoch University, Australia, which was completed in 2013. She obtained her diploma with the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care in 2013, alongside a Masters in Veterinary Medical Science (Murdoch University). Duana was appointed as a lecturer in Emergency and Critical Care Medicine at the Royal Veterinary College for 5 years, and now works in private referral practice. She has a strong passion in fluid therapy, coagulation, blood gas, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Dr. Mazzaferro is a graduate of Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, completing an internship at the Veterinary Institute of Trauma in Wisconsin. She completed a residency in Emergency-Critical Care at Colorado State University, where she also earned her PhD. She was board certified by the American College of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care in 2002. Dr. Mazzaferro was the Director of Emergency Services at a multispecialty practice in Colorado for 10 years before joining CUVS in 2012.

Dr. Mazzaferro is internationally renowned and a leader in her field. She is President of the American College of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care. She is also a prolific publisher, having authored four manuals as well as numerous chapters and manuscripts on a range of topics relating to Emergency and Critical Care Medicine. She lectures extensively nationally and internationally, having given presentations in more than 21 US states and 9 countries.

Internationally, Dr. Mazzaferro is recognized for her accomplishments as a lecturer and author. At CUVS, she is known for her upbeat, warm personality and unwavering positivity. She simultaneously conveys her tremendous experience and expertise with warmth and compassion – a combination that is reassuring and invaluable in the emergency setting.

Growing up with animals from a young age I always knew I wanted to be a vet – even from 6 years old! I spent a lot of my childhood on a beef cattle property and originally pictured myself making a career as a mixed practice vet. Graduating from JCU in 2014, I commenced working in mixed practice for 3 years in North Queensland before later feeling the need for my next challenge. This brought me back to JCU in 2018 where I commenced a medicine internship and found my passion for critical care, transferring into the Emergency and Critical Care department to commence life living on “the dark side.” I obtained my Memberships in ECC in 2019 and soon relocated to Brisbane to commence working at Animal Emergency Service. I love the fast-paced, busy environment working in Emergency and have a hunger for knowledge, constantly wanting to improve to deliver the best possible care for my patients. With the challenge of both complex medical and surgical cases, I officially live and breathe everything ECC. I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else!

Dr. Love graduated from the Glasgow Veterinary School and completed a residency in veterinary anesthesia at the University of Bristol. She became a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia in 2005 and holds the RCVS Diploma in Veterinary Anesthesia. Emma has been an academic member of staff at the University of Bristol since 2004 and completed a PhD, “Advances in the Objective Evaluation of Pain and Analgesic Efficacy in Horses”, in 2009. Her clinical and research interests include pain assessment and analgesia, and she is the Program Director for the BVSc Accelerated Graduate Entry Program.

Dr Eric Monnet graduated from veterinary school in Maisons Alfort, France in 1985. He worked for four years in a Paris private practice performing small animal medicine and surgery. In 1994, he completed a small animal surgery residency at Colorado State University and concurrently finished a Master of Sciences degree. In 1997, Dr. Monnet received his PhD in Clinical Sciences studying cardiac efficiency in dogs. In 2003, he became a fellow of the American Heart Association. Dr Monnet is currently a professor in small animal surgery (soft tissue) at CSU. He is a Diplomate of both the American and European College of Veterinary Surgeons. Also he was the founding president of the Society for Soft Tissue Surgery and the Veterinary Endoscopy Society. He is the editor of the first edition of Textbook ”Small Animal Soft Tissue Surgery” and a co-editor of the  second edition of  “Mechanism of Diseases in Small Animal Surgery” and the second edition of “Small Animal Thoracic Surgery”.

Dr. Erin Epperly is an Assistant Clinical Professor at Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine. She received her DVM from Colorado State University in 2007. After eight years in rural, mixed animal practice, she returned to academia to complete a diagnostic imaging residency at Cornell University. She was board certified as a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Radiologists in 2018.

