Our team

Graduated from the University of Zaragoza (Spain), Dr Laguens started his veterinary career as a large animal practitioner in the province of Soria; after 11 years, he became Veterinary Public Health Officer of the Junta de Castilla y León, where he worked from 1990 to 2017. He has a Diploma in High Specialization in Food Technology for the “Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (C.S.I.C.)”. He was a member of the Advisory Board of the Spanish Food Safety Agency (AECOSAN) from 2003 to 2007. He worked in the design, advice and management of several Internet databases to register pets and horses. At the national and European level, he has been involved in different projects related to Veterinary Continuing Education, like the Evaluation Committee of the Spanish Ministry of Health (MSPS), the Institute for Health Sciences of Castilla y León and the initiative Veterinary Continuous Education in Europe (VetCEE). He has been webmaster of a veterinary web portal and editor of the veterinary public health journal “Hygia” 2019-2020. He has had different positions in the Spanish Veterinary Statutory Body (Organización Colegial Veterinaria Española) at provincial, regional, national and international level. He was Councilor for Europe of the World Veterinary Association (WVA) from 2011 to 2017. He served as President of the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) from 2015 to 2019. He was President of the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) from 2020 to 2022, chairing the Standing Committee for the Organization of the WVA Congresses and the WVA Ad Hoc Working Group on Communication. Currently, he is President of the “Colegio Oficial de Veterinarios de Soria”, works as a consultant on communication, education and technology. Dr Rafael Laguens took the office of WVA President on March 30th, 2022.

Dr. Turner is Corporate Vice-President, Global Animal Welfare for Charles River Laboratories. In this role, she is responsible for assessing welfare risks and developing animal welfare policy and related training for the company’s sites in 21 countries around the world. On graduation from veterinary college, Turner worked as a mixed, predominantly food animal, practitioner in rural Ontario and she has also worked as a toxicologist in preclinical safety within the pharmaceutical industry. Turner is a University Professor Emerita at the University of Guelph where she worked previously as a tenured professor in the Department of Pathobiology. She was also Program Leader for Laboratory Animal Science and managed the university’s laboratory animal diagnostic pathology core. Her laboratory conducted research in the areas of gastrointestinal microbiome, antimicrobial resistance and applied animal welfare (e.g., on-farm euthanasia, depopulation, analgesia), and she taught comparative medicine and pathology, toxicology, and animal welfare. She continues to conduct research in animal welfare science with her research group at Charles River and graduate students at Guelph. Turner is a Diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM), the American Board of Toxicology (ABT), and the European College of Animal Welfare and Behavioural Medicine (ECAWBM; specialising in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics). She has served on many national and international committees to develop policy for research and farm animal well-being, including the Code of Practice for Farmed Rabbits; the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Hatching Eggs, Breeders, Chickens, and Turkeys; the AVMA Panel on Depopulation; the U.S. National Research Council Guide to the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals; and the Canadian Council on Animal Care guidelines. Dr Turner served as WVA Councillor for International Discipline-Associated Organizations from 2008-2011, 2014-2017, and President -Elect from 2017-2020 and also served on the WVA Working Group on constitutional reform in 2012.

Dr. John de Jong is a small animal practitioner in Boston, MA. He has held many leadership positions in organized veterinary medicine and is a former board member of the American Veterinary Medical Association serving as Chair (2015-2016) and as President (2018-2019).  Dr. de Jong is also a past president of the Massachusetts and New England Veterinary Medical Associations, as well as the American Association of Housecall Veterinarians. Recently, he chaired the WVA Ad Hoc Constitution, Bylaws, and Governance Working Group. He currently serves as the Treasurer of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association. He serves on the Board of Advisors for the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University and is also on the university’s Board of Trustees. John currently owns and operates the Boston Mobile Veterinary Clinic and is Co-Founder of BetterVet, a growing corporate housecall company.  He has held many companion animal practitioner roles including as a practice associate, Chief of Staff, CEO, owner, and Medical Director. Early in his career, he also worked in equine practice. His primary area of focus is surgery, and he started a low cost spay neuter program earlier in his career. He writes a weekly column in the Boston Herald and was a monthly guest on talk radio for over a decade. Through practice and service in organized veterinary medicine, he has a thorough understanding of the breadth and depth of the veterinary profession. On the personal side, he describes himself as a husband and father first and as a proud veterinarian. Fluent in Spanish and proficient in French, John is one of two sons of two Dutch parents and two Puerto Rican stepparents. His interests include all sports, fishing, rugby, good food, politics, travel, and he is active in his church and his community.

