Udeni B. R. Balasuriya BVSc, MS, PhD, FSLCVS Dr. Balasuriya is the Director and Professor of Virology at the Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (LADDL), School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge. Initially, he was trained as a veterinarian at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Peradeniya, in Sri Lanka (1981-1985). In 1989, he came to the United States as a Fulbright Scholar to complete his graduate studies at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis. Dr. Balasuriya’s professional and research experience is very diverse and encompasses infectious diseases of animals and humans, veterinary diagnostic medicine (anatomic pathology and diagnostic virology), and molecular virology. Before becoming the Director of the LADDL he was a Tenured Professor and held the Jes & Clementine Schlaikjer Professorship in Equine Infectious Diseases in the Department of Veterinary Science, Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky. Gabriel Bo, DVM, MVSc, PhD Dr. Gabriel Bó, is President of the Instituto de Reproducción Animal Córdoba (IRAC) and Professor at the Universidad Nacional de Villa Maria in Córdoba, Argentina. He received his DVM in Argentina in 1985 and his M.V.Sc. (1991) and Ph.D. (1995) degrees from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. Dr. Bó has been working for many years on applied research and the commercial application of fixed-time AI and Embryo Technologies. He is Past-President of the International Embryo Transfer Society (IETS) and founding member and President of the Argentine Embryo Technology Society (SATE). He has published more than 110 referred manuscripts and has lectured in the main conferences around the world. Finally, Dr. Bo has obtained several awards like the “Taurus Award” (Argentina), the IETS Distinguished Service Award, the scientist of the year (SBTE, Brazil) and he has recently being named Member of the National Academy of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences of Argentina.
Linda Brent, Executive Director, Parsemus Foundation Linda Brent serves as Executive Director for Parsemus Foundation (parsemus.org), which funds innovative and neglected medical advancements. She has overseen research projects focused on male contraception, nonsurgical pet sterilization, benign prostatic hyperplasia and breast cancer. Prior to working at Parsemus Foundation, Dr. Brent founded Chimp Haven, Inc. (chimphaven.org) – a sanctuary for chimpanzees retired from medical research – and served as its President and Director from 2002- 2012. She previously served as the director of the environmental enrichment program and conducted independent behavioral research with nonhuman primates at a national primate research laboratory. She has numerous peer reviewed publications and has served as the PI for a number of government grants and contracts. Dr. Brent is a recipient of the 2012 USDA President’s Award and the 2015 Chimpanzee Welfare Award.
Leonardo Brito, DVM, PhD, DACT Dr. Brito is the Global Director of Quality Assurance at STgenetics. He received his DVM from the Federal University of Uberlandia in Brazil, MSc from the Sao Paulo State University-Botucatu in Brazil, and MVetSc and PhD from the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. Dr. Brito is a diplomate and executive board member of the American College of Theriogenologists and Associate Editor of the journal Theriogenology. He has worked in the AI industry for 11 years and is a past Chair of the NAAB/CSS Semen Quality Control Committee.
Teresa Burns, DVM, PhD, DACVIM
Claire Card, DVM, PhD, DACT
Maria Soledad Ferrer, DVM, MS, DACT Dr. Ferrer received her veterinary degree in 2000 from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. She earned her MS degree from Louisiana State University in 2005, and became a diplomate of the American College of Theriogenologists in the same year. She is currently an Associate Professor in Theriogenology at the University of Georgia. Dr. Ferrer’s research interest is in male infertility. She is a member of the Society for Theriogenology, American College of Theriogenologists and Argentine Association of Equine Practitioners.
Paul M. Fricke, PhD Dr. Paul M. Fricke is a Professor of Dairy Science at the University of Wisconsin- Madison. His research focuses on developing and improving methods for dairy cattle reproductive management. The goal of his extension program is maximizing dairy cattle reproductive efficiency by applying knowledge gained through scientific research while developing management programs and technologies for use in production dairy cattle operations. Dr. Fricke’s research focuses on understanding the biology and endocrine physiology underlying the many reproductive problems presented by high-producing dairy cows. The goal of Dr. Fricke’s research program is to develop practical reproductive management strategies to help dairy farmers maintain the maximal number of cows in their herds producing milk at optimal levels.
