UVMF&VNAU Congress 2026

Prof. Ron Ofri 

Prof. Ron Ofri is a leading specialist in veterinary ophthalmology and Professor of Veterinary Ophthalmology at the Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the Faculty of Biology at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1985 and received his DVM from the Koret School of Veterinary Medicine in 1989, as a member of its inaugural class. In 1993, he completed his PhD at the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville.

Prof. Ofri began his clinical and academic career in veterinary ophthalmology at the Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, where he later became a lecturer, senior lecturer, associate professor, and, in 2016, Professor of Veterinary Ophthalmology. In 2005, he became a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists. He also served as a Visiting Professor at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, from 2009 to 2010. At the UVMF Congress 2026, Prof. Ron Ofri will join the program online, sharing his expertise with the Ukrainian veterinary community.

Federico Fracassi

Federico Fracassi graduated with honors in Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from the University of Bologna, Italy, where he also completed an internship. In 2005, he defended his PhD thesis. After completing his doctoral studies, he became a permanent staff member of the Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences at the University of Bologna, where he currently serves as Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Head of the Internal Medicine Service. He completed a residency in internal medicine at the Small Animal Internal Medicine Clinic of the University of Zurich, Switzerland, and became a European Specialist in Internal Medicine in 2012, receiving the ECVIM-CA Diploma in Internal Medicine.

His professional responsibilities include patient care, teaching students, postgraduate students, interns and residents, as well as conducting research in companion animal internal medicine, with a particular focus on endocrinology.Federico Fracassi is a former President of the European Society of Veterinary Endocrinology (ESVE), former President of the Italian Society of Veterinary Internal Medicine (SIMIV), a member of the Executive Committee of the ECVIM-CA Congress, and an editor of the peer-reviewed journal Veterinaria. His publications include journal articles, research abstracts, case reports and book chapters. His main scientific interest is small animal endocrinology. At the UVMF Congress 2026, Federico Fracassi will share his expertise with the Ukrainian veterinary community.

Janet Martin

Dr. Janet Martin grew up in Massachusetts, near Boston, and earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. She also completed two postgraduate specialty internships: one in small animal surgery and another in zoo and wildlife medicine. After completing her training, Dr. Martin worked as a zoo veterinarian at Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, Rhode Island, where she cared for a wide range of animals — from frogs to elephants.

Her work in zoo medicine also took her to Melbourne Zoo in Australia, where she developed a special interest in marsupials, and to the cloud forests of Papua New Guinea, where she worked as a research veterinarian on a tree kangaroo conservation project. After ten years in zoo practice, she returned to Tufts University to help lead wildlife rabies control and wildlife disease surveillance projects. Later, driven by her interest in animal welfare and her desire to address the issue of pet overpopulation, she joined the emerging field of shelter medicine.

She performed spay and neuter surgeries and consulted on shelter medicine for several animal shelters in Massachusetts. In 2011, Dr. Martin and her husband moved to Athens, Georgia, where she continues to practice shelter veterinary medicine. She first served as Medical Director of a local humane society clinic and animal shelter, and now performs spay and neuter surgeries in private practice while helping a local nonprofit provide veterinary care for pets in low-income communities. Dr. Martin has also trained in veterinary disaster response and has joined response teams in the U.S. Virgin Islands after a devastating hurricane, in New York after the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center, and in the United Kingdom during the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.

She continues to travel internationally, supporting colleagues in spay/neuter programs and animal shelters in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, India, and Romania. At the UVMF Congress 2026, Dr. Janet Martin will share her extensive experience in shelter medicine, animal welfare, wildlife medicine, and veterinary response in crisis situations with the Ukrainian veterinary community.

Dr. Jörg Mayer

Dr. Jörg Mayer grew up in Germany, where he received his early education. Shortly after the fall of the Iron Curtain, he moved to Budapest, Hungary, to study veterinary medicine. During his studies, he had the opportunity to work with veterinarians in South Africa and Namibia for six months — an experience that strengthened his long-standing interest in exotic animal medicine.