As a Senior Program Officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Agriculture Development / Livestock team she is responsible for the enable functioning animal systems body of work, focusing on policy, data, veterinary service, advocacy, and collaboration as tools for optimizing livestock’s role in development. She has been engaged with the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) as a member of the Committee on International Veterinary Affairs, organized the inaugural AVMA Global Food Security Summit, and was appointed to the AVMA/AAVMC Veterinary Futures Commission. Prior to joining the foundation, she worked at the US Agency for International Development (USAID). In her time at USAID, she worked on both the development and humanitarian priorities of the agency. She served as a Global Health Fellows Program II Fellow in the Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) in the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA) as the Livestock Advisor responsible for livestock health, husbandry, and nutrition during international humanitarian crises.  She was also an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow in the Bureau for Food Security as a member of the Policy Team for the Feed the Future Initiative. After completion of her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) and Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) degrees from the University of Minnesota in 2010/2011, she worked in private clinical veterinary practice.  She worked at a rural mixed animal practice in Myrtle Point, Oregon primarily on dairy, small ruminants, horses, cats, and dogs, and in small animal exclusive practices in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as well as doing relief small animal work in Washington D.C.

International Veterinary medicine is a passion of Dr. Stiles. As a founding member and past President of Veterinarians without Borders (VWB) Canada, Dr. Stiles has been fortunate to work with people and animals around the world. She believes strongly in working for, and with communities in need to foster the health of animals, people, and the environments that sustain us all. In recent years, Dr Stiles has focused her attention and passion working with the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association on specific topics such as One Health, Importation of Dogs, Extreme Breeding, and Use of Cannabis in Veterinary Medicine. Dr Stiles received her DVM at the Ontario Veterinary College and then fulfilled a Masters in Clinical Sciences (behaviour medicine) at the  University of Montréal in 2009. She has had the opportunity to share her experiences, knowledge and the important work of the CVMA through speaking engagements and collaborative meetings with international partners such as FVE/FECAVA, WSAVA, WVA, IVOC, and most provincial veterinary associations and species groups as well as industry partners. Dr. Stiles is a regular presence in print, television, radio and social media advocating on current national and international issues such as professional and personal wellness and the global workforce shortage. Her interest and experience in veterinary behaviour medicine and animal welfare have been highlighted at speaking engagements with a recent focus on alternatives to feline partial digit amputation (declawing) and extreme breeding. Dr. Stiles was born in Newfoundland, however since 1987 she has had the opportunity of living in Zimbabwe, Ottawa and Guelph and now Montréal. Dr Stiles is passionate about helping animals and their families by providing excellent care and compassion to all of her patients, no matter how big or small. In 2009, Dr Stiles opened her own small animal practice in the West Island of Montréal, Sherwood Park Animal Hospital. It has grown rapidly and is now staffed by six veterinarians.

After graduation in 2002, Dr. Heidi Kellokoski-Kiiskinen has worked in various positions in Finland and Sweden. She has worked as government official with animal welfare, with mixed practice, in meat inspection etc. She has also been working in different EU- funded projects. Nowadays she works as an equine practitioner in her own clinic. She also does consultations and lecturing. Heidi Kellokoski-Kiiskinen is also a founder and CEO of a digital company focusing on animal health and wellbeing. Having created an application for animal owners she is familiar with the digitalisation of the industry. Apart from work she has also had various positions of responsibility being presently the Vice President of FEEVA, FVE delegate and UEVP delegate. On her free time she enjoys spending time with her family and appreciating the stunning nature of Lapland.