Julio Giordano, DVM, MS, PhD Dr. Julio Giordano, DVM, MS, PhD is Associate Professor of Dairy Cattle Biology and Management in the Department of Animal Science at Cornell University. His expertise is in dairy reproduction, health, and the implications of herd performance on the economics of dairy farms. His basic research focuses on the elucidation of physiological mechanisms controlling reproductive function and changes in physiological parameters during disease in dairy cattle. His applied program incorporates novel technologies to develop new and simplify established reproductive and health management programs for dairy cattle. Through the integration of these basic and applied research components, Dr. Giordano’s laboratory strives to enhance the reproductive performance, health, and productivity of cows thus, the economic viability of dairy farms. Benjamin Hart, DVM, PhD, DACVB Ben Hart, DVM, PhD, DACVB, joined the School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis after graduating from University of Minnesota, and has been there ever since. Ben pioneered the introduction of animal behavior – teaching, research and clinical aspects – to veterinary medicine. Bridging off his earlier research on gonadal hormones and behavior, he has led a research team to investigate the implications of gonadectomy for joint disorders and cancers in 35 breeds of dogs and 5 different weight categories of mixed breed dogs. After 10 years, this work is being wrapped up for publication. Ben is a fellow of the Animal Behavior Society and the International Society of Anthrozoology, and a founding diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. He is currently distinguished professor emeritus at UC Davis. In 2013 he was the recipient of the American Veterinary Medical Association Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year Award. David Haworth, DVM, PhD David Haworth, DVM, PhD is the former President of PetSmart Charities in the US and Canada. An independent non-profit, strategic grant-making organization, PetSmart Charities seeks to end pet homelessness by supporting partner organizations and programs that help find loving homes for all pets and celebrates the bond between people and animals. Dr. Haworth was formerly President & CEO at Morris Animal Foundation, Director of Global Alliances within the Business Development group at Pfizer Animal Health (now Zoetis, Inc.), and before that a Director in Pfizer Animal Health1s Research & Development division. Prior to joining Pfizer Animal Health, he was an associate veterinarian at a small animal and emergency clinic in Washington State. Dr. Haworth received a BS in biology from the College of William & Mary and a DVM and PhD from Colorado State University. He also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Colorado State University's Flint Animal Cancer Center. Sandy Johnson, BS, MS, PhD Dr. Sandy Johnson is a Professor and Extension Beef Specialist for K-State Research and Extension located at the Northwest Research and Extension Center in Colby. Dr. Johnson was raised on a diversified livestock farm in northeast Nebraska and received a B.S. in Animal Science from the University of Nebraska. She went on to receive a M.S. degree from the University of Missouri and a Ph.D. degree from West Virginia University, both in Reproductive Physiology. She held a teaching position at Fort Hays State University before beginning her current position with Kansas State University. Dr. Johnson conducts research and extension programs in the areas of estrous synchronization, breeding systems and cow/calf management. She provides leadership for the Beef Program Focus Team. Johnson is a member of the Beef Reproductive Task Force whose multi-state efforts were recognize by USDA-NIFA in the form of the 2013 Partnership Award for Multi-state efforts.
Claudia Klein, DVM, PhD, DACT, DECAR Dr. Klein graduated with honors from JLU Giessen, Germany in 2004. She then prepared her Dr. med. vet thesis entitled “Identification of genes induced by the conceptus in the bovine endometrium during the pre-implantation period” in the Laboratory of Functional Genome Analysis at the LMU, Munich, Germany. Following a year as Clinical Instructor at the Clinic for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Andrology of Large and Small Animals, JLU Giessen, Dr. Klein joined the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida as Resident in Theriogenology. In 2009 Dr. Klein obtained the status of Diplomate of the American College Theriogenologists (ACT) and the European College of Animal Reproduction (ECAR) in 2009. In 2010 she successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis “Embryo-Maternal Communication During Early Pregnancy in the Horse – A Transcriptional Approach”. Dr. Klein joined the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in 2012 as Assistant Professor of Theriogenology. Michelle Kutzler, DVM, PhD, DACT Dr. Michelle Kutzler graduated from Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1993. She practiced veterinary medicine in Minnesota for four
years. In 1997, she began a residency in veterinary reproduction (Theriogenology) at Cornell University and became board-certified in Theriogenology in 1999. She also earned a PhD in Physiology at Cornell University in 2002. In addition to providing reproductive services at West Hills Animal Hospital, Dr. Kutzler is an Associate Professor of Companion Animal Industries at Oregon State University. Dr. Kutzler is married to an amazingly, supportive husband (Sean) and has three remarkable children (Courtney (23), Colleen (20) and Connor (17)). Dr. Kutzler is also an AKC Dachshund Breeder of Merit.
