International speakers
In 2012 the AVA Annual Conference will host nine of the world’s best veterinary industry speakers.
International speakers include Professor Joe Brownlie, Dave Fowler, Dr Debra Horwitz, Professor Dave Van Metre, Dr Rick Bowes, Professor Emeritus John Webster, Dr David Hodgson and Dr Jennifer Hodgson.
Professor Joe Brownlie CBE BVSc PhD DSc DipECVP FRCPath FRAgS FRASE FRCVS
The issue of ‘who’ is responsible for the diagnosis and control of disease is at best confused. The line between personal responsibility, organisational responsibility and overall government responsibility is too often ill defined; such obfuscation prevents effective management and control of potentially life-threatening events. What role is the veterinarian going to play in meeting the enormous challenges facing humanity?
How are we to respond as a responsible profession? Do we lead or follow?
“Who owns disease, and what role - the vet” will be explored by our distinguished international speaker, Professor Joe Brownlie, Emeritus Professor of Veterinary Pathology at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) whose research on infectious diseases both in livestock and in companion animals led to the discovery and characterisation of new viruses and bacterial agents such as BVD in cattle and coronavirus in dogs. Joe completed a PhD at the Institute of Animal Health and in 1995, he took the Royal Veterinary College Chair of Veterinary Pathology. A prolific researcher for over 41 years, Joe has published over 130 research papers, presented internationally at over 225 meetings and supervised 32 PhD students.
In 2006 he was appointed Chairman of the National BVDV Control and Eradication Scheme and recently became Chairman of Trustees for the Institute of Animal Health. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, the Royal College of Pathologists, the Royal Agricultural Societies and a Visiting Professor at the Sokoine University of Agriculture. He has received a number of national and international awards; most recently receiving a CBE – Commander of the Order of the British Empire for Services to Science.
Dave Fowler, DVM, MVetSc, Diplomate ACVS
Learn how to approach those difficult but common surgical cases we all dread. Reconstructive surgery, minimally invasive surgery, and tracheal conditions are just some of the topics Dave Fowler will be covering in Canberra.
Dave received his DVM degree from Colorado State University in 1980 and completed a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Dave’s interest in small animal surgery led to a surgical residency at the WCVM. He has held a faculty position in a small animal surgery at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine and became board certified by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1987.
Dave’s academic career focused primarily in the area of reconstructive surgery. He has published widely in this discipline and has developed several microvascular reconstructive techniques for advanced wound reconstruction.
He is now integral in the development of referral practices in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta and continues to practice in a small animal surgery. Dave’s current professional interests revolve primarily around the disciplines of minimally invasive surgery.
Dr. Debra Horwitz
Aggression, soiling, problem behavior and modern therapeutics are just some of the topics to be covered by behavioural expert Dr. Debra Horwitz.
Deb received her DVM from Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine and is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. In behavior referral practice since 1982 her practice is presently located in St. Louis, Missouri.
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.
Dr. Horwitz is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine. She serves as a behavioral consultant for the Veterinary Information Network, a teaching and clinical resource for veterinarians. Her book, Blackwell's Five-Minute Veterinary Consult Clinical Companion: Canine and Feline Behaviorco-authored with Jacqui Neilson was published in June 2007. She is an editor and contributor to the BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Behavioural Medicine 1st and 2nd editions published in October 2009. She is the behavior section editor for the The 5-Minute Veterinary Consult: Canine and Feline, third, fourth and fifth editions,and co-author of the Lifelearn Behavior Client Handouts. She was president of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists 2006-2008.
Professor David Van Metre
Metabolic Diseases, Haemorrghagic Bowel Syndrome and challenging cases in the beef industry are just some of topics covered by Dr. Van Metre, Professor in the Animal Population Health Institute at Colorado State University, USA.
He received his DVM degree from Cornell University in 1989 and completed a residency in food animal medicine at the University of California at Davis in 1993, receiving diplomate status in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine that year. He was a faculty member in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University prior to starting at CSU in late 1999.
Dr. Van Metre's research interests include clostridial diseases of ruminants, bilingual livestock worker training, and livestock disease surveillance.
Dr. Richard DeBowes
Come and be inspired during two days of concentrated sessions from a master in the subject of communication and practice management. Topics to be covered include the Human Pet Veterinarian Bond, Sales, Care, Compliance, What folks are buying (and not buying) from veterinarians, Communications, Leadership and Teamwork. A journey through understanding our native paradigms (and how they might be incorrect as regards our practice and our clients), Emotional Intelligence (Goleman's model from Harvard), Servant Leadership in medicine (Greenleaf's model), Connecting and advocating through relationship centered care.
Dr. Rick DeBowes serves as the Associate Dean for Veterinary Development and External Relations. He served previously as the Chair of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at Washington State University (2000-2005) and the Chair for Clinical Sciences at Kansas State University (1994-1999).
His interests include equine general and orthopedic surgery, lameness diagnosis, and joint biology. Dr. DeBowes' administrative interests include faculty and program development, fund raising, and the promotion of nontechnical competencies (life skills), medical communications and personal/servant leadership.
He is also a past president of the American Association of Veterinary Clinicians and continues to serve on their executive board, he is a former member of the Board of Regents for the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and the Board of Directors for the Eastern States Veterinary Association and has twice served as President of the NAVC Board of Directors and their founding Director of Education.
John Webster, Professor Emeritus, University of Bristol
Many consider Professor John Webster to be the “father” of modern animal welfare. John was part of the group that came up with “the 5 freedoms” – principles which have gained international recognition as standards for defining the elements of good welfare in domestic animals.
Educating veterinarians in animal welfare will be covered by John Webster, a veterinary graduate from the University of Cambridge (1963) and now Professor Emeritus at the University of Bristol.
His primary focus has been on agriculture and veterinary teaching and research, including four years in Canada at the University of Alberta and 10 years at the Hannah and Rowett Research Institutes in Scotland.
In 1977 he was appointed Professor of Animal Husbandry at the University of Bristol Veterinary School where he established a unit for the study of animal welfare and behaviour, one of the largest such group in the world, (over 60 strong). He is currently a member of the Animal Health and Welfare Panel of the European Food Safety Agency.
Dr. David Hodgson
Practical clinical disease management and diagnosis are the topics to be covered by Dr. David Hodgson, head of the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences in the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech. diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, and Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine.
Dr Hodgson earned his BVSc and PhD degrees at the University of Sydney and from 1991 to 2007 he served as a professor in equine medicine and variously as head of the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, director of one of the two Veterinary Teaching Hospitals, and director of the Faculty Horse Unit.
He was a faculty member in equine medicine at Washington State University from 1984-91. He has also held adjunct positions at the University of Pretoria in South Africa and the University of Glasgow Veterinary School in the United Kingdom.
He is widely published an has received many awards including the Ian Clunies Ross Medal, the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation award for meritorious contributions to equine research in Australia, the Norden Distinguished Teacher award and a Vice-Chancellor’s award for teaching excellence from the University of Sydney.
Dr. Jennifer Hodgson
Find out what is new in equine bacterial infections, antibiotic susceptibility testing with Dr. Jennifer Hodgson, associate professor of microbiology in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology in the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech.
Prior to joining the college in 2007, she was the associate dean of learning and teaching at the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Veterinary Science. Dr Hodgson Hodgson received her B.V.Sc. from the University of Sydney and her Ph.D. from Washington State University. She is a diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Microbiology, a Member of the Australian College of Microbiology, and a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
Her primary research interest involves respiratory disease in young, performance horses but she is also engaged with investigations of infectious diseases in horses and cattle.