Dr. Roula Shaaban is presently working as the Head of Animal Control Unit in Abu Dhabi Agriculture & Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA). She is the President of Emirates Veterinary Association and had the position of Assistant Secretary-General for Foreign Affairs and Public Relations of the Arab Veterinarians Union. She is now Councilor of Middle East and North Africa of WVA (2020-2022) She obtained her BVSc in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery-Cairo University- Egypt, EMVSc in Health Care Administrative (Healthcare Environment, Managing the healthcare, Medical Tourism, Ethical Issues in Healthcare, Leadership, Quality and Human Resources) From Zayed University, UAE. Chairperson of Board of Director for Emirates Veterinary Association. Honorary Doctorate In Entrepreneurship. International Entrepreneurship License by Stanford International University. She was engaged in AL Katara Veterinary Hospital and in Al-Ain for treatment, surgical and medical advices. Then, She Worked in the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment as a veterinarian in Animal Wealth Department as the first Emirati Lady in this field, Senior Veterinarian in the head of Animal Production Department. Later, She worked as a Lead Inspector in the meat inspection Unit (ADAFSA). Besides academic excellence & co-curricular activities, She was a member in the International Equestrian Federation and work in the Endurance Horse riding in the Veterinary Commission inside and outside UAE ( Germany, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Poland, Malaysia, Estonia and UK, Italy, Protégés, France ) as a Veterinary Delegate and also as the president of the Veterinary Commotion. Member of the Technical committee for Equestrian sports at Emirates Equestrian Federation. Member in the Veterinary Control Committee in UAE to be sure that the slaughter houses and the Islamic center follow UAE regulation in Halal production and travel to different country for this issues as Pakistan ,Japan, Keane, Chilli, Turkey, India, China, Kazakhstan.

Graduated as a Zootechnician Veterinarian Doctor (MVZ) from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Specialist in Animal Production in Bovines, he specialized in Marketing and a Master’s in Business Administration with training in International Business at UNAM. He graduated in Administration of small and medium agricultural companies and recently in Veterinary Epidemiology. Dr. Sánchez Mejorada has held managerial positions at the national level in pharmaceutical companies, responsible for the national market and exports to Central and South America from 1986 to 2004, including technical services, currently he works as a MVZ specialist in Cattle in the Comarca Lagunera (Coahuila and Durango States), the most important and technical dairy basin in Latin America. Since 1997 he has been responsible for regulatory affairs with the Mexican government in various commercial and industrial companies in compliance with the Official Mexican Standard, he is a Technical Expert in certification processes and MVZ certified as a trainer before the federal government. He is an editor and collaborator in various electronic portals and specialized magazines for the dissemination of the agricultural sector. Since 2004, he provides veterinary services to livestock through his own specialized company. He has held the presidency of the Organizing Committee of numerous International Congresses and various union organizations of MVZ at the local, regional and national levels. He is currently president of the Federation of Colleges and Associations of Zootechnician Veterinarian Doctors of Mexico, A.C. (FedMVZ) where he has held various positions, member of the board of directors of the National Technical Advisory Council for Animal Health (CONASA) and the Pan American Association of Veterinary Sciences (PANVET).

Dr Helio Blume graduated in Veterinary Medicine from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (1979); he has a Master’s degree in Veterinary Medicine from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (1994) and a PhD in Animal Sciences from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (1997). Blume is currently a professor at ‘UPIS Integrated Colleges’, where he coordinates the graduate course of Veterinary Medicine, in addition to specialization courses and masters in animal sciences. Dr Blume has vast experience in Veterinary Medicine, Animal Husbandry and Medicine, focusing on Human and Animal Physiology, Pathophysiology and Biotechnology of Animal Reproduction, Deontology, Bioethics and Animal Welfare. Dr. Blume acted as CFMV’s Treasurer from 2017 to 2018 and is currently CFMV’s Secretary-General. He has been Director of the Brazilian Spiritism Federation since 2008 and a member of the Executive Committee of the IEC (International Spiritism Council). Furthermore, Dr Blume is the Coordinator of the Center for Veterinary Medicine and Spirituality (NUVET) of AMEDF, and a member of the Spiritism Medical Association of Brazil. As a member of the Bank of Appraises (BASis) of the National Higher Education Evaluation System (Sinaes), he has been an institutional and distance education evaluator of Higher Education at INEP / MEC since 2002. He is a representative of Brazil at COPEVET (Pan American Council for Education in Veterinary Sciences) and a member of PANVET (Pan American Association of Veterinary Sciences). Dr Blume is a guest member of the American Association of Veterinary Medicine College (AAVMC) Council of International Veterinary Medical Education (CIVME).

