Symposium

13th Annual Practitioner's Symposium

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Speaker Bios

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Clarke Atkins, DVM, DACVIM

Dr. Atkins graduated from the University of California in 1972 and completed an internship at the Angell Memorial Animal Hospital. After spending time in private practice, he returned to academia at Oklahoma State University. Since then he has been on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin and North Carolina State University, where he is a professor of Medicine and Cardiology. He is board-certifi ed in Internal Medicine and Cardiology by the ACVIM. His research revolves around canine and feline heartworm disease and pharmacologic therapies of cardiac disease in dogs, cats, and horses.

R. Avery Bennett, DVM, MS, DACVS

Dr. Bennett graduated from Michigan State University, College of Veterinary Medicine in 1983 with high honors. From there he completed a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Texas A&M University. In 1987, he completed his small animal surgery residency at Colorado State University along with a Master’s degree in clinical sciences. In February of 1988 he became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons while in private practice at the Santa Anita Small Animal Hospital in Monrovia, California. In 1988, he co-founded Veterinary Medical and Surgical Group in Ventura, California and was owner and surgeon until the spring of 1992 when he accepted a position as chief veterinarian for the San Francisco Zoo. After three years with the zoo, in 1995 he became an assistant professor of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine at the University of Florida where he gained tenure and received a promotion to the rank of associate professor in 2000. In the Fall of 2000, he returned to private practice for a brief period as staff surgeon for Bay Area Veterinary Specialists in San Leandro, CA. He returned to academia in December 2001 as associate professor of surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. While serving as a soft tissue surgeon, he also functioned as residency program director for surgery and as interim chief of surgery. In August 2004, he returned to Bay Area Veterinary Specialists as a staff surgeon. In July 2007, he returned to academia as professor of small animal surgery at the University of Illinois.

Dr. Bennett is competent in both soft tissue and orthopedic surgery. His areas of interest include surgery of exotic animals, minimally invasive surgery – laparoscopic and thorascopic surgery, oncologic surgery and microsurgery.

Philip Bergman, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVIM, Oncology

Dr. Bergman is the chief medical offi cer for BrightHeart Veterinary Centers (www.BrightHeartVet. com), responsible for all aspects of veterinary medicine within the BrightHeart network of hospitals. He is the principal veterinary investigator for the recently conditionally-licensed canine melanoma vaccine available from Merial. Dr. Bergman is an adjunct faculty member of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and will continue and expand his cancer vaccine program within the BrightHeart network. Prior to Dr. Bergman joining BrightHeart Veterinary Centers, he served as the head of the Donaldson-Atwood Cancer Center at AMC from 1999 – June 2007. After fi nishing veterinary school from Colorado State in 1990, he was an intern at Kansas State (90-91) and returned to CSU for his medical oncology residency (1991-94) and then completed a PhD in human cancer biology from the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston (1994-99). He is currently the president of the ACVIM Board of Regents and past president of the Veterinary Cancer Society.

Corrie Brown, DVM, PhD, DACVP

In 1996, Dr. Brown joined the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine as professor and head of the Department of Veterinary Pathology. She currently serves as coordinator of International Veterinary Medicine for the College of Veterinary Medicine.In 2003 she was honored with the university’s highest teaching award, the Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor. Her professional interests are in infectious diseases of food-producing animals, emerging diseases, and international veterinary medicine. She has published or presented more than 250 scientific papers and has testifi ed to Congress on issues involving agroterrorism. Dr. Brown has served on many industrial and federal panels, and has been a technical consultant to numerous foreign governments on issues involving infectious diseases and animal health infrastructure.

Dr. Brown received her BS in Animal Behavior from McGill University and her DVM from Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph (1981). She completed a combined residency/PhD in comparative pathology at the University of California at Davis. Her board certifi cation (ACVP) and PhD were both attained in 1986.

John Caron, DVM, DACVS, MS

Dr. Caron is currently a Michigan State University professor of large animal clinical sciences and division head of Equine surgery. He is a graduate of Western College of Veterinary Medicine and completed his surgical residency and master’s degree in Saskatoon. He became a Diplomate of the ACVS in 1987. Dr. Caron’s research includes cartilage pathobiology, and orthopedic sepsis. His clinical interests are in general surgery with a special interest in orthopedics and laparoscopy.

Victor Cortese, DVM, PhD, DABVP - Bovine

Dr. Cortese is currently the Director of Cattle Veterinary Operations—Cattle Immunology for Pfi zer. He educates the North American and international Pfi zer sales force, producers and veterinarians on disease management and immunology, as well as performing research on Pfi zer products. Previously, he worked at Diamond Scientifi c in their technical services department, where he was promoted to director of veterinary operations. Before that he worked in private practice in Wisconsin where he also held a non-tenured adjunct professor position with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, College of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Cortese has authored many publications on viral infections, immunology, calf management, and several textbook chapters, and has given guest lectures at many veterinary and university meetings, including the American Association of Bovine Practitioners/World Buiatrics Congress and the AVMA.

In 1997, he received the American Association of Bovine Practitioners’ Award for Excellence. A diplomate in the dairy practice specialty, Dr. Cortese received his DVM from Michigan State University. In 1999, he completed his Ph.D. in microbiology from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan.