Candace Lyman, DVM, DACT Dr. Candace Lyman is originally from Abilene, Kansas, where she completed both her undergraduate and veterinary training at Kansas State University. After graduation she performed a surgical and ambulatory internship at Ocala Equine Hospital in Ocala, Florida. Lyman then moved to College Station, Texas to work in the Texas A&M Equine Embryo Laboratory. It was during her time in College Station that she became practiced in transvaginal aspiration of both mature and immature oocytes for the purposes of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and nuclear transfer (cloning) in the mare. Lyman continued on to perform a residency in Large Animal Reproduction at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania and spent a year in an equine private practice. Soon after, she joined the faculty at Oklahoma State University where she now divides her time between the equine, canine, small ruminant and bovine case loads. Stuart Mason BVSc (Hons) MANZCVS DACT Stuart graduated from the University of Melbourne, Australia, in 1999. After two years of mixed practice work in West Gippsland in Victoria, Stuart moved to small animal practice at Monash Veterinary Clinic in the south eastern suburbs of Melbourne, where he became partner in 2005. In 2012 Stuart became a member of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists in Animal Reproduction and in the same year a Diplomate of the American College of Theriogenologists. Stuart has been performing small animal reproduction work since 2002 including inseminations with fresh, chilled and frozen semen in bitches. Stuart has extensive experience in TCI (Transcervical Insemination) and has published two papers on the use of TCI with frozen semen in the bitch, one comparing pregnancy results of TCI to surgical insemination, and the other presenting continued results on frozen TCI. Stuart has special interests in assisted reproductive techniques, pyometra and the effects of nutrition on reproduction.
Robert McCarthy, DVM, MS, DACVS Dr. McCarthy graduated from Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1983. After internship and residency training at the University of Minnesota he spent several years in private surgical referral practice and as faculty at Louisiana State University. He was boarded by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1992. Dr. McCarthy returned to Tufts in 1994 where he is presently an Associate Professor of Small Animal Surgery. He is interested in all aspects of veterinary surgery, but has special interest in minimally invasive surgery, feral cat management, and issues related to sterilization of companion animals and wildlife. For the last 12 years Dr. McCarthy has coordinated a feral cat control program in the British Virgin Islands utilizing hysterectomy and vasectomy for sterilization rather than traditional spay and neuter. He utilizes multiple non-traditional methods of sterilization when indicated in his clinical practice at Tufts. Angus McKinnon, DVM, MS, DACT Dr. McKinnon graduated from Melbourne University in 1978. After a short term in the private sector, he went on to the Ontario Veterinary College Guelph, Ontario, Canada to work and study veterinary medicine. He then traveled to Colorado State University (CSU) where he first served as an Assistant and then as an Associate Professor in Equine Reproduction and Field Service. While at CSU, Dr. McKinnon had the opportunity to work with Dr. Ed Squires, Dr. Jim Voss and Dr. Bill Pickett. Each of them was instrumental in his development in and knowledge of equine reproduction. In 1988, Dr. McKinnon traveled back to Australia where he and fellow veterinarian, Dr. Jim Vasey, started Goulburn Valley Equine Hospital. He also served as editor for the 1st and 2nd editions of “Equine Reproduction”. Dr. McKinnon is a founding partner of SBS Australasia along with Jim Vasey, Ed Squires and Paul Loomis in 2002. Stuart Meyers DVM, PhD, DACT Dr. Meyers is a professor in the School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis. He received BS and DVM degrees from Michigan State University and PhD from the University of California, Davis. He is board-certified in the ACT and specializes in equine, canine, and aquacultural reproductive biology and fertility.
David Patterson, BS, MS, PhD Dr. David Patterson is a faculty member in the Division of Animal Sciences at the University of Missouri. Patterson's publication record includes over 400 refereed journal articles, scientific abstracts, proceedings papers and presentations at national and international meetings. Patterson's research program received funding for the past 18 years from USDA-NIFA which led to the development of 4 progestin-based protocols to facilitate fixed-time artificial insemination in beef heifers and cows along with a modified breeding strategy using split-time Al. Most recently Patterson and his colleagues received funding from NIFA to support creation of a "National Center for Applied Reproduction and Genomics" in Beef Cattle. Dr. Patterson led the development of Missouri's Show- Me-Select Replacement Heifer Program, the first statewide, on-farm beef heifer development and marketing program in the US, with an estimated economic impact> $150M. Patterson received the American Society of Animal Science Extension, Animal Industry Service, and Animal Management Awards; the BIF Continuing Service Award; and the NAAB Research Award. Christopher Premanandan, DVM, PhD, DACVP, DACT Christopher Premanandan, DVM, PhD, DACVP, DACT is an associate professor at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in the Department of Veterinary Biosciences. Dr. Premanandan graduated with a DVM from OSU in 2001. After a brief period in mixed animal practice, he returned to OSU to pursue a combined pathology residency/PhD program that he completed in 2007 and was hired as assistant professor in the same department. While in this position, he pursued training in theriogenology by the alternative route. Dr. Premanandan is the director of the reproductive