Graduated from the University of Nairobi (Kenya) Dr. Ouma started his veterinary career as practitioner in Nairobi, Kenya from 1995 to 1997 when he began the teaching career first at the faculty of veterinary medicine of the University of Nairobi and later at Hagaz Agro-technical College in Eritrea till 2005. He then worked as Technical Advisor at the Rotam Agrochemicals’ Regional Scientific Office for Sub-Saharan Africa and The Middle East. Dr. Ouma has a Master of Public Health from Loma Linda University School of Public Health and is a Certified Public Health practitioner (CPH) by the US Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE). He is currently a lecturer in the School of Health Science, University of Kabianga in Kericho, Kenya. He has held different positions at the Kenya Veterinary Association. He was the Vice-Chairman of the Kenya Veterinary Association in 1998 -1999. He has served in different capacities at the KVA branches and is currently in the national executive council and chairman of the infrastructure development sub-committee and a member of the Scientific Sub-committee. Dr. James Ouma was elected councilor for Africa Region of the WVA in 2022.

Dr Charlotte Nkuna holds a veterinary degree from the Medical University of Southern Africa and a Master in Business Administration from the University of Pretoria, both in South Africa. After her graduation, she worked in the Animal Health industry in various roles for several years, both in South Africa and internationally. She gained experience in non-profit organisations and industry associations before joining the South African National Parks as the head veterinarian. Dr Nkuna served within a number of committees, including as chairperson as well as the Vice President in the South African Veterinary Council, a veterinary statutory body. She also served in the South African Veterinary Association as a Federal Council and Board member as well as President of the association. Agriculture is a key sector for the South African economy, and as such, the agriculture industries have industry associations and forums that advocate on their behalf, including on animal health related matters including disease related matters and food safety and security, where the National Animal Health Forum plays an essential role. Dr Nkuna served in the forum for a number of years as the deputy chairperson.  Dr Nkuna believes that the only way to make a difference in society is to get involved. It is for this reason that she has and continues to serve on a number of Boards as a director in both government and industry entities within the agriculture, conservation, human and animal health spaces. The development of youth through education and mentorship remains critical to the advancement of the veterinary profession and the veterinary team, something that is important to Dr Nkuna and drives her passion.

Dr. Chin-Cheng Chou, DVM, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus at Veterinary Medicine of National Taiwan University Received DVM from Taiwan and graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA, USA). Dr. Chou started his veterinary career as a horse field veterinarian at Taiwan Olympic Village. After his Ph.D., he chose his academic career in veterinary medicine specializing in veterinary public health, epidemiology, animal disease risk assessment, and livestock pollution control and became a lecture at National Taiwan University (NTU) in 1994 and was promoted to full professor in the year 2005. He was elected as the Dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine at NTU started in 2011 for three years and was reelected again for the second 3-year term. He became Professor Emeritus at Veterinary Medicine of National Taiwan University starting in 2022. Dr. Chou has been involved at the National and Asia related with different veterinary education, like the evaluation committee of the three veterinary colleges in Taiwan, board member of the Veterinarian Examination Review Committee of Taiwan Examination Yuan, BSE Risk Assessment Consultant Board, and Drug Management Consultant Board of Taiwan Department of Health, Taiwan Regional Associate for Asia of Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC), the President of the Chinese Society of Veterinary Science (CSVS from 2013-2018), the President of the Asia Association of Veterinary Schools (AAVS, 2017-2018). Dr, Chou was also appointed by Taiwan EPA for several environmental specialty positions, like Air Pollution Control Fund Management Board, Environmental Impact Assessment Board, Recycling Fund Management Board, and National Environmental Education Fund Management Board. Dr. Chou was also in charge of several NGOs in Taiwan, like Director-General of Taiwan Watch Institute, Chair of Academic Affairs of Taiwan Environmental Protection Union, Executive Director of Taiwan Risk Analysis Association, and Board member of National Animal Industry Foundation of Taiwan.

