Speakers

Ahmed Addali Alvarez , MBA, Global Medical & Marketing Manager. Companion Animals at Virbac.

Graduated in Veterinary Medicine at Leon University, Spain. MBA São Paulo, Brazil. Postgraduate degree at Adventist University São Paulo, Brazil. More than 20 years’ experience in three of the largest veterinary pharmaceutical companies in Spain and Brazil being responsible for Companion Animals’ Medical, Marketing, Commercial and Business Units. Specialist in parasicitides market, molecules and products.

Loic Antoine. DVM, PhD. Global Technical manager. Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health

Loic Antoine is a French veterinarian who has been working in USA, France and Austria for the past 10 years. He is now a member of the Boehringer-Ingelheim technical services in Lyon and he dedicates most of his time to parasites and parasiticides.

Elena Carretón, DVM, MSc, PhD, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Doctor Europeus in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria receiving the Extraordinary Doctorate Award. She is currently Associate Professor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in Spain. She has co-authored approximately 70 articles in peer-reviewed journals, and several books and book chapters on heartworm, as well as more than 200 communications and conferences in national and international congresses. Her scientific career is focused on the study of the pathology and epidemiology of Dirofilaria immitis in animals, as well as its zoonotic aspects and implications on human health. She has received several national awards for her work in scientific outreach.

Lavinia Ciuca, DVM, PhD, resident EVPC

Dr. Ciuca received her veterinary degree from the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Iasi, Romania, in 2012 and a PhD in veterinary sciences from the same university in 2016. The main subject of the PhD thesis was on Dirofilaria in dogs and humans. In the present, she is resident in the second year of European Veterinary Parasitology College at the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Italy. Dr. Ciuca has participated in several research projects with the focus on epidemiology and diagnosis of the main parasitic diseases in dogs and cats and she is author and co-author of several scientific publications in national and international journals.

Renato Costa, DVM, MSc, Diretor Regional Pet Care S/A (Brazil)

