Graduated in Veterinary Medicine (1985), he was appointed a tenure-track position teaching anatomy at the Universidad de Zaragoza (Spain) and obtained his PhD (1988), with cum laude, with a thesis on the pineal gland of the chick embryo. After a post-doc research at the Universities of Reading (UK) and Guelph (Canada), and being a visiting professor at the Veterinary School of Glasgow (Scotland), he was appointed as professor titular / senior lecturer / associate professor of veterinary anatomy (1992) at the Veterinary Faculty of the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona (UAB). He is a member of the American Association of Veterinary Anatomists (AAVA) and an invited neuroanatomy lecturer in courses and seminars national and international.
He has published several articles and books, being the latest “Neuroanatomy of the dog” by Linus Learning, NY (2022), and a website that he keeps constantly updated:
www.neuroanatomyofthedog.com

Degree in Veterinary Medicine with Honours in 1987. From 1993 to 1995 attended a non Conforming Residency Program in Neurology at the University of Berne, institute of Animal Neurology, and obtained the Diplomate status in Veterinary Neurology (ECVN) in Liege (Belgium) in September 1995. Presently he is responsible for the Neurology referral service at Valdinievole Veterinary Clinic, Pistoia, Italy. Past-president of the European Society of Veterinary Neurology(ESVN), President of the Italian Society of Veterinary Neurology (SINVET). Past President of The Italian Society for Companion Animal (SCIVAC). Author of publications concerning small animal neurology, he presented more than one hundred neurology lectures at national and international meetings. Special interests: Advanced Neuroimaging, Neurosurgery.

Dr. Elsa Beltran received her veterinary degree from the University Cardenal Herrera Ceu, Valencia, Spain, in 2002, following which she spent two years in general practice before undertaking a general internship at University of Barcelona, Spain. Dr. Beltran completed a neurology internship in 2006 followed by a residency in neurology and neurosurgery at the Animal Health Trust, United Kingdom.

Dr Beltran obtained the Diploma of the European College of Veterinary Neurology in 2011 and afterwards she spent 4 years as Senior Clinician at the same institution. In 2014, she joined the Royal Veterinary College, University of London where she is currently working as Associate Professor in Neurology-Neurosurgery. She also works as teleconsultant in veterinary neurology at VETCT. She is interested in all aspects of veterinary neurology and neurosurgery, but has a particular interest in neuro-ophthalmology, neuroimaging and neurosurgery. Dr Beltran has a passion for learning on Veterinary Education and she obtained the postgraduate Diploma in Veterinary Education in April 2019 and becoming a fellow of the higher education academy. She was awarded with the WSAVA speaker of the year in 2020. Dr. Beltran is co-editor of the 5th Edition of the BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Neurology

After graduating from the University of Parma (Italy) in 1997, Ezio spent two years in general practice. In 2000 he returned to academia where he received a research grant for a study on electrodiagnostic testing in neurological disorders and started working as a junior neurologist at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the University of Parma.
In 2012 he started a three-year ECVN accredited residency in Neurology/Neurosurgery at the University of Bologna. He successfully passed the European College of Veterinary Neurology (ECVN) diploma examination in 2015.
He is currently an Associate Professor at the Department of Veterinary Science at the University of Parma. In addition to teaching and research, Ezio is involved in clinical activities as Chief Neurologist of the Neurology/Neurosurgery Service of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

Awards and Honors - 33

• 14 Teaching Awards
  Selected awards

• Pfizer (Norden) Distinguished Veterinary Teacher Award (highest college teaching award in the United States). College of Veterinary Medicine, Ohio State University – 2011
• Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award – College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University – 2013 and 2016
• Best Speaker Award – International Congress Montenegro Veterinary Hospital. Porto, Portugal. 2020
• 19 Academic and Research Awards

Selected award

• 2023 – Veterinarian of the Year Award – Brazilian Small Animal Veterinary Association
• Advisor to Resident and Veterinary students research award recipients
  • 11 awards - Drs. K. Foss, P. Martin-Vaquero, J. Armstrong, M. Provencher, D. Vansteenkiste

Education

• DMV – Federal University of Paraná, Brazil
• Master’s in Surgery – Federal University of Santa Maria, Brazil
• Residency in Neurology and Neurosurgery, Ontario Veterinary College, Canada
• PhD in Neurosciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College (OVC), Canada