Dr. Frederic Gaschen is a graduate of the University of Bern, Switzerland. After a few years in mixed practice, he trained as a veterinary internist in North America (Ontario Veterinary College, Canada, and University of Florida, USA). He is a specialist in small animal internal medicine and a Diplomate of both the American and the European Colleges of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVM and ECVIM-CA). After teaching for 15 years at his alma mater, he moved to Louisiana in 2006 where he is currently a professor and chief of small animal medicine at Louisiana State University. Frederic has a passion for the canine and feline gastroenterology. He has directed research and published on chronic enteropathies of the dog and digestive motility of dogs and cats. He loves to share his passion with his students at LSU and with colleagues at congresses worldwide. He has been involved in professional associations for many years. Currently, he is the Chair of the Scientific Program Committee for the annual Congresses of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA).

Freya Mowat received her veterinary degree from the University of Bristol School of Veterinary Medicine in the UK. She received her PhD. in Molecular Genetics from University College London in 2009, and was board certified in both the European and American Colleges of Veterinary Ophthalmologists in 2015 following residency  and post-doctoral training at Michigan State University. She is currently an Assistant Professor at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, splitting her time between research into animal and human retinal blindness, clinical ophthalmology and teaching in the DVM and graduate curricula. She has authored over 20 peer-reviewed publications and 3 book chapters, including Veterinary Ophthalmology, 6th edition

Gerardo completed his Bachelor of Veterinary Science at the University of Queensland in 2008, graduating with first-class honours and being awarded year valedictorian. He moved on to spend 3 years in small animal practice, transitioning into emergency and critical care with the Animal Emergency Service, where he is now an AES veterinary director.

In 2012 Gerardo achieved Membership with the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists in Emergency and Critical Care and for 3 years held position of head Membership examiner for ECC. He also completed his Masters of Veterinary Studies in Small Animal Practice through Murdoch University.

Gerado’s interest in teaching saw him move into a clinical training role with AES, so he could help vets transition into emergency practice. He became the coordinator of the AES Internship Program and in collaboration with the clinical training team, the AES Accelerated Emergency Program was developed.

Gerardo continues to have a strong interest in the management of critically ill patients, diagnostic imaging and emergency surgery and he works with Improve International Australia as the AEP curriculum developer and advisor.

Graham is currently the head of the Exotic Pet Department at OnlyVet (Lyon, FR) and a part-time consultant at the National Veterinary School of Lyon (Lyon, FR) where he offers first opinion and referral services for all exotic pets. He graduated from the National Veterinary School of Lyon in 2013. After an internship in zoological medicine at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Université de Montréal (Saint-Hyacinthe, CA), he performed a three-year zoological medicine residency at the Fregis Veterinary Hospital Center (Paris, FR). He became a diplomate of the European College of Zoological Medicine (Avian) in 2020. He is a happy member of the Association of Avian Veterinarians and lectures both nationally and internationally.

Guillaume graduated from the Veterinary School of Toulouse; France where he attained his DEDV degree (with Thesis) in 1998. Guillaume is a Specialist Soft tissue Surgeon with extensive experience in under- and postgraduate teaching and assessment. He leads and participates to numerous surgery courses internationally. In a teaching environment, Guillaume really enjoys the pleasure of sharing information and confronting ideas to maximize engagement. He has received many accolades for his work as a teacher, researcher and clinician. Guillaume also serves as an Associate Editor (soft tissue surgery) for the journal Veterinary Surgery.

Hannes graduated from the UVM Vienna in 2001 and completed an internship at the Small Animal Hospital of the School of Veterinary Medicine Hannover. Following research in perioperative pain therapy he achieved his Doctorate degree in 2003. After one year in small animal practice he started a three year residency in Small Animal Surgery at the University of Berne. Hannes has worked in multidisciplinary referral hospitals in the UK since 2007 and became a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2008 and is also an RCVS recognised Specialist in Small Animal Surgery. He has established his independent "Oxford Veterinary Specialists" referral service in 2016. Hannes is surgery course director for Improve International and the editor of the Improve Surgery Textbook.