Awarded a Masters' degree in Small Animal Clinical Sciences focused on Canine Dirofilariasis at UFRRJ, Brazil in 2001, Renato founded Animália Veterinary Hospital in 1993 in Rio de Janeiro where he works as Manager, General Practitioner and Surgeon. Currently is the Technical Director of the Brazilian Small Animal Veterinary Hospital Association (ABHV).
Ljubomir Curcin, DVM spec, Veterinary clinic Intervet, Belgrade (Serbia)
He graduated in 1999 at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Belgrade, Serbia. He has worked as a small animal clinician for more than twenty years. His fields of interest are diagnostic imaging, surgery and vector-borne diseases in dogs and cats. He is co-author of more than 30 papers.
Jason Drake, DVM, DACVM-Parasitology. Director, Scientific Marketing Affairs. Global Companion Animal Parasiticides. Merck Animal Health.
Dr. Drake earned his DVM from Texas A&M University. He practiced small animal medicine in Washington State, and joined Novartis Animal Health in 2000, serving as the Professional Services Veterinarian for the southeastern USA. Dr. Drake has held a number of different technical and marketing roles within the animal health industry, and currently provides technical support to the Merck Global Companion Animal Parasiticides marketing team, supporting both existing and pipeline products. Dr. Drake has co-authored more than 30 peer-reviewed parasitology-related manuscripts and earned his Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Microbiology (Parasitology) in 2016. Dr. Drake is a veteran of the United States Army Veterinary Corps and has deployed to southwest Asia with a mission that included food safety and military working dog veterinary care. His recent projects have included evaluating the changing prevalence of heartworm and gastrointestinal nematode infections in dogs.
Anastasia Diakou, DVM, PhD, full Professor, Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
Dr. Diakou holds an academic position since 2001. To date she has (co-)/authored 124 publications and participated with 141 presentations in 86 scientific congresses. Her main scientific interests are the parasites and parasitic diseases of dogs, cats and wildlife, and their implications to public health.
Hans-Peter Fuehrer, PhD, University of Vienna
Hans-Peter Fuehrer is parasitologist and leader of the vector and vector-borne pathogens group at the Institute of Parasitology at the Vetmeduni Vienna, Austria. His main research focus is set on mosquitoes and mosquito-borne pathogens incl. Dirofilaria immitis and D. repens.
Laín García Guasch, DVM, MSc, PhD, Acred. AVEPA (Cardiología)
Graduated in Veterinary Medicine at the Autonomous University of Barcelona in 1998, and PhD in Veterinary Medicine at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in 2009. Member of the Cardiology and Respiratory Service of the Hospital Veterinari Molins IVC Evidensia. Head of the Cardiology Service at Hospital Veterinaria del Mar IVC Evidensia. Research member of the Veterinary Medicine and Therapeutic Research Service at the University Institute for Research in Biomedical and Health Sciences of the ULPGC. AVEPA accredited in Cardiology since February 2012. Teacher of postgraduate courses and author of internationally peer-reviewed articles. He is also author of several books within the specialty of cardiology and respiratory in small animals.
Marco Genchi, DVM, PhD, University of Parma
Associate Professor of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Parma. Research topics include epidemiology, pathogenesis, host-parasite relationships, and parasitology diagnosis. An important line of research is represented by studies on Dirofilaria immitis and D. repens. Author of over 120 publications in national and international journals, books and book chapters.
Lorenzo Golini, DVM, PhD, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zurich (Switzerland)
Lorenzo Golini graduated in veterinary medicine with full marks in 2004, discussing a thesis on cognitive dysfunction in the senior dog. In 2006, he completes a master's degree in "clinic of behavioral diseases of the dog and cat," at the University of Torno. Meanwhile, he is involved in dog and cat medicine and surgery in several centers in Rome. Until 2008, he completes several externships at the neurology sections of the UPENN (Philadephia, USA), Madison-Wisconsin (USA) and Georgia (USA) schools of veterinary medicine. In 2008, residency in neurology and neurosurgery at VetSuisse of the University of Zurich (CH) under the supervision of Prof. F. Steffen, DECVN. In 2014, obtains diplomas from the European College of Veterinary Neurology. Senior clinician at Zurich faculty until 2015, when he moved to UK to start neurology and neurosurgery service at NorthWest Surgeons Ltd private clinic. In August 2019, at the Veterinary Neurology and Neurosurgery service of the San Marco Veterinary Clinic and Laboratory, in Veggiano (PD). Since 2020, he is again at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zurich (Switzerland) He is the author of several international scientific publications, author of papers at national and international level in several conferences on veterinary neurology.
Jorge Guerrero, DVM, PhD, Latin American Veterinary Conference (LAVC)
DVM at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos de Lima in 1965. MSc and PhD at the University of Illinois in 1968 and 1971. Certificate at the American College of Microbiology (ACVM) and retired from the European College of Veterinary Parasitology (EVPC). He has worked in research in the field of immunology and parasitic diseases in farm animals and small animals in Peru, Brazil, Spain and the United States. He has worked for 28 years in different areas of the global pharmaceutical industry, retiring as Executive Director of Veterinary Services for North America at Merck and Co, Inc in 2001. He served for 35 years as Adjunct Senior Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. He has also served as a visiting professor in Spain, Italy, Brazil, Sweden, Germany, and Peru and is an Honorary Professor (Emeritus) at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos de Lima. Until 2010 he has been Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Applied Research in Veterinary Medicine and Associate Editor of the American Heartworm Society, and Honorary Member of the latter in 2015. Board member since 2002 and President (2007-2008) of the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC). Among other awards, has received the 2005 American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists Top Research Award, the gold medal from the Association of Spanish Small Animal Veterinarians (AVEPA) in 2014 and the global award of merit from the World Association of Small Animal Veterinarians (WSAVA) in 2016. Dr. Guerrero has more than 188 publications in indexed journals, one published book, several book chapters, including one in the Merck Veterinary Manual, and a US patent. Currently, he is President and CEO of the Latin American Veterinary Conference (LAVC).