Publications and Research

• Co-editor – Dewey and da Costa, Practical Guide to Canine and Feline Neurology, 3^rd Ed, Wiley, 2016.
• Neurology Section Editor – Ettinger, Feldman & Cote, Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 8^th Ed, 2017, 9^th Ed, 2024
• Neurology Section Editor – Bonagura & Scansen, Kirk’s Current Veterinary Therapy, 2024
• Editor - Veterinary Clinics of North America on Spinal Diseases published in 2010.
• > 30 book chapters in textbooks like the Ettinger & Feldman; Tobias & Johnston; Mai; Tilley and Smith; Platt & Garosi; Bonagura & Twedt and others.
• >90 manuscripts published, >40 on cervical spondylomyelopathy.

Louise is a European and Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons recognised Specialist in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia. She was awarded her Diploma in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia in 2003 following a residency at the University of Edinburgh R(D)SVS. She was then part of a large Anaesthesia/critical care team at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket before moving to Davies Veterinary Specialists in Hertfordshire to Head the Anaesthesia team in 2007. In 2014 Louise was awarded an MSc (Distinction) in the Clinical Management of Pain from Edinburgh University. She is Past President of the Pain Medicine Section Council at the Royal Society of Medicine and has been an invited examiner on the European Diploma examination. She is currently Junior Vice President of the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists.
She is involved with charitable work in the developing world to improve the welfare and management of dogs undergoing anaesthesia in resource poor settings, "an opportunity to make a lot of difference to a large number of animals".

Dr. Cohen is founder and radiologist of Dragonfly Imaging, a teleradiology and mobile sonography company, and Adjunct Professor (formerly Clinical Professor) at NC State University. Prior to NC State he was a senior lecturer in diagnostic imaging at Massey University in New Zealand, and did his residency training at the University of Georgia. Dr. Cohen interprets all diagnostic imaging modalities, with special interest in exotic animal and cross-sectional imaging (CT/MRI). He is particularly interested in how our human biology affects learning and predisposes us to medical errors, and the methods we can employ to reduce those errors to better help our patients. Eyeing the future, he has become a voice in regards to artificial intelligence, and how it can be ethically deployed in veterinary medicine. Some of his research and conservation efforts in the Galapagos Islands have recently been featured on the PBS series Evolution Earth.

1991 graduated in Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Turin, Italy (UNITO); 1995 PhD in Epizoology, Epidemiology and Chemotherapy of Parasitic Diseases, UNITO; 1996-2007 Assistant Professor, Clinical Section, UNITO; 2001-2007 non-conforming residency program in Veterinary Neurology supervised by Prof. A Jaggy, DECVN and Prof. G Gandini, DECVN (36 weeks spent, in non - contiguous blocks, at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Bern; 3 weeks spent at the Easter Bush Veterinary Centre (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh supervised by Prof. J Mayhew, DECVN; 3 weeks spent at the Animal Health Trust, Newmarket supervised by doctor L De Risio, DECVN); 2007 Associate Professor, Clinical Section, UNITO; 2007 has been awarded the Diploma European College of Bovine Health Management; 2008 has been awarded the Diploma European College of Veterinary Neurology; 2017 Full Professor, Dep. of Vet. Science – Clinical Section, UNITO; 2018 – present, Vice Dean of the Department and Chairperson of the Research Committee, Dep. of Vet. Science - UNITO. Invited speaker at many national/international congresses, seminars, and educative courses. Author of more than 100 scientific publications [78 on international peer - reviewed Journals with IF]

Peter Dickinson graduated from Liverpool University Veterinary School in 1989. Following 1 year in mixed general practice he completed a 2-year surgery/anaesthesia internship at Glasgow University Veterinary School. He received his PhD in developmental neuroscience in 1995, also at Glasgow University, before completing a Neurology/Neurosurgery residency at the University of California, Davis in 2000. He is currently Professor of Neurology/Neurosurgery at UC Davis Veterinary School and is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Medicine (Neurology). His primary research interest has been in the field of neurooncology with a focus on molecular genetic characterization of brain tumors and translational therapeutics.