After earning his veterinary degree from the University of Budapest, Dr. Mayer moved to the United States for an internship in zoological medicine and surgery at Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, Rhode Island. At the end of his internship, he joined a research team studying wild tree kangaroos in the rainforests of Papua New Guinea for three months. Following this experience, he continued his education at the Royal Veterinary College in London, United Kingdom, where he earned a Master of Science degree in Wild Animal Health. His master’s project, focused on lead toxicity in common loons, brought him to the Tufts Wildlife Clinic in the United States. There, he became a Clinical Assistant Professor and Head of the Clinical Service for Exotic Animals. After ten years at Tufts University, Dr. Mayer moved to Athens, Georgia, in 2010. He is currently a Professor of Zoological Medicine at the University of Georgia. He regularly lectures at major national and international conferences on all aspects of exotic animal medicine, including honey bee medicine.

Dr. Mayer is a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, certified in Exotic Companion Mammal Practice, and is also a Diplomate of both the American College of Zoological Medicine and the European College of Zoological Medicine. From 2010 to 2012, he served as President of the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians. Since 2012, he has also been a Fulbright Specialist in Zoological Medicine. Dr. Mayer has published numerous scientific articles and book chapters, some of which have been translated into French, Spanish, and Portuguese.

His book Veterinary Clinical Advisor: Birds and Exotic Pets was published in 2013 and contains more than 750 pages. He was named Exotic Speaker of the Year by NAVC in 2013 and 2024. In 2018, he was recognized as Exotics Continuing Educator of the Year at the Western Veterinary Conference. In 2016, he received the Oxbow/AEMV Exotic Mammal Health Award, which honors achievements and innovation in the field of exotic mammal health. At the UVMF Congress 2026, Dr. Jörg Mayer will share his expertise in zoological and exotic animal medicine with the Ukrainian veterinary community.

Dr. Mark Johnston

Dr. Mark Johnston qualified as a veterinary surgeon from the University of Cambridge in 1987. After a year at Millbourn Equine Hospital in Ashford, he spent five years in equine referral practice at Rossdale & Partners in Newmarket. He later carried out the Confidential Enquiry into Perioperative Equine Fatalities (CEPEF) as part of his PhD research, and subsequently completed a doctoral thesis as a Wellcome Trust Research Training Fellow in clinical epidemiology. In 2006, Dr. Johnston became Managing Director of Vetstream, a company that provides comprehensive digital support for the veterinary profession through Vetlexicon, helping veterinary practices maintain the highest standards of clinical care. In addition to his work with Vetstream,

Dr. Johnston serves as Vice President of the ProSalus Foundation, is a member of the British Bee Veterinary Association Committee, Chair of the Board of Trustees of Our Special Friends, and founder of the Vets in Mind Alliance, which supports mental health and wellbeing within the veterinary community. At the UVMF Congress 2026, Dr. Mark Johnston will share his experience in veterinary leadership, education, digital knowledge support, animal welfare, and international professional cooperation.

Patrick Hensel

Dr. Patrick Hensel is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology (ACVD) and the European College of Veterinary Dermatology (ECVD), lecturer, and practicing veterinary dermatologist at Tierdermatologie Basel in Basel, Switzerland.

He graduated from the University of Bern, Switzerland, in 1996. In 2000, he earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Zurich, where his research focused on urinary incontinence following neutering. He then completed a one-year internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Zurich, followed by a three-year residency in veterinary dermatology at the University of Georgia in the United States. From 2004, Dr. Hensel worked as a faculty member at the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, and in 2010 became an Assistant Professor.

Until 2014, he served as a Senior Lecturer in clinical research. His professional interests focus on allergic and parasitic skin diseases. Dr. Hensel is also a member of the International Committee on Allergic Diseases of Animals (ICADA). In 2014, he returned to Switzerland and opened a dermatology clinic in his hometown of Basel.

Dr. Nao Hensel

Dr. Nao Hensel is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, originally from Japan, and a specialist in veterinary dermatology with international experience in the United States and Switzerland. In 2010, she earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Colorado State University, United States. She then completed a one-year small animal rotating internship in Boston, followed by a three-year residency in veterinary dermatology in Georgia, USA.