Todor Kalinov, DVM, Veterinary Clinic Vitalis, Plovdiv.
Todor Kalinov was born on 22.09.1980 in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. He graduated in Veterinary Medicine in 2006 in Trakia University, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria. He works at the veterinary clinic Vitalis, Plovdiv. Todor is mainly interested in small animals cardiology and ultrasound diagnostic. He is a member of Bulgarian Association of Veterinary Cardiology and European Society of Veterinary Cardiology. He is keen on extreme sports – wakeboard and snowboard.
Norma Labarthe, DVM, PhD, Universidade Federal Fluminense (Brazil)
Veterinarian dedicated to small animal medicine, with special interest in arthropod-borne diseases and in biodiversity and health issues. Has published over 100 papers and mentored countless students. Works hard to put scientific knowledge in favor of pets’ health and welfare. Spends many hours trekking or swimming while observing nature, trying to learn from it how to build a fair world for the future generations.
Andres Montesinos, DVM, PhD, Hospital Veterinario Los Sauces, Madrid (Spain)
Andres Montesinos, graduated from the Veterinary Faculty of UCM Madrid in 1992. Since 1995 director of the Exotic Animal Hospital Los Sauces in Madrid fully dedicated to exotics medicine. Andres got his PhD in 2017 with a thesis about PK/PD of meloxicam in AGP. Master in veterinary science research and accredited in exotic pet medicine by the Spanish Association of Veterinarians. Since 2019 is also associate professor of Medicine and Surgery of exotics animal in the School of Veterinary of the Complutense University in Madrid. His areas interest are avian clinical pathology and pharmacology.
José Alberto Montoya-Alonso, DVM, MSc, Bi-PhD, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Graduated and PhD in Veterinary Medicine at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM). PhD in Medicine at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC). University Specialist in Obesity, Specialist in Animal Welfare and Animal Health. Board Certified in Pediatric Internal Medicine and Cardiology animals and Master's Degree in Educational Innovation and Evaluation of Programs Training by the National Distance University (UNED) Professor of medicine and surgery animal of the Department of Animal Pathology, where he has been its director, in the Faculty of Veterinary of the ULPGC. Head of the Veterinary Medicine Service and the research group of Veterinary Clinic and therapeutic research of the Institute University of Biomedical and Health Research of the ULPGC. Coordinator of the Research Doctorate Program in Biomedicine. Numerary Elected Academician of the Royal Academy of Veterinary Sciences of Spain (RACVE). Author and coauthor of almost 100 peer-reviewed articles in international journals. Author and coauthor of books and book chapters in cardiorespiratory medicine in small animals.
Rodrigo Morchón, PhD, University of Salamanca.
Full Professor in the Parasitology Area of the Department of Animal Biology, Parasitology, Ecology, Edaphology and Agricultural Chemistry at the University of Salamanca (USAL). Degree in Biological Sciences and Doctor Europeus from the University of Salamanca with Extraordinary Doctorate Award. He teaches different Bachelor's and Master's degrees at USAL and other universities on topics related to animal and human parasitology, new technologies and teaching innovation, and other topics in the field of Health Sciences. His main line of research is the study of animal and human dirofilariosis (Dirofilaria immitis and D. repens) as well as other vector-borne zoonotic diseases and Angiostrongylus vasorum. Author and coauthor of more than 90 peer-review papers in international journals, most of them focused on heartworm disease.
Andreas Oehm, DVM, PhD, Institute of Parasitology, University of Zurich (Switzerland)
Studied Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich; PhD in 2019, Dr. med. vet. in Veterinary Epidemiology, University of Munich. Since September 2021 is a researcher at the Veterinary Parasitology group, at the Institute of Parasitology, University of Zurich. Since April 2022, German Board Certification (FTA) in Epidemiology.
Claudia Paredes Esquivel, Senior lecturer, Laboratory of Zoology. Department of Biology, University of the Balearic Islands (Spain)
Senior lecturer at the University of the Balearic Islands in Spain. Claudia Paredes obtained a bachelor degree in Biological Sciences at the University of San Marcos Lima, Peru. In 2004, she joined the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) as a PhD fellow. In 2019 she led a team that discovered Angiostrongylus cantonensis in Mallorca, the first European endemic foci. Now, her team is focused in understanding the molecular epidemiology of the parasite in this region.
Elisabetta Scoccia, MD. Maugeri Clinical-Scientific Institutes of Pavia (Italy)
Assistant Surgeon at the Operative Unit of Breast Surgery of the Maugeri Clinical-Scientific Institutes of Pavia, Eusoma certified Breast Unit. She has a Degree in Plastic Surgery and a II level Master in Breast Surgery and deals   with Breast Oncology mainly in the field of Reconstructive Oncoplasty.
Marie Varloud, MS, PhD. Global Technical Manager. Parasiticides, Companion Animal. Ceva Santé Animale
Dr. Varloud is Global Technical Manager for Companion Animal parasitology in Ceva Santé Animale since 2012. Marie graduated as an engineer. Before starting her PhD she completed a research master focused on the molecular and cellular aspects of nutrition.
Luigi Venco, DVM, SCPA, EVPC Dipl, EBVS, European Veterinary Specialist in Parasitology
Author of more than 50 papers on Internationally peer reviewed journals he is a Diplomate of the EVPC (European Veterinary Parasitology College) and Licensed Universitary Professor of veterinary infectious and parasitic diseases. He works as consultant for Veterinary Hospitals in Italy and abroad in the fields of Internal medicine, Cardiology (clinical, interventional and surgical) and Clinical Parasitology

ESDA

Mission

The mission of Society is to be an European resource for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of both D. immitis and D. repens and Angiostrongylus vasorum in companion animals and to educate physicians and the public on the zoonotic risk of human Dirofilariosis.