Graduated in Veterinary Medicine from the Fluminense Federal University (1988). Master in Veterinary Medicine from the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (1997) and Doctorate in Medicine (General Surgery) from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (2005). Associate Professor at the State University of Norte Fluminense. President of the Brazilian College of Veterinary Surgery and Anesthesiology (CBCAV) in the 2009-2010 and 2011-2012 administrations, Scientific Director of the CBCAV 2013-2014 Management and General Secretary of Management 2015-2016. Founding Partner and President of the Brazilian Association of Veterinary Orthopedics and Traumatology in the period 2008/2010.

Dr. Lappin graduated from Oklahoma State University and then completed an internship, internal medicine residency, and PhD program in Parasitology at the University of Georgia. Dr. Lappin is the Kenneth W. Smith Professor in Small Animal Clinical Veterinary Medicine at Colorado State University and is the director of the “Center for Companion Animal Studies”. The Center is housed in the Translational Medicine Institute at CSU. Dr. Lappin is the chair of the WSAVA One Health Committee. His principal areas of interest are prevention of infectious diseases, the upper respiratory disease complex, infectious causes of fever, infectious causes of diarrhea, zoonoses, and nutritional management of internal medicine problems, including the use of probiotics.

Deborah Lazard obtained a Master Degree in Animal Welfare from the Autonomous University of Barcelona in 2022 and she has been interested in better understanding the effect of human-animal bonding on animal welfare. Originally, Deborah, a biologist, received her MSc., and PhD in Molecular Biology and Experimental Pathology respectively at the Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV). Her PhD work with amoebas received the “Annual Award for Scientific Research: Dr. Jorge Rosenkranz”. Deborah dedicated a large part of her professional career in promoting life sciences technological innovation projects; first as Patent Director at the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI), later as Director of Innovation Networks for Merck Sharp & Dohme-Mexico (MSD) and finally as an independent consultant. In 2008 she was named by "Expansion Magazine” as one of the "50 women to watch her path in business". Her career took a turn in 2013 when she became founding partner and General Director of "ACUMI" (Animals with a Mission of Integration) (2013-2022), a nonprofit organization in Mexico that trains rescued dogs as emotional support dogs to support persons living with psychiatric and emotional disabilities.

Dr Natasha Lee is a veterinarian from Malaysia with over 15 years of experience in animal welfare. She has managed large companion animal projects across Asia, which includes advocacy, strategy development, and technical training. She has also led a campaign to include animal welfare science into veterinary curricula across Asia by providing training to more than 125 vet schools, starting a network of animal welfare educators, and conducting online courses for vets. She currently runs an animal welfare consultancy and works with other organisations to carry out management, assessments, or trainings. She is the Chair for the Animal Wellness and Welfare Committee under the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA), a Trustee for International Cat Care, and is on the International Advisory Board for the Alliance for Contraceptive in Cats & Dogs (ACC&D).

Veterinarian graduated from Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (UNMSM). Master studies in Applied Ecology at Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina (UNALM) and in Epidemiological Research at Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH). Researcher recognized by the Peruvian National Council for Science, Technology, and Innovation (CONCYTEC).

Remo Lobetti graduated from the Faculty of Veterinary Science, Onderstepoort, University of Pretoria in 1987. In 1990 completed a BVSc (Hons), 1995 an MMedVet (Med) degree, and a PhD in 2005. In 1997 achieved board certification by the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Remo worked in general practice before joining the Department of Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria in 1992 initially as senior lecturer, then associate professor and then as Section Head of Small Animal Medicine. From 2001 to 2022 has been an internist at Bryanston Veterinary Hospital in Johannesburg. Currently is an internist at Veterinary Specialists Ireland. He is actively involved in teaching and has presented numerous papers both locally and internationally and has written and co-authored numerous scientific papers, review articles and book chapters in various aspects of small animal medicine. Although Remo has a research interest in infectious diseases, his clinical interest is in all aspects of small animal internal medicine.

Dr. Leo Londoño received his DVM from University of Florida in 2011. After completing a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Hollywood Animal Hospital (2012), he pursued a residency in emergency and critical care at University of Florida (2015). During his residency he discovered his passion for nephrology, hemodialysis and other forms of blood purification. He then completed the hemodialysis academy from UC Davis and received the certification in veterinary extracorporeal blood purification. In 2015, Dr. Londoño joined the faculty at University of Florida where he worked as a professor of emergency and critical care, and director of the hemodialysis unit until April 2021. He recently joined Capital Vet Specialists in Jacksonville-Florida where he works as a critical care specialist. He is a member of the organizing committee of the American College of Veterinary Nephrology-Urology (ACVNU). His clinical interests include recognition and management of acute kidney injury, extracorporeal blood purification techniques, endothelial and glycocalyx dysfunction in critical illness.

Dr. López was born on October 21st 1971. She graduated as Class Valedictorian in June 1996 at the UDELAR and complied with the requirements of the AVMA ECFVG the 30th of March, 2012 She practices small animal medicine and surgery at the family clinic where she has grown as a person and as a vet ever since she was able to walk. Adriana has a special interest in Emergency and Critical Care Medicine and Soft Tissue Surgery. Since her graduation she has performed several externships in the Animal Emergency Center in Milwaukee, Minnesota State University, North Carolina State University, Oregon State University and Pennsylvania State University She is cofounder, Past-President, Treasurer and Executive Director of the Latin American Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society, LAVECCS. She is the Honor Secretary of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association Foundation to improve animal care and to help in the advancement of veterinary science and education around the World She is active member of the WSAVA Global Nutrition committee. She is now involved in the Sepsis project a LAVECCS project that is soon to become a Global Initiative Adriana loves to teach. She is one of the instructors of the ABC Trauma Course that teaches veterinarians safe, reliable methods for assessing and initially managing emergency patients around Latin America and she has lectured about emergency and critical care medicine in veterinary meetings around the world. Adriana is mother of Martin and Nicolas, two wonderful men, happy and proud stepmother of Mateo an Serena and 6 dogs that enjoy going out running through the beach during her training as an amateur long distances adventure racer.

I was trained in human genetics, My postdoctoral fellowship focused on developing genetic resources for comparative gene mapping across mammalian species (producing nine manuscripts), with emphasis in the domestic cat. My long-standing research focuses on domestic cat genetics, particularly developing biomedical models. My genetic interests are broad, not focusing on any one disease and I am adaptable to various health concerns and all organs systems. My laboratory has identified over 48 mutations in over 30 genes including 21 diseases, cat AB / B blood type (2) and recently 2 diseases in wild felids. I launched the 99 Lives Cat Genome Sequencing Initiative – an effort to have deep coverage on cats with inherited diseases and as a SNP resource for the community. During my tenure at the NCI, I worked closely with theriogenologists to produce a feline interspecies backcross between domestic cats and Asian Leopard cats as a gene mapping resource, which are now useful for phasing of whole genome assemblies. I continue to support assisted reproduction studies in cats and we have cryopreserved all our cat biomedical models. I typically collaborate with veterinarians and clinicians around the world and publish in veterinary and genetics journals and especially journals that focus on organ systems. Specific diseases remain of personal research priority, including polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and heritable blindness. I look forward to developing drug and gene therapies and translational efforts, for one or more of these abnormalities to better develop the cat as an animal model for human disease. I have produced seven publications on forensics, over a dozen papers with significant disease defining and clinical components, six projects supporting reproductive studies, worked with over ten different species and analyzed mtDNA from cat mummies as part of a National Geographic Explore production – The Science of Cats.