Cristian graduated in 2001 from the Veterinary School of Perugia, Italy. He worked as a general practitioner in private practices and within the surgery department of Perugia Veterinary School, until 2003. From 2004 to 2007 he completed a residency in Neurology and Neurosurgery in Valdinievole Veterinary Clinic, Italy. He spent most of the 2006 abroad in continuing education. In September 2007 Cristian was awarded the Diploma of the European College of Veterinary Neurology. He remained at Valdinievole Clinic until the beginning of 2010 and he then joined Davies Veterinary Specialists till the beginning of 2012. At the moment he is the head of neurology and neurosurgery department at Diagnostica Piccoli Animali in Zugliano (VI) and at Vet-Rad Firenze (FI). He is author of national and international papers; he is the senior president of the Italian Society of Veterinary Neurology (SINVet), senior member of the examination committee of the European Society of Veterinary Neurology (ESVN) and secretary of Italian society of veterinary of companion animals (SCIVAC). His major professional fields of interest are spinal and brain surgery and neuro-imaging with particular emphasis on MRI.

Dr. Silke Hecht received her veterinary degree in 1998 and her Doctorate (Dr. med. vet.) in 2001 both from Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, Germany. She completed her residency in Diagnostic Imaging at Tufts University in 2005. She is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Radiology (ACVR) and the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging (ECVDI).
Dr. Hecht has been with the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine since 2005 and is currently a professor of Radiology. She is also a consultant for VetCT. Her areas of interest include MRI, neuroimaging and oncologic imaging. She has more than 100 peer reviewed publications, has written more than 25 book chapters, and is the Editor of a Textbook on Veterinary Radiology.

Fiona James is an American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Diplomate in Neurology on the faculty of the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC), University of Guelph. With undergraduate training (Hons BSc) in Biology and Physics with a Maths minor, she studied Neuroscience (MSc) at the University of Western Ontario before her professional veterinary degree (DVM) at the OVC. After an internship in Michigan, she returned to the OVC for both her residency training and a Doctor of Veterinary Science degree focussed on canine electroencephalography (EEG). Subsequently, she worked as a veterinary neurology specialist in private practices in Ontario and the U.S before joining the OVC faculty in 2011. Dr. James' research program focusses on comparative epilepsy, primarily using EEG, along with translational genetics of neurologic disease, neuroimaging, and 3D medical modelling. Her specific goals are optimizing the canine EEG technique and using EEG in the phenotypic definition of canine epilepsies to investigate their causes and to improve their treatment.
Her Comparative Epilepsy Program has been supported by funds from the Morris Animal Foundation, the American Kennel Club, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the OVC Pet Trust Fund.

EDUCATION:

• 1995-1999: BA, University of Pennsylvania
• 1999-2003: DVM, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine

POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING and FELLOWSHIP APPOINTMENTS:

• 2003-2004: Internship in Equine Medicine and Surgery B.W. Furlong & Associates, Equine Veterinary Hospital, Oldwick, NJ
• 2004-2007: Residency in Large Animal Internal Medicine Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, NY
• 2007-2011: Residency in Neurology University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, PA

NON-FACULTY PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS:

• 2007-2011: Lecturer in Large Animal Medicine University of Pennsylvania, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, PA

FACULTY APPOINTMENTS:

• 2011-2019: Assistant Professor (CE) of Large Animal Medicine and Neurology University of Pennsylvania, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, PA
• 2019-2022: Associate Professor (CE) of Large Animal Medicine and Neurology University of Pennsylvania, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, PA
• 2022-present: Marilyn M. Simpson Associate Professor of Equine Medicine University of Pennsylvania, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, PA

HOSPITAL and DEPARTMENT ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENTS:

• 2019-present: Section Chief, Internal Medicine and Ophthalmology

Fraser McConnell qualified from the University of Edinburgh in 1993 then worked in mixed practice for 6 years. He has worked as a veterinary radiologist for the last 25 years, initially at Cambridge Veterinary School and then at the Animal Health Trust. During the 6 years he spent at the AHT he developed an interest in MRI and neuroimaging. Fraser became a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging in 2003 and is a RCVS/European specialist in veterinary diagnostic imaging and Fellow of the RCVS. In 2006 he became head of diagnostic imaging at the Small Animal Teaching Hospital of the University of Liverpool. His clinical and research interests are all aspects of small animal MRI and neuroimaging. Fraser has over 70 peer-reviewed publications, predominately in MRI and has authored multiple book chapters on the subject.