Dr. Ganokon Ferreira is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University as well as the Assistant Dean for International Relations of the faculty. She is currently a board member of several veterinary professional organizations in Thailand such as the Thai Veterinary Medical Association Under Royal Patronage (TVMA) and the Veterinary Practitioner Association of Thailand (VPAT). Dr. Ganokon has served on the Thai Veterinary Education Forum where she was in a committee to assess the current and future workforce needs for veterinarians in Thailand, which involved working with the International Health Policy Program Foundation, Thailand. She was also in the committee to establish standards for veterinary teaching hospitals in Thailand and has served on the Thailand Animal Hospital Standards and Accreditations (TAHSA) committee to assess private animal hospitals. Dr. Ganokon looks forward to the opportunity to represent Asia and Oceania on the WVA Council and expand her efforts in bringing together our national, regional and global collaboration.

Olatunji graduated from University of Ibadan in 1989 with a DVM degree and also a Masters of Veterinary Science Degree specializing in small animal soft tissue surgery in 1997. He was awarded the membership of College of Veterinary Surgeons, Nigeria in 2003. Currently, he is a fellowship student of the same college. He started his clinical practice with Petcare Animal Hospital from 1989 and exited in 2001 to establish Truthmiles Animal Hospital which commenced business on 1st July, 2004.  An ardent associations’ man, he was a part of the erstwhile Veterinary Clinicians’ Forum and assumed the secretary-ship of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) Lagos Chapter for 9 years before he became the national secretary of NVMA for another 4years (2001 to 2005). He was the 1st Vice President of the same association for another 4years terminating in 2009.  He became an Ex-officio member of the executive of the NVMA, between 2014 and 2016. Dr Nasir was the Regional Representative of Commonwealth Veterinary Association (CVA) for West Africa, a position he is held twice after an initial stint between 2007 and 2011, then 2015 to 2019 but in an acting capacity between 2012 to 2014. He is an ambassador of African Small Companion Animal Network (AFSCAN) for Nigeria. Dr Nasir is also an Assembly member in the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA).  He was awarded the Colin F Burrows Scholarship to attend the NAVC in 2016 and has attended a lot of international conferences to his credit.  He is the Vice president of the Small Animal Veterinary Association, Nigeria (SAVAN). Currently, He is the President of Commonwealth Veterinary Association (CVA) , a member of the Continuing Education Committee of WSAVA and a member of the governing board of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria.

Graduated from China Agricultural University (Beijing, China) with veterinary medical degree and M.Sc. in veterinary pathology, Dr. Pang started his veterinary career as pathologist then assistant research professor in a veterinary institute, Binzhou, Shandong province, focusing on diagnosis and vaccine research and development. Dr. Pang then pursued a PhD degree from University College Dublin, Ireland, with a focus on animal health and welfare. Dr. Pang started his laboratory animal vet career in 2006 heading up the lab animal medicine department at a contract research organization (CRO) in Beijing, where he was also a toxicologist. He was then veterinary director at another multinational CRO in Shanghai. Dr. Pang received postdoc training at University of Copenhagen in Denmark, characterizing/standardizing gut microbiome in rodent models. In 2011, Dr. Pang joined Sanofi as a Director of animal research and welfare, Global Research & Development. Dr. Pang became an ad hoc specialist of AAALAC international in 2008 and was elected as Council member in 2013. In 2009, Dr. Pang became a board certified veterinary pathologist in China. Dr. Pang became a Diplomate of ACLAM in 2015.  Currently, Dr. Pang is a Standing Council member of Chinese Association for Laboratory Animal Sciences, chairing the Laboratory Animal Veterinarians Working Group (to train and certify lab animal vets in China) & serving as Secretary General of the Committee on Lab Animal Welfare and Ethics (to organize education and training on lab animal welfare and ethics in China). He is a member of the Specialty Committee on Laboratory Animal Sciences, and a techincal expert, at China National Accreditation Services for Conformity Assessment. Dr. Pang has been a council member of the Council on Accreditation, AAALAC International, since 2013. Dr. Pang was elected a Councillor, representing International Discipline-Centred Organizations, of the WVA in 2022.