KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Dr. White has worked as a veterinary dermatologist for 4 decades, becoming a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology in 1983. A graduate of UC Davis, he did his internship and residency at Davis as well. He has held faculty positions at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine and Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, before joining the School of Veterinary Medicine at University of California at Davis as a full Professor in 1998. He has also been staff dermatologist at Angell Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston, thrice a sabbatical professor at the Ecole National Vétérinaire de Nantes, France, and a Clinical Teaching Locum at the Atlantic Veterinary College on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Dr. White has lectured throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. His areas of major interests include cutaneous manifestations of systemic disease, rabbit/rodent/exotics dermatology, non-steroidal therapy of auto-immune disease & congenital skin disease.
INVITED SPEAKERS
Agustina Anson (DVM, PhD, DECVDI) earned her degree in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Murcia (Spain), where she also completed a Master of Science in Diagnostic Techniques and a PhD “cum laude.” After finishing her residency in Diagnostic Imaging at the Veterinary Hospital of the University of Murcia, she obtained board certification from the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging (ECVDI) in 2014. She later joined the University of Vienna as a clinical instructor before moving to the United States in 2019, where she now serves as an Assistant Professor at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University (Massachusetts, USA).
Dr. Anson is passionate about research, teaching, and mentoring future veterinarians. She has presented at numerous national and international congresses and has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals. Her primary areas of research and clinical interest include advanced imaging techniques, gastrointestinal imaging, ear diseases, and contrast-enhanced ultrasound. Through her work, she aims to contribute to advancements in veterinary diagnostic imaging and promote collaboration within the field.
Dr Alberto Martin Cordero received the degree of Doctor in Veterinary Medicine by the University of Guadalajara.
Is a diplomate of the Latin American College of Veterinary Dermatology L ACVD.
He is a member of t he American Aca demy of Veterinary Dermatology and a founder member of the Latin American Society of Veterinary Dermatology, and he is a member of the executive committee for the World As sociation for Veterinary Dermatology (WAVD). He is the current president of the Latin American College of Veterinary Dermatology
He has been a speaker in over 800 conferences worldwide in Mexico, Latin America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the USA.
Dr. Alberto has published articles and clinical cases national and international in peer reviewed journals; ad author of 3 books. He works in private practice and it is the the owner and founder of VETDERM: the first veterinary dermatology referral practice the west of Mexico.
He has performed internships in the Animal Dermatology Clinics in southern California, the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich and Colorado State University.
His main interests are allergic diseases, otitis and cryotherapy.
Dr. Allison Kirby graduated from the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine in 2005. After graduation, she completed a one-year rotating internship at a large private practice in Santa Rosa, California, before beginning her dermatology residency program at Animal Dermatology Clinic - Tustin. She completed her residency at Animal Dermatology Clinic - Marina del Rey and became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology (ACVD) in August 2009.
In addition to clinical practice, Dr. Kirby is active in the training of ACVD residents and has been involved with numerous FDA drug studies.
Dr. Amanda Cox is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and fellow of the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology. She is the director of clinical operations for the pediatric allergy faculty practice and is an investigator for several clinical trials looking at therapies for food allergy. She also helps oversee clinical care for food allergic children in the Mount Sinai Food Allergy Treatment & Research Center.
She is on the executive board of the New York Allergy and Asthma Society and served as the society’s president in 2016.
Dr. Cox received her BA from Columbia University and her medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx.
She completed her Pediatrics residency and fellowship in Allergy and Immunology at the North Shore Long Island Jewish Medical Center (now “Northwell Health”).
She joined Mount Sinai’s Division of Pediatric Allergy in 2008, and again in 2016, after working for 2 years in private practice in Brooklyn. Through her career, Dr. Cox has been involved in specialized clinical care in the field of food allergy.
