Rik Koopman |
Rik was born and educated in the Netherlands, graduating as a veterinarian from the University of Utrecht
in November 1986. Part of his veterinary training included a half years specialist training on poultry
medicine and husbandry. After working as a full time poultry veterinarian since January 1987, Rik fulfilled
the criteria in 2001 to be registered as Specialist Poultry Health in the Netherlands.
For the first eleven years of his career Rik worked for a large feed mill cooperative in the Netherlands,
CHV. End 1997 Rik joined Intervet Netherlands as Technical Manager, Poultry Products and in March
2003 he moved to the International Marketing Poultry Team.
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Pieter Kuhne |
Pieter graduated 1987 from Utrecht University and has 12 years poultry practice experience, contact with
farmers, integrations and feed industry. He was an advisor of the Dutch poultry board and President of
the Dutch branch of World veterinary Poultry Association.
In 1999, Pieter joined Intervet/Intervet Schering Plough/MSD AH, as a tech manager, responsible for
the regions Eastern Europe, Middle East (including Iran and Pakistan) , Africa above the Sahara, EU
countries.
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Maarten Witvliet |
Maarten Witvliet is a senior project leader within the global R&D of MSD Animal Health in Boxmeer
with over 30 years of experience in the field of bacteriological vaccine research. Maarten earned a MSc
(biochemistry) from Utrecht University and a PhD (medical sciences) from the Amsterdam Free University
working on human vaccines. Before joining the company, he was a visiting scientist at the pertussis
laboratory of the FDA and a postdoctoral fellow at the Netherlands Cancer Institute.
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Dr. John Radu |
Dr. John Radu is the Senior Technical Services Manager for the Merck Animal Health Poultry Business
Unit in the US. He earned his D.V.M degree (Romania, Timisoara) in 1971 and is a Diplomate of the
American College of Poultry Veterinarians. His past experience includes various research and technical
services positions in Poultry in Canada and joined Merck Animal Health in 2002. He is currently
responsible for providing technical support to Merck Animal Health’s poultry customers in US.
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Dr. Guillermo Zavala |
Founder, Avian Health International; Former associate professor, University of Georgia – PRDC
Dr. Zavala is one of the world’s leading subject matter experts on poultry disease and disease pathology.
His areas of special expertise are avian tumor viruses and immunosuppressive diseases.
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Carrado Longoni |
Corrado Longoni was born in Milano, Italia and earned his DAM from Torino University in 1991. He
specialized in Avian pathology at Milano University in 2006. From 1993-2009, Corrado was the field vet
for the Group directory of the hatchery, responsible for coccidiosis control strategy and moved to a field
vet for broiler and turkeys until 2013 when he joined MSD Animal Health as a Technical Manager. He is
now involved in Key Account Management. |
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Naola M. Ferguson-Noel |
Dr. Ferguson received her DVM at the University of the West Indies. She received her Masters of
Avian Medicine and PhD in Medical Microbiology at the University of Georgia, College of Veterinary
Medicine. She is currently an associate professor at the Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center
(PDRC) at the University of Georgia. Dr. Ferguson’s area of interest is avian mycoplasmosis and
her research is focused on epidemiology and pathogenicity, as well as developing and evaluating
vaccines and the development and improvement of avian mycoplasma diagnostic testing. In addition
to research, Dr. Ferguson oversees the avian mycoplasma and molecular bacteriology diagnostic
service at PDRC; she also conducts several diagnostic workshops and continuing education
seminars. Dr. Ferguson’s lab is the Reference Laboratory in the area of Avian Mycoplasmosis for the
National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). The
laboratory functions as a center of expertise and standardization of diagnostic techniques for this
disease.
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Eric Ellis |
Eric Ellis is Associate Director of Biomanufacturing Technology and Support (BTS) responsible for
Poultry and Parasitic Operations in the U.S. He received his M.S. in Biotechnology from Delaware State
University and Six Sigma Lean Manufacturing Green Belt from Villanova University. Eric began his
career with Intervet Animal Health in 1999 and has spent 17 years holding various positions within the
vaccine division. In addition to his responsibilities in the U.S., Eric recently took over BTS responsibilities
for Paracox in the UK to lead technical activities.
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Bruno Faure |
Veterinarian graduated from the School of Maisons Alfort in 1986, Bruno Faure has always exercised
his trade in poultry. After holding technical poultry manager functions in food and plant management in
the Reunion laying farm Bruno became primarily engaged in rearing and egg production of commercial
layers. He is responsible for this activity within the Crystal Network. Currently Bruno works for Labovet
Conseil (25 vets) specifically in egg production in Northern France. |
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Daniel Pearson |
Daniel Pearson was born in North Queensland, Australia. He graduated from the University of
Queensland with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science in 1981.
In 1984 he moved to UK where he began working as a veterinarian in the poultry industry for Marshall’s
Chunky Chicken, a large fully integrated company located in Scotland.
Daniel has continued served the poultry meat chicken industry in the UK and has extensive experience in
all aspects of broiler meat production. He is a past president of the British Veterinary Poultry Association,
a member of the European Poultry Veterinary Study Group, a member of the Red Tractor Farm Assured
technical committee for chickens and has served on a number of UK poultry steering committees,
including projects on Notifiable Disease, Campylobacter, Salmonella, Gut Health and Leg Health, working
closely with DEFRA (Agriculture Ministry) and FSA (Food Standards Agency).
He is currently employed as the Veterinary Health Director for Aviagen (Europe): the leading primary poultry breeding
company supplying stock for broiler production around the world. |
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Dr. Laura Villarreal |
Dr. Laura Villarreal is currently the Executive Director of the Poultry Business Unit in Brazil. Her
experience includes the coordination of technical, commercial and marketing strategies for the poultry
industry and the design and execution of research focused on the development of new products and
validation of the available products based on field situations. Laura has a strong knowledge of avian
pathologies at both laboratorial and field conditions with experience in coordinating field actions in
poultry health. She earned her Veterinary Medicine degree from the Universidad de La Salle – Bogotá-
Colombia and her Master´s and PhD degrees in Avian Pathology by the Universidade de São Paulo –
Brazil. She speaks fluent English, Spanish and Portuguese. |