pathology and comparative theriogenology service at OSU, a specialized service that focuses on diagnostic pathology of the male and female reproductive tract and the mammary gland. He is a primary author or co-author on 42 peer reviewed publications and is a contributor to the male and female reproductive pathology sections in the upcoming 7th edition of Pathologic Basis of Veterinary Disease. Pablo Ross, DVM, MS, PhD Pablo Ross is an Associate Professor in reproductive biology in the Department of Animal Science at the University of California Davis. Dr. Ross was born and raised in Argentina, where he received a Degree in Veterinary Medicine from La Plata National University and an MS in Animal Science from Mar del Plata National University/INTA Balcarce. He obtained a PhD in Animal Science from Michigan State University in 2007 and held a Research Assistant Professor position at that institution, until he joined the faculty at Davis in 2010. Dr. Ross’ studies are aimed at understanding the mechanisms of epigenetic remodeling and transcriptional reprogramming that occur during preimplantation embryo development. His laboratory makes extensive use of next generation sequencing approaches to determine transcriptome and epigenetic profiles in livestock embryos. Work at the Ross laboratory also relates to developing embryo and pluripotent stem cell technologies for use in agriculture and biomedicine. Maria Schnobrich, VMD, DACT Dr. Schnobrich worked for two years under the mentorship of Dr. Tom Riddle in Lexington, Kentucky before pursuing a residency in Large Animal Reproduction at UPENN. During this time she received the Charles Raker award and the House Officer teaching award. During her residency she developed an interest in ultrasonography and applied clinical research. In 2012 she became Theriogenologist at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, where her focus on clinical practice, mentorship and collaboration in research has been fostered. During her time at Rood and Riddle Dr. Schnobrich has been a part of multiple research projects, presented at several equine veterinary meetings (AAEP, SFT, ISER) and continued to work on research in the mare and stallion that is applicable in clinical practice. Dr. Schnobrich’s current practice consists of routine equine ambulatory reproduction with time allotted for embryo transfer, oocyte aspiration, referral problem mare and stallion and stallion semen processing.
Elizabeth K. Schooley, DVM, MS, DACVIM Dr. Schooley earned both her undergraduate and DVM degrees at Colorado State University. After graduation, she completed an internship in small-animal medicine and surgery at the Animal Medical Center. After her internship, she completed a residency in small animal internal medicine and a master’s degree in biomedical sciences at the University of Missouri. She worked at a private specialty practice in Richmond, VA, before joining IDEXX in 2010 as an internal medicine consultant and in 2018, she accepted the role of medical affairs specialist.
Evan Sones, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Oncology) Dr. Evan Sones was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He received his undergraduate degree and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at Louisiana State University. He then moved to Atlanta, Georgia where he completed a small animal rotating internship at Georgia Veterinary Specialists. He spent the next three years in Alabama completing a Medical Oncology Residency and concurrent Masters of Science in Biomedical Science at Auburn University. Dr. Sones is a current member of the ACVIM, Veterinary Cancer Society, and Veterinary Society of Surgical Oncology, as well as local Veterinary Medical Associations in three counties. As a Clinical Oncologist, he enjoys helping patients and their families through their journey with cancer. Jenny Sones, DVM, PhD, DACT Currently, Dr. Sones is an Assistant Professor of Theriogenology at Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine. She received her Bachelor of Science in 2004 and Doctor of Veterinary of Medicine degree in 2008, both from Louisiana State University. After a year in private practice at Delta Equine Center in Vinton, LA, she moved to upstate New York to continue her advanced training in Theriogenology. At Cornell University, she received a PhD in reproductive physiology and genomics, completed an NIH postdoctoral fellowship in equine reproductive immunology and residency training in comparative Theriogenology. There she investigated the mammalian trophoblast transcriptome and identified novel genes involved in implantation and placentation. She achieved board certification with the American College of Theriogenologists in 2016 and stay involved with training future theriogenologists as a faculty member at Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine. Besides being a clinician practicing on canine and equine patients, she has established an independent research program investigating mechanisms of pregnancy maintenance in the horse and mouse as translational biomedical research. Patti Strand, BS Patti is a co-founder and current president of the National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA), a broad-based, evidence-based animal welfare organization founded in 1991. NAIA dedicates itself to providing accurate information about complex and often con- troversial animal welfare issues; encourages high standards of animal care and advo- cates for the human-animal bond. She has served on numerous local, state and federal animal welfare advisory boards. Her articles and views on animal welfare, public poli- cy and animal rights can be found in popular media ranging from national publications to NPR and all national TV networks. Patti and her husband have bred Dalmatians since 1969, breeding some of the top winning Dalmatians in the history of the breed. Patti served on the American Kennel Club board of directors for 16 years. Patti holds a BS in Political Science from Portland State University.