Dr. Kim is the Sol and Clara Kest Professor of Dermatology, Vice Chair of Research, Director of the Mark Lebwohl Center for Neuroinflammation, and Lead of the Allen Discovery Center for Neuroimmune Interactions at the Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute and Friedman Brain Institute at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He has >180 peer-reviewed publications, multiple NIH grants, designed pivotal clinical trials that led to novel FDA-approved treatments, and is an inventor of itch-centered technologies. He has been awarded the Stephen I Katz, MD, PhD International Lectureship Award from the Society for Investigative Dermatology, Donald Y. M. Leung, MD, PhD-JACI Editors Lectureship and Faculty Development Award from the American Academy of Asthma, Allergy & Immunology, and Marion B. Sulzberger, MD Research Award and Lectureship from the American Academy of Dermatology. He is co-founder of Alys Pharmaceuticals, an immuno-dermatology biotech company and Neurommune Therapeutics, a neuroinflammation-focused biotech company. Most recently, Dr. Kim was awarded the role as the Lead of the Allen Discovery Center for Neuroimmune Interactions which is a $10 million multi-institutional center funded by the Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.
Social Media: @itchdoctor; https://www.briankimlab.org
Dr. Chie Tamamoto-Mochizuki is a board-certified veterinary dermatologist with a diverse background in both clinical practice and research. She earned her DVM from Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine in Japan in 2007, followed by a four-year residency in Small Animal Internal Medicine at the University of Tokyo. Dr. Tamamoto-Mochizuki then pursued advanced training as an alternative route resident in Veterinary Dermatology at North Carolina State University (NCSU) from 2013 to 2017, achieving board certification from the Asian College of Veterinary Dermatology (AiCVD) in 2018. In 2021, she completed her Ph.D. at NCSU, focusing on Dermatology and Immunology.
Currently, Dr. Tamamoto-Mochizuki serves as an Assistant Professor of Dermatology at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, where her research explores the role of IL-31 in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis and itch signaling in companion animals. She is also an active committee member of the International Committee on Allergic Diseases of Animals and AiCVD, and is dedicated to advancing global education in Veterinary Dermatology.
Dana Connell received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine and Masters of Public Health from the University of Florida. Following a small animal surgery and medicine internship at Auburn University, Dana pursued a three-year oncology residency at the University of Illinois. She obtained an additional Masters degree with a thesis focused on the use of itraconazole as a chemosensitizer in the treatment of metastatic osteosarcoma.
Upon becoming boarded in medical oncology, she moved to Greenville, South Carolina and worked as a clinical oncologist before moving into a Medical Directorship position. She served as the Oncology representative on the Ethos Specialty Advisory Board and the Specialty Representative on the South Carolina Association of Veterinarians Board of Directors. She recently moved into the Global Medical Affairs Position at IDEXX, focusing on new innovation and on-market diagnostics in Oncology.
Outside of work, Dana focuses on spending time with family, including her husband and two children, along with art and baking, particularly French patisserie.
Deborah Linder, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Nutrition), is a board-certified veterinary nutritionist and Clinical Associate Professor at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, where she also earned her DVM. Dr. Linder's interests include talking about evidence-based nutrition everywhere from classrooms to exam rooms. She loves engaging the entire veterinary team to make nutrition information fun, helpful, and easily accessible to all. Her recent research has focused on safe and effective weight loss strategies for pets as well as developing and evaluating nutrition curriculum in veterinary schools. She is also Co-Director of the Tufts Initiative for Human-Animal Interaction and co- founder of the pet nutrition website www.petfoodology.org.
Dr. Wiener received her PhD degree from the University of Bern, Switzerland. She is a diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Pathology specialized in dermatopathology and a special interest in follicular diseases. She is presently an associate clinical professor in anatomic pathology at Texas A&M University. Dr. Wiener provides diagnostic anatomic pathology services for surgical and skin biopsies and is the director of the dermatopathology specialty service. She reviews approximately 1400 cases per year. Her research focuses on skin diseases; she developed culturing of canine and feline skin organoids and is currently using them as a 3D tool for investigating skin disease in dogs and cats.
Dr. Flávia Clare is a leading authority in veterinary medicine, specializing in leishmaniasis, sporotrichosis and other zoonotic fungal infections. With over 33 years of clinical experience. She has been a professor for 26 years working exclusively with dermatological disease, researching and assisting cats and dogs in universities in Brazil for free, and also advising undergraduate and graduate students. She has contributed significantly to advancements in animal diagnosis, treatment, and preventive management of sporotrichosis in Rio de Janeiro state.
