Veterinary Science and Profession 2026

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Conference speakers

Veterinary public health

Branko Velebit is a distinguished food microbiologist at the Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology in Belgrade, Serbia. He has over 22 years of experience in leading and managing an ISO 17025–accredited food microbiology laboratory. His work focuses on the development and validation of methods for the detection of enteric viruses in food, as well as on assessing the effectiveness of innovative non-thermal virus inactivation strategies, such as cold plasma and pulsed light. His particular research interest lies in reducing the transmission of enteric viruses through the food chain, with a special emphasis on human norovirus and hepatitis A and E viruses. In recognition of his achievements, he has been appointed to ISO/CEN working groups for the development and validation of standards for the detection of enteric viruses in food, and he actively participates in the work of EU Reference Laboratories for foodborne viruses. He is also a registered expert for the National Institute for Standardization in the field of food microbiology. In addition to his scientific and regulatory work, Dr. Velebit is strongly committed to education and mentorship. He has led a team of five scientists and supervised 15 doctoral dissertations in food microbiology. To date, he has authored 196 publications in the field of food safety.

Ivan Vićić is an assistant at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Belgrade, at the Department of Food Hygiene and Technology. His work includes practical teaching in the courses Meat Hygiene and Technology and Food Control. At the same time, he is involved in a research team focused on food science, food safety, and food quality. He is also part of an interdisciplinary national project funded by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia entitled “Monitoring Antimicrobial Resistance in Different Ecological Niches – a One Health Perspective (TRACE).”

Giuditta Tilli graduated from the University of Padova in Italy in 2020. Her passion for veterinary medicine led her to pursue a PhD in Veterinary Science at the same University. Her PhD thesis entitled “Unveiling biosecurity in poultry farms: state of the art and gaps from an Italian perspective”, was successfully defended in October 2024. During her doctoral studies, she played a pivotal role in the EU 2020 project NetPoulSafe, focusing on improving compliance with biosecurity measures in Italian poultry farms. Giuditta’s expertise extended to her involvement in two COST Actions—CA20103 and CA18217—where she contributed to mapping biosecurity measures across Europe and optimizing antimicrobial treatment in the poultry sector, respectively. In 2023, she joined Vetworks as a poultry consultant, bringing her wealth of knowledge and experience to the field. To further expand her expertise, she embarked on a Postgraduate course in Poultry Health Sciences at Ghent University. Currently, she is also a resident in the European College of Poultry Veterinary Science, working under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Gunther Antonissen. Giuditta’s commitment to advancing poultry health and biosecurity reflects her ongoing dedication to the field. At Vetworks, Giuditta serves as a dynamic project leader, spearheading a variety of on-field projects in Belgium. Her work spans critical areas such as biosecurity, farm management in poultry operations, and infectious disease prevention. Additionally, she collaborates with Poulpharm, contributing her expertise in conducting necropsies and providing comprehensive biosecurity consultancy.

Horses

Nika Brkljača Bottegaro graduated from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, in 2006. In the same year, she joined the Clinic for Surgery, Orthopaedics and Ophthalmology at the Faculty, where she completed her PhD in 2010. She is currently an Associate Professor at the same institution. In 2021, she obtained the Diploma in Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation from the European College of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation. She is a FEI veterinarian for endurance and testing. Her professional work focuses on equine surgery, sports medicine and orthopaedics, with a strong emphasis on evidence-based approaches to equine health, performance, and rehabilitation. 

Matko Perharić graduated from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb in 2011 and was subsequently appointed as an Assistant at the Department for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases with Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb. He is involved in teaching, clinical, and scientific research activities at the Department, with a particular focus on infectious diseases of domestic and companion animals. He completed his postgraduate doctoral studies in Veterinary Sciences in 2017, defending his doctoral dissertation entitled “Molecular Epizootiology and Validation of Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Diagnostical Procedures in Croatia.” In 2021, he was appointed to the academic rank of Assistant Professor at the Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases with Clinic. Throughout his professional career, he has pursued continuous professional development through participation in numerous national and international scientific and professional meetings, including a professional training placement in 2013 at the Langford Veterinary Referral Clinic, University of Bristol. In addition to his clinical work at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases, he has been a member of the emergency admissions team for equine patients at the University Veterinary Hospital since its establishment. He is the author or co-author of more than 60 scientific and professional publications in the field of veterinary medicine. 