Dr. Heather M. Wilson-Robles received her DVM from the University of Tennessee. Dr. Wilson-Robles then completed a small animal rotating internship at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center and a residency in medical oncology at the University of Wisconsin. She is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in the specialty of oncology. Her research and clinical interests include cancer stem cells, osteosarcoma, and clinical trials.

Dr. Heidi Radke is a European and Royal College Specialist in Small Animal Surgery (Orthopedics)

Dr. Radke has studied and worked at a variety of universities in Munich, Zurich, Georgia, Texas and Bern before joining Cambridge University in 2006, where she is currently a Senior Lecturer in Small Animal Surgery.
She runs a busy referral, resident and student teaching clinic in small animal orthopedics at the University’s Queen’s Veterinary School Hospital.

Her clinical responsibilities include all aspects of orthopedics in dogs and cats. She is particularly interested in joint surgery including minimally invasive techniques like arthroscopy and management of complicated trauma and angular limb deformity cases.

Her research interests include decision making in canine elbow dysplasia and assessment of outcomes after small animal orthopedic procedures.

Dr. Heidi Radke is a European and Royal College Specialist in Small Animal Surgery (Orthopedics)

Dr. Radke has studied and worked at a variety of universities in Munich, Zurich, Georgia, Texas and Bern before joining Cambridge University in 2006, where she is currently a Senior Lecturer in Small Animal Surgery.
She runs a busy referral, resident and student teaching clinic in small animal orthopedics at the University’s Queen’s Veterinary School Hospital.

Her clinical responsibilities include all aspects of orthopedics in dogs and cats. She is particularly interested in joint surgery including minimally invasive techniques like arthroscopy and management of complicated trauma and angular limb deformity cases.

Her research interests include decision making in canine elbow dysplasia and assessment of outcomes after small animal orthopedic procedures.

Dr. Seim is a Professor of Small Animal Surgery, Colorado State University. He is a graduate of Washington State University. He did his internship at Saskatoon, Canada, residency at the Animal Medical Center in New York City and has been teaching small animal surgery at Colorado State University for 30 years. He was Chief of the Small Animal Surgery section at Colorado State University from 1992 to 2002.

Graduated from Oklahoma State University in 1992 and spent one year working in feedlot medicine near Dodge City Kansas (loved the cows and the people but not the hours or the reconstructive surgery).  Joined Army in 1993 and spent the next 5 years in clinical Army practices in both Missouri and Germany.  In 1998 selected for a 3 year residency in Veterinary Pathology at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington DC.  Spent 4 additional years in Maryland serving at the Institute of Chemical Defense, moved to San Antonio in 2005 and served 6 years at the Institute of Surgical Research and continued to serve in San Antonio at the Tri Service Research Laboratory until retirement in 2013.  In 2007 started Texas Veterinary Pathology as a local San Antonio alternative for histology, cytology and necropsy services.

Dr. Grierson graduated from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) and spent a few years in general practice before completing an internship and then a three-year residency in Small Animal Surgery at the Queen Mother Hospital, RVC. During this time he obtained the RCVS Certificates in Veterinary Radiology and Small Animal Surgery. James was a lecturer in Orthopaedic Surgery at the RVC before moving to Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists as an Orthopaedic Surgeon in 2010. James is an ECVS Diplomate and Recognised European Specialist in Small Animal Surgery as well as being recognized by the RCVS as a Specialist in Small Animal Surgery. In 2010 James obtained the Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education from the University of Bedfordshire and he is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. In 2019 James was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons for meritorious contributions to clinical practice. Fellowship is the highest status of membership of the College and is awarded for outstanding contributions to the veterinary profession.

James is interested in the full range of musculo­skeletal and rheumatological conditions from acute trauma to elective surgery as well as the investigation and treatment of joint conditions. He has more specific interests in the role of physiotherapy in patient care, infection control and canine elbow disease (including elbow joint replacement) and feline orthopedics. James is one of only a few specialist surgeons certified to perform canine total elbow replacement in the UK.