Dr. Flávia Clare has published in journals. Her work offers innovative solutions to combat emerging zoonotic diseases. She frequently delivers lectures for international veterinary companies and conferences, sharing her expertise in advanced dermatological diseases.
Dr. Sheinberg is a practicing Boarded Veterinary dermatologist. She is co-owner of Dermatología Especializada Centro Veterinario Mexico in Mexico City. This dermatology-only practice is part of Centro Veterinario Mexico, a multi-specialty hospital.
She graduated from the veterinary school at Mexico Autonomous National University and completed her internship and residency program at the same university, Small Animal Hospital.
She has worked in Centro Veterinario Mexico specialty veterinary hospital since 1999 and as head of dermatology since 2010.
She underwent dermatology training at the Animal Dermatology group clinics, and the European School for Advanced Veterinary Studies (ESAVS Dermatology) Vienna.
Dr. Sheinberg was a board member of the Latin American College Of Veterinary Dermatology from 2018-2024, Shei is a member at large of the Administrative Committee of the World Association for Veterinary Dermatology
She Is a Purina Institute Advisory Global Panel member, a WSAVA nutrición committee member, is the head of the WAVD education committee, and is the head of the examination committee for the LACVD.
Dr. Millie Rosales graduated with a Bachelors of Biology from Florida International University. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine in 2000. Following graduation, she worked as a general practitioner in Miami for a non-profit small animal clinic. In 2003, Dr. Rosales returned to the University of Florida and completed a two year residency in the specialization of veterinary dermatology. Dr. Rosales is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology (ACVD).
Dr. Rosales has established leadership roles in local professional organizations:
- Past president of the South Florida Veterinary Medical Association (SFVMA)
- Currently serves in the SFVMA executive board
- Served as a board member of the Miami Veterinary Foundation from 2008-2014
Beyond her dermatology expertise, Dr. Rosales has a strong passion for the care and well-being of pets in shelters and rescue organizations. You will often find her supporting and advocating for local shelter and rescue groups, raising awareness on spaying/neutering and promoting the importance of pet adoption.
A native Miamian, Dr. Rosales values her roots and is fluent in English and Spanish enabling her to serve the Spanish speaking clients of the South Florida area.
Dr. Neoklis Apostolopoulos obtained his veterinary degree from the University of Thessaly in Greece. He then relocated to Germany, where he completed a rotating internship, a residency, and postgraduate research focusing on canine cutaneous microbiota. Currently, he serves as an assistant professor of veterinary dermatology at the Louisiana State University – School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Apostolopoulos is the principal investigator of NAVDLab, where his research centers on applied artificial intelligence in veterinary dermatology and the canine skin microbiome in health and disease. His clinical interests encompass all aspects of dermatology, allergology, and otology. Dr. Apostolopoulos also has extensive experience in CO2 laser surgery and fluorescence photobiomodulation therapy for treating skin diseases.
A full list of his publications can be found here: orcid.org/0000-0001-9749-0795
Nikki M. Thellman, DVM, PhD, has been with Zoetis Veterinary Medicine Research and Development since 2017. She is currently a Senior Principal Scientist in Global Therapeutics, leading innovative comparative medicine strategies in early, pre-clinical research for companion animals. Her academic journey began at the University of Michigan, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology in 2003, followed by a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Louisiana State University in 2007. Dr. Thellman initially practiced as a small animal veterinarian in Las Vegas, NV, and the Indianapolis, IN area, where she also managed a Noah’s Animal Hospital. Driven by a passion for research, she pursued a PhD in cellular and molecular biology, focusing on herpes simplex virus latency and reactivation, and successfully defended her dissertation at Van Andel Institute Graduate School in 2017. Returning to animal health, Dr. Thellman combines her veterinary and research expertise to impact patient solutions. She maintains her veterinary license in Michigan, where she lives with her veterinarian husband, three children, four cats, a tortoise, and plenty of chickens.