Dr. Karen Muñana received her undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley, and attended veterinary school at the University of California at Davis. She went on to complete a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Kansas State University and a residency training program in Neurology and Neurosurgery at Colorado State University. She then joined the faculty of North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, where she currently holds the rank of Professor of Neurology. She is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, subspecialty of Neurology. Dr. Muñana has authored over 100 papers and book chapters on topics pertaining to veterinary neurology and has been an invited speaker at national and international veterinary meetings. She is the co-editor of the veterinary textbook “A practical guide to seizure disorders in dogs and cats”. Dr. Muñana’s research interest is canine epilepsy, with a focus on performing clinical trials to evaluate the effectiveness of novel anti-seizure therapies and understand why some dogs respond poorly to treatment.

Dr. Dennis O’Brien is Professor Emeritus in Comparative Neurology at the University of Missouri, College of Veterinary Medicine and Adjunct Professor at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. He received his DVM degree from the University of Illinois. After 3 years in general practice, he returned to the University of Illinois to complete a residency in neurology and a PhD in neuroscience. He then joined the faculty at the University of Missouri, where he directed the clinical Neurology & Neurosurgery service in the Veterinary Health Center and the Comparative Neurology Research Program. He is board certified in neurology by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and the recipient of their Kirk Award for Professional Excellence. He has over 100 scientific publications on his research into hereditary and acquired diseases of the nervous system including epilepsy, movement disorders, developmental disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. O’Brien received the MU College of Veterinary Medicine’s George Dadd Award for excellence in teaching. He has trained over 40 residents and served on 10 doctoral committees.

Anna Oevermann is a veterinarian, graduated from the University of Giessen, Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Pathology and Professor of Veterinary Neuropathology at the Division of Neurological Sciences (https://www.neurologicalsciences.ch/en/), University of Bern, which she joined in 2006. Her professional passion is to advance and to teach diagnostic neuropathology in animals and to study the pathomechanisms of neurolisteriosis and tailor-made Listeria monocytogenes-based vaccines with her research group, which is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation and various private agencies and published in a number of peer-reviewed papers. She is (co-)author of more than 140 scientific publications and several book chapters. When she is not in the lab, she enjoys listening to music and spending time outdoors with her family and her dog.

Natasha Olby completed her veterinary degree at Cambridge University in the UK in 1991. After a brief period spent in mixed general practice, she returned to Cambridge University to complete a PhD and post-doctoral in spinal cord injury and a surgical training. Following completion of her PhD and post-doctoral research, she moved to North Carolina State University to do a neurology and neurosurgery residency and she has stayed on the faculty at NCSU. She is currently a Professor of Neurology/Neurosurgery and holds the Dr. Kady M. Gjessing and Rhanna M. Davidson Distinguished Chair in Gerontology. She is a past president of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Neurology specialty and has published over 200 scientific papers, as well as more than 35 book chapters. She is co-editor of the BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Neurology. Her research interests are spinal cord injury, neuropathic pain in Chiari like Malformations and neurodegenerative diseases. She has long had an interest in aging of the nervous system, a process that is magnified in neurodegenerative diseases, and she now runs the Canine Neuro-Aging Program. In all fields, her research uses clinical cases to generate translational data and she focuses on training future clinician scientists.

Division of Radiation Oncology
Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich
Winterthurerstrasse 260
CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
++41 44 635 8487
crohrer@vetclinics.uzh.ch

DACVR-RO – since 2003
DipECVDI add Rad Oncol – since 2011
Master of Applied Ethics, ASAE since 2015

Since 03/2007 Head of Oncology Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich (Leitende Ärztin)
Since 08/2015 Head of Oncology: Professor for Radiation Oncology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University
of Zurich Since 08/2021 Head of Department Small Animal Clinic, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich

• Leading group of radiation oncologists, medical oncologists as well as radiation biologists providing clinical treatments as well as clinical and basic research.
• Only Faculty in Europe that is approved to provide a residency training program in radiation
  oncology under the ACVR
• Interrelation of tumor microenvironment and immune system with various forms of anticancer therapy, especially different radiation fractionation schedules
• DNA damage and –repair after ionizing radiation
• Treatment planning in animal cancer therapy, especially tumors of the nervous system and nasosinal neoplasia