Her professional interests focus on autoimmune diseases, otology, and allergic skin diseases. In 2014, Dr. Hensel moved to Basel, Switzerland, where she opened her own veterinary dermatology practice.

Prof. Nick Bacon

Prof. Nick Bacon completed his residency in small animal surgery at the University of Cambridge, followed by a fellowship in surgical oncology at the Animal Cancer Center, Colorado State University. He then spent nine years on the surgical oncology faculty at the University of Florida, where he became Head of Oncology.

In 2014, he returned to the United Kingdom and was appointed Professor of Surgical Oncology at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Surrey. He also co-founded Fitzpatrick Referrals Oncology and Soft Tissue, now known as AURA Veterinary, in Guildford, Surrey.

AURA Veterinary is home to one of the largest and most experienced teams of medical, surgical, and interventional oncologists in the country, treating patients from across the United Kingdom and continental Europe.

Prof. Bacon is a Diplomate of both the European College of Veterinary Surgeons and the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. He is a former President of the Veterinary Society of Surgical Oncology and a Founding Fellow in Surgical Oncology of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

He has been awarded Specialist status in Surgical Oncology by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and was appointed Fellow of the RCVS for his contribution to clinical practice. Prof. Nick Bacon is also the founder of the Oncology Working Group of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) and a member of the specialist advisory board of StreetVet, a veterinary charity that supports pets belonging to people experiencing homelessness.

Leslie Sharkey

D.V.M., Ph.D., DACVP
Professor and Chair, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences

Dr. Leslie Sharkey has extensive training in animal models of cardiovascular disease and has expanded her scientific focus to toxicologic clinical pathology and clinicopathologic aspects related to medical devices.

Her current research interests include the effects of radiation therapy and chemotherapy on the cardiovascular system, as well as chronic complications of anticancer treatment in experimental models.

In her professional work, Dr. Sharkey focuses on the validation and optimization of laboratory testing in veterinary species, including modern approaches to coagulation testing, evaluation of diagnostic performance, and improvement of laboratory diagnostics.

Her research includes the validation of turbidimetric clot waveform analysis in veterinary coagulation studies involving dogs, cats, and birds, cytology projects including pancreatic fine-needle aspiration in dogs, and studies on doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity and sex-related differences in cardiac tissue response.

Education

1998 — Ph.D., Ohio State University, Columbus, United States
1993 — D.V.M., Ohio State University, Columbus, United States
1987 — B.S., University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, United States

Prof. Robert McCarthy

Prof. Robert McCarthy is a veterinary surgeon specializing in orthopedic and abdominal soft tissue surgery. Most of his clinical practice focuses on small companion animals, although he also performs surgery on exotic, wildlife, and zoo animals.

One of Prof. McCarthy’s key professional interests is minimally invasive surgery, which helps reduce tissue trauma and support faster patient recovery.

In 1983, he earned his veterinary degree from Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University as a member of the school’s inaugural class. He later received a master’s degree from the University of Minnesota and returned to Tufts, where he served as Clinical Associate Professor and Adjunct Associate Professor at Foster Hospital for Small Animals. At different stages of his career, he was also a faculty member at Louisiana State University.

For his contribution to the veterinary profession and veterinary education, Prof. Robert McCarthy received the “Outstanding Alumni Award” in 2022. In 2021, he was inducted into the “Faculty Hall of Fame”.

Dr. Frédéric Gaschen

Dr. Frédéric Gaschen is an internationally recognized expert in small animal internal medicine, with more than 30 years of experience in veterinary education, clinical practice, and research.

He is currently a Professor at the School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University. Dr. Gaschen is board-certified by both the American and European Colleges of Veterinary Internal Medicine and has held key leadership positions in academic institutions and professional organizations.

His main area of expertise is small animal gastroenterology. He is the author of more than 75 peer-reviewed publications and co-editor of well-known veterinary textbooks.

Dr. Gaschen has chaired the scientific committees of numerous WSAVA congresses, helping to develop advanced educational content for veterinarians around the world.

Passionate about diversity, collaboration, and access to high-quality veterinary education, he works to ensure that veterinarians in all regions can benefit from reliable resources and international expertise. His work contributes to innovation and to raising standards of care for companion animals.