Dr. Paul Bloom, Dipl., ACVD and Dipl., ABVP, Canine, and Feline Specialty graduated from Michigan State University in 1976. He then entered private general practice. He continued his GP status while, in 1984, he obtained board certification in the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners.
In 1984 he also began to limit his part of the practice to dermatology cases. By 2001 he became Michigan's first board-certified veterinary dermatologist in full-time private practice by becoming a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology.
In addition to obtaining board certification in those 2 specialties he also, in 2016, became an Elite Fear Free Certified Professional. In 2020 Dr. Bloom achieved Certified Cat-Friendly Veterinarian status.
In 2019 Dr Bloom was honored by Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine being selected for the Distinguished Alumni Practitioner Award for his role in educating veterinary students.
Attempting to pay things forward, Dr Bloom was selected as Philanthropist of the year from Michigan State University by the College of Veterinary Medicine in 2020.
Dr. Bloom serves as an adjunct faculty member at the MSU Veterinary College.
He has lectured at numerous state, national and international conferences and has authored many book chapters. He serves on the program committee for the ACVD and is a reviewer for many professional journals.
When he's not working, Dr. B spends his time playing hockey or relaxing at home in rural Northfield Township, Michigan with his wife and "menagerie" of animals which currently include 3 horses, 2 mini donkeys, 1 goat and 2 cats.
Ramon Almela earned his degree in Veterinary Medicine and PhD from the University of Murcia (Spain). After completing his dermatology training residency at a private referral hospital in Germany, he obtained his board certification from the European College of Veterinary Dermatology. He loves to teach and presently, he serves as an Assistant Professor at Tufts University (Massachusetts, USA). He has been invited to lecture at various national and international congresses in different countries and languages (Spanish, English, German, French). He has also published particularly in his interested areas of research including precision medicine, One Health, atopic dermatitis, and autoimmunity, subjects that he is passionate about.
Dr. Marsella is a graduate from the University of Milano (1991), a board certified dermatologist (1996) and a Full Professor at the University of Florida. She has a particular interest in equine dermatology and specifically equine allergic skin diseases. She has chaired the Consensus Guidelines on Allergic Skin diseases published in 2023 and published a book on equine dermatology.
Ross Bond graduated from Glasgow Veterinary School in 1985, spent 5 years in farm and small animal practice, and then joined the Royal Veterinary College in 1990, where he is currently Professor of Veterinary Dermatology. His research work into Malassezia yeast infections in dogs led to an award of a PhD in 1996. Ross holds RCVS and European College Diplomas in Veterinary Dermatology and is recognised as a specialist in veterinary dermatology by the RCVS. His research interests relate primarily to microbial skin infections in dogs and cats.
Dr. Sowers earned her PhD in Nutritional Biochemistry from The University of Texas at Austin and currently serves as the Director of Allergy Operations at Schweiger Dermatology Group. She previously led the allergen research lab at ALK, managing a multidisciplinary team of PhDs and MDs to translate bench research into clinical practice. Her work focused on characterizing allergen extracts and advancing their application in human and veterinary allergy immunotherapy. In addition to her leadership role, Dr. Sowers is a consultant, lecturer, educator, and scientific strategist, dedicated to advancing innovation in allergy science and clinical practice.
Dr. Zach Meyers is a small animal practitioner in Madison, Wisconsin, who combines his clinical work with a deep curiosity about how artificial intelligence can serve the veterinary profession. Since graduating from UW-Madison in 2022, he has dedicated himself to bridging the gap between daily practice and technological innovation. This passion led him to co-found LyraVet, developing AI-powered clinical support tools that enhance workflow, patient care, and work-life balance for veterinarians. His innovative work in computer vision parasite detection software earned him the MERCK Award for Innovation. Dr. Meyers regularly shares insights about AI in veterinary medicine through guest lectures at his alma mater and presentations for the Association for Veterinary Informatics. He believes practicing veterinarians should take a leading role in shaping how AI is integrated into veterinary care, ensuring these tools truly serve the profession's needs. In his clinical practice, Dr. Meyers particularly enjoys working with behavior cases and building strong client relationships.