James continues to contribute to the profession through the provision of CPD courses, lectures, research projects and papers. James is an active member and course Chair for AOVET, an independent nonprofit organization that represents a global network of surgeons, scientists, and other professionals highly specialized in veterinary surgery of the musculoskeletal system.

James graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2010 with degrees in pathology and veterinary medicine.  Over the last four years, completed advanced clinical training at the Royal Veterinary College (University of London), receiving the diplomas of the American and European Colleges of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2016.  During this time, Dr.Swann also investigated the autoimmune response of dogs with immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia (IMHA); He received an International Canine Health Award from the Kennel Club Charitable Trust for this work in 2015.

Jane graduated from the University of Cambridge and completed a residency at the Royal Veterinary College after working in a busy general practice in London. She became a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Surgery in 2002. She moved to the University of Cambridge in 2006 and was a Senior Lecturer in Soft Tissue Surgery until 2019 when she moved to the Animal Health Trust as Head of surgery. Jane’s main area of clinical research is brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, the objective assessment of airway function in these dogs and the development of effective surgical strategies for them. In February 2019 the Kennel Club and University of Cambridge launched a Respiratory Grading Scheme to improve the assessment of brachycephalic dogs in the UK and to provide some breeding guidelines.

Main titles:

• Bachelor in Veterinary Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (1993).
• PhD, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (2007).
• Diplomate, ECAWBM (European College of Animal Welfare and Behavioural Medicine), Behavioural Medicine.
• European Certified Veterinary Specialist in Behavioural Medicine (2005).
• Certified in Behavioural Medicine by AVEPA (Association of Spanish Specialist Veterinarians of Small Animals).

Main activity:

• Director, Chair Fundación Affinity Animals & Health at the Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine (UAB).
• Assistant professor of psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, and Forensic Medicine (UAB).
• Director of Ethogroup, Institute of Clinical Ethology (2009).
• Head of the department of behavioral medicine, Hospital Ars Veterinaria – Barcelona (2011).
• Co-director, Ethometrix Ltd.
• Invited professor at the universities of Pisa, Odisee, and Girona.

Dr. Jeanne Budgin recently joined the staff of Riverdale Veterinary Dermatology in 2016. Prior to this, she established and directed the Dermatology and Allergy Service at the Animal Specialty Center in Yonkers, NY.

Dr. Budgin received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Iowa State University in 1999 and spent two years in private general practice in New Jersey. In 2002, she completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the University of Pennsylvania and was awarded a post-doctoral fellowship in immunodermatology through the school of medicine, where she pursued research in human and animal skin cancer. Dr. Budgin completed her residency training in veterinary dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania and received Diplomate status in 2005.

Her primary areas of interest include feline dermatology, diet and nutrition in the management of allergic skin disease, treatment of drug resistant infections and immune-mediated skin diseases. Dr. Budgin has published articles pertaining to veterinary dermatology in various journals and has presented at conferences throughout the world.

She is the former treasurer, vice president and president of the American Academy of Veterinary Dermatology (AAVD). She is the current chair of the organizing committee of the North American Veterinary Dermatology Forum and was recently appointed as the AAVD representative to the World Association of Veterinary Dermatology (WAVD) and contributes to the education and website committees of the WAVD. Dr. Budgin also recently joined the Ethics and Professional Development board of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology. In addition, she is actively involved with the Global Veterinary Dermatology Education Group, which provides education in veterinary dermatology to underserved areas of the world.

Dr. Budgin’s hobbies include photography, gardening, cooking, yoga and spending time outdoors.