Dr. Keren Kline

Dr. Keren Kline earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from The Ohio State University in 1989. She then completed an internship and a residency in neurology at the Animal Medical Center in New York.

After her residency, Dr. Kline worked as a Clinical Instructor in Neurology at the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri. In 1994, she became board-certified in veterinary neurology by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

From 1995 to 2008, Dr. Kline served as Adjunct Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. During this time, she also earned a Master of Science degree in veterinary pathology, completing her thesis on the immunohistochemical differentiation of inflammatory and infectious diseases in dogs.

She later served as Medical Director and Associate Neurologist at Seattle Veterinary Specialists. She is currently an Associate Neurologist and former Medical Director at VCA Northwest Veterinary Specialists in Portland, Oregon.

Dr. Kline has published several journal articles, contributed to veterinary textbooks, and lectured at local, national, and international conferences. In 2000, she also became certified in veterinary acupuncture.

Dr. Kline brings a strong passion for teaching, clinical service, and veterinary neurology. Outside the clinic, she enjoys the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest and spending time with her husband, Karl, and their wonderful dog, Woody.

Dr. Jon Geller

Dr. Jon Geller, DVM, DABVP Emeritus, is a veterinarian, educator, and founder of The Street Dog Coalition, a nonprofit organization providing free veterinary care and related services to pets of people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.

Dr. Geller graduated from the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation, he spent 20 years working as an emergency veterinarian in Colorado and founded four emergency veterinary clinics. In 2010, he became board-certified in canine and feline practice.

In 2015, Dr. Geller founded The Street Dog Coalition, which now provides free medical care for pets in more than 50 cities across the United States.

The organization has also expanded internationally. The Street Dog Coalition opened a tent-based veterinary clinic on the Romanian-Ukrainian border, where veterinary teams provided free care for pets of Ukrainian refugees. The organization is currently working with Worldwide Vets to help send the first mobile veterinary clinic to Ukraine.

Dr. Geller was named Veterinarian of the Year by the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association in 2019. Continuing his commitment to lifelong learning and public service, he is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health degree at the University of Minnesota.

He also received the 2022 ASPCA Henry Bergh Award and has recently joined the Colorado School of Public Health as a faculty member, where he teaches a course titled Homelessness in America.

Dr. Jim Berry

• President of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA)

Dr. Jim Berry has more than 34 years of clinical experience and has worked in three different regions of Canada. Over the past 15 years, he has focused on lameness and pain management in small companion animals, using an integrated approach to patient care.

He is certified in veterinary acupuncture through the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS), canine rehabilitation through the Canine Rehabilitation Institute (CRI), and veterinary chiropractic through Options for Animals. He is also a Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner through the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management (IVAPM).

Dr. Berry is actively involved in professional veterinary associations. He has served on executive committees and commissions of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA), the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, the New Brunswick Veterinary Medical Association, and the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management.

Despite his active professional work, Dr. Berry continues to practice clinically. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, running, and snowshoeing with his wife and their three dogs. The family cat usually prefers a more comfortable form of supervision near the food bowl.

Wolfgang Dohne

• Former President of FECAVA (2017–2019)
• ESEVT Expert
• Member of VVCA EA
• Member of the BSAVA SE Committee

Wolfgang Dohne studied at the Veterinary School of Hanover in Germany and the Veterinary School of Oslo in Norway before moving to the United Kingdom. After working as an assistant for six years, he founded and later led Virginia Water Veterinary Clinic in 1999, which he sold to a corporate veterinary group in 2018.

He then founded Blue Cat Holdings Ltd., a company providing international consultancy and locum services in the United Kingdom, the DACH region, and the Nordic countries. Wolfgang is also involved in telemedicine services in Germany, Australia, and New Zealand.

Since 2009, he has represented the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) in the Federation of European Companion Animal Veterinary Associations (FECAVA). In 2011, he was elected to the FECAVA Board and served as FECAVA President from 2017 to 2019.

As Chair of the FECAVA EuroCongress Committee, Wolfgang has been actively involved in the organizing committees of several European and world small animal veterinary congresses.