Dr. Federica Rossi graduated from the University of Bologna with with honors in 1993 and received the “Rotary Degree Award” for the best academic curriculum. She specialized at the Italian School of Veterinary Radiology in 1997 and obtained the ECVDI Diploma in 2003. Since 2003 she has been working in her Referral Center in Diagnostic Imaging (Sasso Marconi, Bologna) and is one of the founders of the first Italian Veterinary Radiotherapy Centre (COV). In 2014, Federica Rossi received the carrier award “Fortunato Rao” from the Veterinarian Italian Council. She was invited Lecture at different international Institutions (Pennsylvania Veterinary Faculty, Universities of Bern (CH) and Murdoch (WA), Pisa, Torino and Teramo (Italy). In 2017, she obtained the Academic Professorship Habilitation. She is intensively involved in continuing education activities in Italy and Europe. She published more than 50 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals and did contribution to several radiology, ultrasound and CT books. She was EAVDI and SCIVAC President and served the ECVDI college as board member and EBVS as representative for the ECVDI college.

Clare is a Professor in Veterinary Neurology at University of Surrey and Senior Neurologist at Wear Referrals. Her experience with painful and distressing inherited disease drives her research to improve diagnose, treatment and prevention of these conditions. She has spent over 25 years researching Chiari malformation, syringomyelia and maladaptive pain and has authored or co-authored over 160 scientific articles and book chapters including a textbook on human syringomyelia. She is a trustee for the Dog Breeding Reform Group and Patron of Cavalier Matters charity.

Frank Steffen is head of the section of neurology/neurosurgery at the Vetsuisse faculty of the University of Zurich, Switzerland.
Frank graduated at the University of Bern in 1991, followed by a residency in neurology at the Institute for Animal Neurology, University of Bern. After receiving the diploma of the European College of Veterinary Neurology in 1995, he worked as consultant for neurology/neurosurgery in referral centres in Switzerland until he returned to academia. As a faculty member of the Vetsuisse faculty, Frank is responsible for teaching students and training of ECVN residents.
Frank’s research interests include diseases of the spine and spinal cord, neurosurgical procedures and regenerative strategies for degenerative disc disease with a focus on degenerative lumbosacral stenosis. His publication list entails > 90 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters.

I graduated from University of Melbourne, in 1983, completed a small animal medical and surgical neurology residency at North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine, USA, and a PhD in neuroscience at University of Glasgow, UK. I am a Diplomate of both the American and European Veterinary Colleges of Neurology. I’ve worked at Melbourne, Glasgow, and Massey Universities, and latterly, in the Veterinary Medicine Department at University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Along with my colleague, Dr. Caroline Hahn, we’ve distilled decades of study and teaching about clinical neuroanatomy and neurological localization into ‘Veterinary Neuroanatomy: a clinical Approach (Elsevier 2012).
At the end of 2019, I swapped Alaska’s -40 deg C for +30 deg C here in Queensland and am now working in private referral practice at Animal Referral Hospital Brisbane. Am now swimming in warm surf, rather than skiing through a frozen wilderness.

1977 - 1983: Studies in Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
1983 - 1986: Graduate student at the Departments of Internal Medicine and of Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
1986: Degree of Dr.med.vet.
1994: Diplomate of the ECVN (European College of Veterinary Neurology).
1994: Habilitation, University of Bern (Degree PD)
1999: Professor for Veterinary Neurology, Dept. Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, Hannover, Germany.
Since 2002: Vicepresident for Teaching, University of Vet.Med. Hannover, Germany.

Special interests: Research in inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system, clinical
neurology.

Teaching: Lectures and classes in veterinary neurology – undergraduate students; Resident program ECVN ; Supervisor of PhD students and of thesis students.
Publications: More than 340 publications (clinical sciences, veterinary medical education)
Malleus Aureus Award, ECVN 2019

Marc Vandevelde graduated as Dr. med. vet. at the university of Gent, Belgium in 1971. He received post-graduate training in comparative neuropathology and neurology in Belgium, Switzerland and the US until 1979. In 1985 he became a full professor and head of the institute of comparative neurology at this university. He was the first president of the European society for veterinary neurology in 1987 and diplomate of the respective college in 1995. He taught neurology and neuropathology to undergraduate and postgraduate students and provided neuropathological service for the clinics and other institutions. His main area of research was in the field of infectious and inflammatory diseases of the CNS. He trained numerous post doctoral students and residents.
He published over 300 refereed publications, book chapters and books.