He graduated from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Zagreb in 2018. He conducted research entitled “Prevalence, risk factors, and clinical significance of canine bocavirus infection” as part of a project on the diagnosis of viral gastroenteritis in dogs in the Republic of Croatia. This research was carried out over a two-year period, during which he acquired expertise in the application of molecular diagnostic methods for infectious diseases. In the same year he was employed as the Assistant at the Clinic of Obstetrics and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb. In 2024 he completed his doctoral study by defending doctoral dissertation on September 11, 2024, entitled “The Impact of Herpesvirus Infection in Goats on Reproductive Performance.” As of October, 2024, he has been employed in the academic and research position of Senior Assistant. For the past five years, he has been a member of the equine emergency admissions team within the University Veterinary Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. He has attended numerous scientific and professional meetings in various fields of veterinary medicine with the aim of advancing his knowledge and skills, and he is the author and co-author of 28 published professional and scientific papers.

Small animals

Erika Furman is a European Specialist in Veterinary Clinical Pathology with extensive experience in diagnostic laboratory medicine and quality management. She graduated from the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, in 2000 and began her career in small animal clinical practice before transitioning to laboratory diagnostics. She completed her ECVCP residency training at InVitro Laboratory GmbH in Vienna (2011–2014) under the supervision of Dr. Ernst Leidinger and became a Diplomate of the ECVCP in 2017. Erika has held senior positions at InVitro and IDEXX InVitro Laboratory GmbH in Vienna, where she worked as a Senior Veterinary Clinical Pathologist and Deputy Laboratory Manager, with a focus on cytology, hematology, biochemistry, and quality management. 

Dr. Kajin graduated from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb in 2016 and has been employed at the Clinic of Internal Medicine Faculty of Veterinary Medicine since that year. He received his PhD in 2024 and completed his specialization in neurology within the European College of Veterinary Neurology (ECVN) at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Hannover (Stiftung Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover) in the working group of Prof. Holger Volk. 

Since July 2025, she has been working as a Veterinary Clinical Pathologist and Diagnostic Consultant at Laboklin GmbH & Co. KG in Bad Kissingen, Germany, while also serving as a veterinarian specializing in internal medicine at the LMU Small Animal Clinic in Munich. In addition to these roles, she has been involved in supervising a feline infectious peritonitis treatment study and managing clinic administration since July 2024. Her doctoral research, initiated in January 2023 under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Katrin Hartmann, focuses on feline infectious peritonitis. She obtained her veterinary license (Approbation) in March 2024 after completing her veterinary studies at Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, where she studied from October 2018 to March 2024. 

Dr. Veljko Turković graduated in 2008 from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Zagreb, obtaining a comprehensive education that sparked his long-standing commitment to clinical excellence and continuous professional development. Over the years, Dr. Turković has built an extensive international career, gaining experience in a range of specialist veterinary clinics and university hospitals across Austria, Germany, and Belgium. His professional journey has been marked by work in demanding clinical environments, where he has served in roles such as anaesthesiologist, intensive care veterinarian, and co-director of an intensive care unit. These positions have allowed him to develop a high level of expertise in managing complex and critical cases, particularly within the field of small animal medicine. Since 2020, Dr. Turković has been based at a private specialist referral practice in Wolkersdorf, Austria. In this role, he combines clinical leadership with strategic management responsibilities, serving both as a certified Specialist in Small Animal Internal Medicine (Fachtierarzt) and as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the practice. His specialist title has been formally awarded by both the German Veterinary Chamber and the Austrian Veterinary Chamber, reflecting his high level of professional competence and recognition across national borders. In addition, he holds a Certificate in Small Animal Ultrasound from the International School of Veterinary Postgraduate Studies (ISVPS), further strengthening his diagnostic capabilities. Beyond his clinical and managerial responsibilities, Dr. Turković is deeply engaged in advancing the veterinary profession. He is an active contributor to continuing education, regularly delivering lectures and hands-on workshops as an invited speaker. His commitment to scientific advancement is demonstrated through the publication of multiple articles in peer-reviewed international journals. Moreover, his expertise and dedication to mentorship have been acknowledged by the Austrian Veterinary Chamber, which has accredited him as a supervisor for specialist training in Small Animal Internal Medicine (Fachtierarzt Ausbildung).