He has initiated several international scholarship programs. In 2021, together with former WSAVA Presidents Walt Ingwersen and Shane Ryan, he launched the joint FECAVA/WSAVA initiative Global Principles of Veterinary Collegiality, which has already been translated into 24 languages in text or infographic format.

As an ESEVT practitioner expert, Wolfgang participates in the regular visitation program for veterinary educational institutions across Europe, contributing to the granting and renewal of EAEVE accreditation.

He is also an active committee member of the European branch of the Veterinary Virtual Care Association (VVCA).

Wolfgang lives between London and Munich. Outside his professional work, he enjoys travelling, hiking, endurance sports, ballroom dancing, antique books on polar exploration, and Nordic noir fiction.

Prof. Gualtiero Gandini

Prof. Gualtiero Gandini is a Professor at the Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences at the University of Bologna, Italy.

He has lectured at more than 130 international and national continuing education courses and seminars. He has also been an invited speaker in neurology at around 50 international and national congresses.

Prof. Gandini is the author and co-author of more than 120 scientific publications, including 54 papers published in peer-reviewed international journals.

In 1996, he obtained his PhD in Veterinary Internal Medicine. In 2003, he became a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Neurology (DECVN).

From 2000 to 2012, he was a member of the Executive Committee of the European Society of Veterinary Neurology (ESVN) and the European College of Veterinary Neurology (ECVN). From 2008 to 2010, he served as President of ESVN/ECVN.

From 2006 to 2012, Prof. Gandini chaired the Teaching Committee of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Bologna. From 2015 to 2021, he served as Director of the Degree Programme in Veterinary Medicine at the University of Bologna.

Alice Di Concetto

Alice Di Concetto is the Executive Director and Chief Legal Adviser at The European Institute for Animal Law & Policy. She also teaches EU animal law and ethics at Sciences Po in Paris, France.

Previously, she was a fellow in the Animal Law & Policy Program at Harvard Law School from 2016 to 2018.

Alice has a strong academic background and has published several articles in legal journals. She is also the author of the forthcoming book EU Animal Law, to be published by Edward Elgar Publishing.

She earned her Master of Laws in Animal Law (LL.M.) from Lewis & Clark Law School in the United States in 2016, supported by a Fulbright grant, and graduated from Sciences Po Law School in Paris with a Master in Law in 2015.

The European Institute for Animal Law & Policy is a nonprofit organization advocating for animals in the European Union. Its team of lawyers and policy experts works to improve the lives of all animals by applying, strengthening, and changing EU law and policy.

The Institute’s work covers the protection of animals used in food production, scientific research, entertainment, companion animals, and wildlife.

Alesya Lischyshyna

Director of Four Paws Ukraine LLC and representative of the international animal welfare organization FOUR PAWS International in Ukraine.

Valentyna Vozna

Valentyna Vozna is a policy expert with four years of experience working at the non-governmental organization Eurogroup for Animals in Brussels.

Drawing on her background in political science from Sciences Po, she advocates for the improvement of animal welfare in Ukraine.

Valentyna specializes in European Union animal welfare legislation and works to promote its implementation in Ukraine within the framework of the country’s EU accession process and Ukraine–EU trade relations.

Reto Neiger

Reto Neiger is a Swiss veterinarian and specialist in small animal internal medicine. He graduated from the University of Bern in 1988, after which he worked for one year as a locum veterinarian in a private mixed practice, treating cattle, horses, and small animals. He also worked as a research assistant in veterinary pathology while completing his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree.

He later returned to academia, completing an internship and residency in internal medicine in Bern, Switzerland, and Louisiana, United States.

For his habilitation, he conducted research on Helicobacter infections in dogs and cats at a human teaching hospital in Bern. From 1999 to 2003, Reto Neiger worked as a lecturer at the Royal Veterinary College in London, United Kingdom. From 2003 to 2016, he was Professor and Head of Small Animal Internal Medicine at the University of Giessen in Germany.

From 2017 until the end of 2019, he worked as an internal medicine specialist at Germany’s largest private small animal clinic in Hofheim.

He is currently Medical Director of Evidensia DACH, covering Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Reto Neiger is a Diplomate of both the American and European Colleges of Veterinary Internal Medicine.