Dr. Jenelle Sharpley received her DVM degree from Colorado State University in 2006.  She completed a small animal rotating internship at the University of Illinois, worked as an emergency veterinarian in Denver for a year, and then competed a diagnostic imaging internship in Los Angeles.  She then returned to Colorado State University for a combined residency and master’s degree program in Diagnostic Imaging.  She became a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Radiology in 2012.  Since that time, Dr. Sharpley has been a mobile radiologist in Colorado, radiologist in a private specialty hospital in Seattle and is currently working in teleradiology.  Ultrasound is her passion and is excited to have the opportunity to teach.

Jennifer is a graduate of the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph.  She completed an internship and an emergency and critical care residency at the Animal Emergency Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care in 1996. She completed a surgical residency in 2004 studying at several private practices in the USA. Jennifer has been director of emergency and intensive care services at a number of large private referral practices in Canada and the United States. She is currently working as an independent consultant and emergency and critical care specialist. She has published over 50 articles and book chapters, is actively involved in research, and is a member of seven professional veterinary organizations around the world. Jennifer enjoys teaching and is actively involved in training residents as well as lecturing and teaching workshops to nurses and doctors.

Dr. Jessica Vallone received both her DVM and MS degrees from Mississippi State University, pursued a small animal rotating internship at VCA Veterinary Referral Associates, and spent 3 years as an emergency veterinarian before completing her diagnostic imaging residency at Texas A&M University.  She is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor in the diagnostic imaging service at Texas A&M University.  

Dr. Jessica Ward  obtained her DVM degree from North Carolina State University in 2011.  After a small animal rotating internship at the Ohio State University, she returned to NC State for her residency in Cardiology. Dr. Ward completed her residency and became ACVIM board-certified in Cardiology in 2015. She was subsequently hired as an Assistant Professor of Cardiology at Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Ward has authored a number of manuscripts and scientific proceedings, and is an editor of the Cardiovascular Diseases section of the 6th edition of Nelson & Couto's "Small Animal Internal Medicine."  Her research interests include the use of lung ultrasound for the emergency diagnosis of congestive heart failure, the cardiovascular effects of glucocorticoids, and the scholarship of teaching and learning.  Dr. Ward has also given invited lectures in the United States and China, and recently received the Iowa State College of Veterinary Medicine Award for Early Achievement in Teaching. 

Joana qualified from Porto University in 2009. Following a year in clinical practice she joined the Queen's Veterinary School Hospital, Cambridge as Junior Clinical Training Scholar. After a few years working at Stone Lion Veterinary Hospital in London she underwent her residency training in Small Animal Internal Medicine at the Royal Veterinary College. Here she gained her Master of Veterinary Medicine in 2017 and obtained specialist recognition from the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) and from the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ECVIM) in Small Animal Internal Medicine. She is currently studying for her PhD at the Royal Veterinary College. 

Dr. Westropp is the director of the G. V. Ling Urinary Stone Analysis Laboratory. She did her undergraduate work at The Ohio State University and stayed at Ohio State to complete her veterinary degree in 1997. She then moved NYC for a one year internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the Animal Medical Center and returned to Ohio for her internal medicine residency and PhD. She was board certified in veterinary medicine in 2001 and completed her PhD in 2004. She is currently an associate professor in the Department of Medicine and Epidemiology at the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Her primary research focus is lower urinary tract disorders in dogs and cats. 

Dr. John Ciribassi is a native of Jersey City, NJ. He attended Southern Illinois University and received his undergraduate degree and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree from the University of Illinois in 1984. He works for the Chicagoland Veterinary Behavior Consultants (CVBC) and Dr. Fiia Jokela. He received his board specialization from the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists in 2006. When not working he enjoys off road motorcycle riding, camping and seeing as much of the world that he can.

Dr. Bell graduated from the University of Edinburgh R(D)SVS in 1997. After four years in small animal first opinion practice he went to work at Croft Veterinary Referrals in the northeast of England. While there he obtained his Certificate in Small Animal Surgery in 2003 and completed his ECVS residency in 2007. He became an ECVS diplomate in 2009.

Johnathan currently works at Swift Referrals and accepts referrals in soft tissue, orthopedic and spinal surgery.