Teresa Lightfoot, DVM, DABVP - Avian

Dr. Lightfoot received her DVM from the University of Missouri. She completed an externship at the St. Louis Zoo, and has been practicing in Florida since 1980. Dr. Lightfoot is a member of the ABVP – Avian specialty, past Regent for Avian and current Vice-President of ABVP. She served as staff veterinarian for the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary from 1987 to 2001. Dr. Lightfoot served on the Florida Board of Veterinary Medicine from 1995 to 1999 and served as Chair from 1997-1999. She has authored numerous articles on avian and exotic medicine and surgery and is author and editor of Clinical Avian Medicine (2006, Spix Publishing) and Exotic Pet Behavior (2006, Elsevier Publishing). She is a reviewer for Seminars in Avian and Exotic Pet Medicine and Exotic DVM. Teresa lectures frequently on avian and exotic medicine and surgery both nationally and internationally. Dr. Lightfoot is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Association of Avian Veterinarians Gold Star Award, the Florida Veterinarian of the Year award, the 2001 Exotic Veterinarian of the Year awarded to her by the International Conference on Exotics and the Dr. Ted Lafeber Avian Practitioner Award.

Jane Martel, MPA

Jane Martel is on staff of the American Animal Hospital Association where she serves as senior manager, professional education and oversees the management and development of AAHA educational programming. She received her BS in Education and MPA from the University of Maine, certificate in Equine Administration from the University of Louisville, and five Total Quality Management certifications from the National Quality Academy. Martel taught as an adjunct faculty member for several colleges in the areas of supervision, management, and business. Most of her career has been focused on management and on the design and delivery of instruction for adults and educators at the state and national level.

Jay McNaught, MS, MBA

Mr. McNaught works for Pfizer Animal Health in New York where he is the Manager of Leadership Education and Development. He received his B.S. and Masters Degrees in Education from Indiana University and a MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University. This year he plans to complete a doctorate degree in organizational leadership. Mr. McNaught works with front-line managers and other leaders at Pfizer; helping them develop their leadership skills and capabilities. He has over 25 years of experience in the areas of training, leadership development, and change management. He is a member of the New York chapter of the American Society for Training and Development.

Phil Padrid, DVM

Dr. Padrid graduated from Cornell University in 1985, where he received an award in Cardiology. He completed his internship at Santa Cruz Veterinary Hospital in 1986, residency in small animal medicine at UC-Davis Veterinary School in 1988, and a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at UC-Davis Medical School in 1990. Dr. Padrid served for 10 years as an associate professor of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. He became a partner in Family Pet Animal Hospital in Chicago full-time in 2003, specializing in respiratory medicine.He remains an associate professor of Molecular Medicine (adj) at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, and associate professor of Small Animal Medicine (adj) at the Ohio State University.

Clarence Rawlings, DVM, PhD, DACVS

Dr. Rawlings is a general surgeon who retired June 2004 from the University of Georgia after 30 years. He continues to practice with time divided between being a part-time surgeon at VCA Veterinary Referral Associates in Gaithersburg, MD, as a surgeon at the University of Georgia Small Animal Hospital and as a surgery consultant. Most consultation is providing endoscopic training in veterinary hospitals throughout the United States. He is past president of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and directs Veterinary Endoscopy Training Symposia at the University of Georgia. In addition to clinical practice, he has conducted basic and clinical research into several areas involving heartworm disease, abdominal surgery, incontinence, and minimally invasive surgery. He works closely with surgical device companies.

Julia Ridpath, PhD

Dr. Ridpath is currently the lead scientist of project “Counter Measures to Control and Support Eradication of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus”. She is also a research microbiologist for the Virus and Prion Diseases of Livestock Research Unit at the United States Department of Agriculture. Her professional activities include being a co-editor on the book “Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus: Diagnosis, Management and Control”, serving on the editorial board for Veterinary Research Communications, and the editorial board for Virus Research. Her research includes developing methods to detect, prevent, and control infections of bovine viral diarrhea viruses. Dr. Ridpath received her PhD in 1983 from Iowa State University in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and her BA in 1977 from Duane College.

David A. Wilkie, DVM, MS, DACVO

Dr. Wilkie obtained his DVM degree in 1984 from the University of Guelph, Canada. He received both his MS and ophthalmology specialty boards (ACVO) in 1988 from Ohio State University. He served as an assistant professor in the department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at Ohio State University and was promoted to associate professor of veterinary ophthalmology in 1994. He is currently head of the Section of Ophthalmology. In addition, Dr. Wilkie is an associate professor in the College of Medicine at The Ohio State University. He has trained 13 residents who are Board Certifi ed in the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists or the European College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists and has provided advanced training in ophthalmology to over 16 veterinary ophthalmologists from 8 countries. Dr. Wilkie has authored 62 articles and 32 textbook chapters, and serves as a research consultant to numerous research facilities. His areas of interest include ocular surgery, infl ammatory diseases of the eye, ocular pharmacology, cataract surgery, intraocular lens implantation, glaucoma, and comparative ophthalmology.

Linda Workman, MS, DVM

Dr. Workman works for the American Animal Hospital Association, where she serves as Veterinary Advisor. She received her Masters Degree in Accounting from the University of Wyoming and a DVM degree from Colorado State University. Enhancing the business of veterinary medicine is Dr. Workman’s career passion. She has over 20 years of combined work experience in retail sales, public accounting, private business, technical support, and clinical companion animal medicine. Prior to becoming a veterinarian, she was a veterinary client for nearly 25 years, which gives her a unique perspective when dealing with client related issues. Dr. Workman also serves as the President of a local VMA.