Farm animals

Melanie Schären-Bannert currently works as a professor in the course Herd Management, with a focus on optimizing animal health and productivity in dairy farming. Her academic education began with a degree in veterinary medicine with a specialization in ruminants, which she obtained in 2011 at Ghent University, Belgium. After graduating, she conducted research in the field of animal health and nutrition, working as a research associate at the Institute of Animal Nutrition, FLI Braunschweig, from 2013 to 2017. She subsequently continued her scientific career at the Clinic for Cloven-Hoofed Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, where she worked as a research associate from 2017 to 2025. Prof. Schären-Bannert’s expertise encompasses animal health management, preventive strategies, and herd-level interventions in dairy production. Through her clinical, research, and teaching experience, she makes a significant contribution to improving the health, welfare, and productivity of dairy cows by effectively linking scientific research with practical herd management.

Prof. Pothmann is a European specialist in bovine herd health management with extensive experience in both veterinary practice and academia. From 1997 to 2005, he worked in private practice in Austria. From 2005 to 2009, he taught at VetFarm at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, and in 2009 he obtained his PhD at the Institute of Animal Nutrition with a dissertation entitled “Monitoring Body Fat Thickness in Austrian Simmental Cows.” In the same year, he was named Professor of the Year at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna. From 2010 to 2025, he worked as a senior researcher and lecturer at the Clinic for Ruminant Herd Health Management, and in 2023 he became a Diplomate of the ECBHM. Since 2025, he has been working at the Clinical Department for Farm Animals and Food Systems Science at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna. His areas of expertise include herd health management and improving livestock performance in dairy and livestock production systems.

Cassandra Eibl is a veterinarian specializing in bovine herd health management, with a career that bridges practical fieldwork and advanced academic expertise. She began her professional journey in 2015 as a bovine practitioner in a mixed veterinary practice in Salzburg, Austria, where she gained valuable hands-on experience in cattle health and farm management. In 2019, she joined the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna to pursue a residency with the European College of Bovine Health Management (ECBHM), which she completed in 2022. Her training focused on preventive medicine, herd health optimization, and evidence-based clinical practice. In recognition of her expertise, she was awarded the title of Diplomate of the ECBHM in 2024. Currently, Cassandra Eibl works as a postdoctoral researcher and senior clinician at Vetmeduni Vienna, where she is involved in clinical service, research, and veterinary education, contributing to the advancement of herd health management in bovine production systems.

Exotic and wild animals

Joško Račnik is an Associate Professor and Head of the Clinic for Birds, Small Mammals, and Reptiles at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Ljubljana, Slovenia. He is a specialist in avian, small mammal, and reptile medicine, having completed his specialization at the European College of Zoological Medicine. For more than 20 years, he has been involved in clinical practice and teaching in the field of exotic and wildlife veterinary medicine. He is particularly dedicated to diseases of small mammals, and his scientific work focuses on the investigation of emerging diseases in exotic companion animals and wild birds. As a respected expert in small mammal veterinary medicine, he actively contributes to education and research in modern diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

Dr. Pavel Kvapil is the Chief Veterinarian at Ljubljana Zoo and a Diplomate of the European College of Zoological Medicine (Zoo Health Management). He holds a PhD in infectious diseases of zoo and wildlife species, with a strong professional focus on captive wildlife health, conservation medicine, and infectious disease surveillance. He is actively involved in wildlife conservation projects in Slovenia, where he is responsible for anesthesia, veterinary sampling, and clinical health assessment of free-ranging Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), grey wolf (Canis lupus), and wild boar (Sus scrofa). He is a founding member of the Linking Lynx Health group and the Lynx Heart Assessment Project, both aimed at improving health monitoring and conservation outcomes in large carnivores. In parallel, his work in zoological medicine includes non-invasive diagnostic approaches and coordinated European research on emerging viral diseases, including red panda amdoparvovirus in the red panda (Ailurus fulgens).